We are thrilled to announce our collaboration with New York artist Matthew Langille. Over the years, Matthew has worked with over 150 acclaimed companies such as Marc Jacobs, Ford, Adidas, Swatch, Tommy Hilfiger and Warner Brothers.

Selected by Swatch as a contributor to their CreArt series, Matthew Langille joined the ranks of fellow artists and influencers such as Keith Haring, Vivienne Westwood, and Annie Leibowitz.

Classically trained and descended from a family of famous artists, Matthew is usually found, Sharpie in hand, intently drawing in his Princeton, New Jersey studio. Matthew’s characters and designs have appeared on items ranging from apparel, accessories to domestics, electronics, wall decor and more. Sought out by partners the world over, Matthew Langille’s unique style lives at the crossroads of fashion and art.

“Matthew Langille may not be a name you will know yet, but you may just know his designs. The artist has placed his amusing childlike drawings on watches, flip- flops, T-shirts and more - for brands from Havaianas to Marc Jacobs - and has just unveiled a new collection for Swatch.” Vogue.com

Matthew Langille’s smart, witty graphics appear on everything from water bottles to board shorts. Worn by celebrities such as Jennifer Garner, Paris Hilton and Michelle Obama, and beloved by top designers, Matthew’s designs appeal to fans of all ages.

The Shrunks will be unveiling a new collection featuring Matthew’s art, later this year. The hot new designs are still in progress and at this time, all we can say is, they are going to be super awesome, with a splash of dreamy!

Matthew in his New Jersey studio - where characters come alive

Some of his celebrity fans. From Paris Hilton to Jennifer Garner.

From time to time, we get questions from our fans asking us how and where our products are made, and how we go about testing them. Hopefully, this article will shed some light on how we bring our ideas to life, from our drawing boards to store shelves all over the world. We take pride in our design, engineering and manufacturing process. All Shrunks products are designed in Vancouver Canada, and made with care in China.


Design

At The Shrunks, we sketch a lot. You’ll find note books filled with drawings and sheets of paper on our desks with scribbles all over them.

We love visiting interesting stores around the globe, from Hong Kong to New York. We talk to parents to gain a true understanding of their needs. We put prototypes in front of kids and watch how they interact with them. We observe human behavior and discuss how we can make things better.

The basis of our design principle is simple - make it fun, safe and intuitive.


Prototyping

This phase of the creative process brings together the talented minds of designers, engineers and technologists.

Often stemming from a loose sketch in the studio, or the tray table in front of you on a Boeing 747, these rough ideas move quickly to the research stage of development to determine market demand, ease of fabrication, and uniqueness to market. If it meets the criteria, our designers proceed to develop electronic drawings so a working prototype can be made.

The prototype is then tested in real world situations, and modifications are made based on our observations.


Safety & Testing

The Shrunks’ technical team ensures the highest standards are met during the manufacturing process - quality control across packaging materials, color consistency, material consistency, product sizing discrepancies, packing methods, inventory supervision, shipping logistics... the list goes on.

All products undergo a vigorous testing process in our manufacturing facility. From weight and leak tests for our inflatable products, to material testing, ensuring our products not only comply, but exceed industry safety requirements. We are proud to say our products are safe from lead, phthalates and BpA.

And that folks, is a brief summary of how we bring fun and safety to cool bedtime products for kids, wherever they are in the world.

From Hong Kong to New York, we’re surrounded by inspiration wherever we go.

From paper to screen. Rarely the other way around.

If you dare, leave them alone and watch what happens.