Darren Phillipson

Lecturer | BFA Toy Design

Education

Wolverhampton University: BA (Hons) Industrial Design

Bio and Affiliation

Mr. Phillipson is a seasoned toy industry executive, having worked in the field of Consumer Products, Licensing and Entertainment for over 25 years. He has held leadership positions at several of the world’s top toy and licensing companies including Lucasfilm Licensing, Disney Consumer Products, Dreamworks SKG and Mattel. Mr. Phillipson has a Passion for Play and is the recipient of over 100 awards from renowned toy industry organizations including 20 TOTY nominated toys with 3 category winners. In 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022, Mr. Phillipson was a Mojo Nation 100 Finalist – representing the 100 most influential figures working in toy and game design today. Mr. Phillipson currently runs his own design agency called design_lead_play_ where he collaborates with companies and studios on a global basis to help support their product and content development needs. He has also been an Executive Producer on four children’s preschool shows and is the Co-Creator of a show currently in development with Netflix.

Portrait of Darren Phillipson

Clients and Employment History