Toy design at Squishmallows: MIAD student develops confidence

When she first got the internship offer from Squishmallows at Jazwares, Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) senior Melody Frias ’26 (Communication Design and Illustration) thought she was in shock. Months after the internship concluded, Frias still reads that email when she needs a boost.

Frias, who is double majoring in Communication Design and Illustration, was offered the position of Toy Designer at Jazwares working on their Squishmallows collection. As an enthusiastic admirer of Squishmallows herself, Frias was thrilled to accept the internship. “I remember telling all of my friends and my professors I had gotten it, and everyone was like, okay, that checks out,” laughs Frias. “It was definitely rewarding because I love Squishmallows.”

In addition to helping with sample reviews and style guides, Frias also worked on concepting her own designs. Seeing an original design come to life was particularly fulfilling. “I still have the file and I look at it and I smile,” says Frias. “The most rewarding thing is seeing my work in the professional style of [Squishmallows] and just seeing the reactions of people.”

“I don’t know if they’re going to be making it to the market,” she continues, “but they told me maybe, so I’ll take that as probably—crossing my fingers!”

Frias explains, “I think something that I gained a lot from that internship is confidence in my work … After this [internship], my manager really emphasized that if you made it here, it’s because you can do it. So it was like, okay, maybe I’m starting to believe that I can do it.”

Keep up with Frias on her website and learn more about MIAD’s Illustration and Communication Design majors.