Tara Carone is a Seattle-based creative director and illustrator specialising in consumer product design, licensed character IP, and brand development. With over 10 years of industry experience, she has directed product lines and design campaigns for globally recognised brands including Roblox, Disney, Sanrio, Star Wars, Barbie/Mattel, and Igloo Coolers. Her core specialty is cute and quirky character-driven illustration, with hands-on creative direction capability across packaging, e-commerce, and licensed merchandise.

Carone works in a bright, energetic register centred on character IP and fandom culture. Her stated specialty is "cute and quirky," with demonstrated range across approachable kids' aesthetics and horror-adjacent styles (as evidenced by the Doors/Roblox style guide). The portfolio features a versatile illustrative practice encompassing surface pattern applications and graphic product design across multiple tone registers.

Graphic design and illustration background. Working method spans creative direction, colour selection, guide design, pattern design, and designer sourcing - operating at both art direction and execution level. Works across packaging, e-commerce assets, and licensed merchandise. Specific software not documented.

Licensed consumer products, with particular strength in gaming IP and character brands. Confirmed projects include:

• Roblox - Blox Fruits and Doors style guides (creative direction, pattern design, designer sourcing)
• Sanrio - including a Sanrio penny press machine
• Disney, Star Wars, Barbie/Mattel - licensed product lines
• Igloo Coolers - licensed product (Iron Maiden coolers referenced)
• Epic Drops - brand rebrand including logo, mascot, brand guide, and softlines merchandise

Available for freelance and custom development.

Over 10 years of experience across consumer product innovation, brand development, and visual storytelling. Spent significant time on the hiring side of the industry, which shapes her collaborative and transparent freelance approach. Based in Seattle.

The portfolio features character-driven and illustrative surface designs across multiple IP properties. Pattern design in her practice is integrated into licensed consumer product development - adapting and directing print-ready graphics for merchandise - rather than standalone repeat pattern creation.