Background
This project was developed for BioWare’s Dragon Age, based on Alistair, one of the main companions and romanceable characters from Dragon Age: Origins.
The concept was to turn Alistair’s romance storyline into a physical collectible. The set was built around a carved wooden box featuring Alistair, with a love letter written from him to the female Grey Warden, and a replica-inspired version of Alistair’s Mother’s Amulet to connect the product back to his story in the game.
Challenge
Hidden Magnetic Closure & Holding Strength
The original box used an interlocking lid-and-base structure, but later versions needed to transition to a hidden magnetic closure without changing the proven box dimensions. The magnets had to remain completely hidden while providing enough holding force to keep the lid securely closed, especially since the products inside were designed to sit tightly against the lid. This required testing the magnet size, strength, depth, and placement.
Color Consistency Across Production Batches
Different character versions were produced at different times, but collectors could purchase and display them together. This made cross-batch color consistency critical. Variations in wood moisture affected the darkness of laser engraving, while differences in the wood itself also influenced paint absorption and the final finish. The challenge was keeping the wood tone, engraving depth, and painted color consistent across Alistair, Dorian, Morrigan, Isabela, and Iron Bull.
Fitting Different Products Within a Fixed Internal Height
The box dimensions, internal height, and liner structure were already fixed, while the products for each character could vary in thickness. Each new set therefore had to fit within the same available height without creating too much upward pressure on the lid. The challenge was to accommodate different product thicknesses while keeping the contents secure and the magnetic lid fully closed.
What I did
Optimized & Concealed the Magnetic Closure
I worked with the factory to test three different magnet layouts and finalized a four-magnet configuration—two in the lid and two in the base. Testing confirmed that 3 mm diameter strong magnets provided enough holding force. To completely hide them, I also changed the assembly process: the front texture paper on the base was applied after the magnets were installed, allowing the final paper layer to cover the magnet positions without leaving them visible.
Controlled Color Consistency Across Batches
I anticipated that additional character versions and repeat orders would follow, so I arranged for the factory to purchase and reserve material from the same production batch in advance. This kept the wood condition, moisture level, texture paper, and bonding process as consistent as possible across future runs. Instead of sourcing new materials for every character, we could use the reserved material and simply laser-engrave the corresponding character artwork for each new version, significantly reducing cross-batch variation in engraving darkness and final color.
Adjusted the Liner for Different Product Thicknesses
For thicker components, I had the factory hollow out specific areas of the liner to create additional clearance without changing the box dimensions. I also adjusted the thickness of the EVA mounting/backing board according to each set of components, allowing products of different thicknesses to fit within the same internal height while keeping the lid properly closed.
Outcome
The product sold strongly during the initial pre-sale, leading the client to place a repeat order soon after. The additional production also sold quickly.
The magnetic closure structure I developed—replacing the original clasp-style closure—was well received by customers and became the standard structure for the series. Following the success of the first release, the client expanded the concept to other Dragon Age characters, including Dorian, Morrigan, Isabela, and Iron Bull, while continuing to use the same magnetic box structure for their matching character-themed collectibles.
