Long before she was designing toys for global brands, Andi Osana, also known professionally as ‘&i’, was the child who constantly asked, “What if?” Every object became an invitation to experiment, imagine, and discover how things worked. While her peers grew out of playing with toys and other childhood interests, she learned how she can transform her love for play into a fun and fulfilling career.
Her curiosity led her to study Industrial Design at De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde, where she eventually gravitated toward projects centered on play, children, and toys. At school, she enjoyed creating objects and finding ways to make them more interactive and playful.
After she graduated, she collaborated with Filipino design duo NAZARENO/LICHAUCO (Gabby Lichauco and Rita Nazareno), where she discovered how one can integrate work and play. She worked on projects like OB Montessori Center’s redesign that inspired her pursuit of work that sparked joy and laughter. To this day, she works with the duo to lend her talents to projects in the Philippines–with her work showing up in places like Museo Pambata’s Ang Katawan Ko exhibition.
Driven by her will to learn more about design as a whole and experience new things, Andi sought opportunities beyond the classroom to better understand the industry. To take her craft one step further, she joined the program Offsite, a then 14-week industrial design program designed to equip their students with real-world skills. Through this program, she met her mentors who helped her dive deeper into the world of toy design.
In 2023, Andi was accepted into the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT)’s BFA Toy Design Program in New York, making her one of only seven students admitted to the highly competitive program that year. Through this rigorous program, she later secured an internship with global toy manufacturer Jazwares. At Jazwares, she contributed to projects tied to major entertainment franchises, including Avatar: The Last Airbender, and several properties under Crunchyroll.
After graduating Summa Cum Laude in 2025, Andi has been working with multiple toy companies, primarily focusing on plush toys. Now based in New York City, she’s worked for brands such as Emotional Support Pals, Cozy Concepts Co, and other developing product lines under Relatable (formerly What Do You Meme?). She’s also helped develop toys for licensed properties like PAW Patrol, How to Train Your Dragon, Gabby’s Dollhouse, Ms. Rachel, and for specialty brands like GUND and Hidden Pigeon Company, among others.
“I find it rewarding that I get to play for work,” Andi explained. “It’s extremely fun to be able to watch TV shows and movies that I love for reference, study a character and stylize them in your own way.”
While Andi may be busy designing exciting toys based on other creators’ stories, she eventually plans to release her own property of toys centering around patched-up robots, found-object homes and collectible treasures in a place that exists in the middle of nowhere.
In her current practice, Andi bridges the gap between imagination and reality, translating beloved characters into tangible toys cherished by a global audience. Yet, through every design, she preserves that original spark of curiosity—a steadfast conviction that every plaything serves as a catalyst for a new narrative, a grand adventure, or that very first question: “What if?”
For more information on Andi Osana’s work, visit https://www.andiosana.com/.
