Onell Design
An independent American toy company and artist collective known for its interchangeable Glyos System action figures.
Last updated August 25, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Onell Design is an independent American toy company and artist collective focused on small-scale collectible action figures and interchangeable toy systems. Its best-known creation is the Glyos System Series, a modular range of figures and parts built around compatible connection points. The system includes characters such as Pheyden, Exellis, Crayboth, Argen, Gobon, Armodoc, Armorvor, Noboto, Buildman, and Skeleden, along with numerous other designs and variants. The brand's products draw on the visual language and play patterns of durable action figures from the 1980s, including the compact construction and mix-and-match appeal associated with lines such as Adventure People. Rather than treating each figure as a completely separate product, Onell Design emphasizes interchangeability: collectors can combine bodies, armor, limbs, heads, and other components to create different configurations. This approach gives the line both a toy-like play function and a designer-toy collectible dimension. Onell Design operates at the intersection of independent toy making, character design, and artist-led collectibles. Its work is associated with the broader designer-toy and independent action-figure communities, where limited production, distinctive sculpting, color variations, and collaborations are important parts of the market. The company has also collaborated with Real x Head, an international artist and toy brand based in Japan, demonstrating the Glyos System's ability to serve as a platform for cross-brand and cross-artist releases. The Glyos System received the Best Mini Line Toy Award for 2008 from the toy-review website Plastic and Plush. In 2010, Onell Design's interchangeable vinyl piece The Rig was included in MTV's Top Ten Toys of 2010, providing broader media visibility for the brand and its modular design philosophy. Publicly available reference material does not establish a founding year, headquarters, ownership structure, financial information, or a complete current product catalog. Onell Design is therefore best understood as an independent, artist-centered toy brand rather than a mass-market toy manufacturer.
History
Onell Design is an independent toy company and artist collective whose identity is closely tied to the Glyos System Series. The brand's work belongs to the independent and designer-toy side of the toy industry rather than to the mainstream mass-market action-figure business. Its designs are characterized by compact proportions, original characters, durable construction, and parts that can be exchanged between figures. The Glyos System was developed as a connected toy environment rather than as a single character line. Among the named figures associated with it are Pheyden, Exellis, Crayboth, Argen, Gobon, Armodoc, Armorvor, Noboto, Buildman, and Skeleden. The system's interchangeable architecture allows collectors and players to recombine components and create custom figures. This modularity recalls the practical, durable small-scale action figures that were popular in the 1980s, while adding the limited-edition aesthetics and character-driven design associated with contemporary designer toys. Onell Design's approach also supports collaboration. The company has worked with Real x Head in Japan, linking the Glyos System to an international network of independent toy artists and manufacturers. Such collaborations are significant because they extend the use of the system beyond a single in-house cast of characters and position its parts compatibility as a shared creative platform. The brand received external recognition in 2008 when the Glyos System Series won Plastic and Plush's Best Mini Line Toy Award. Two years later, The Rig, an interchangeable vinyl piece from Onell Design, was featured in MTV's Top Ten Toys of 2010. These appearances helped distinguish the company within the broader collectible-toy market and showed that its modular products could attract attention beyond specialist toy communities. Available reference material does not document a precise founding date, the identity of the founder, a headquarters location, corporate ownership, executive leadership, or detailed production and distribution figures. It also does not provide enough information to describe a full chronology of individual releases. Accordingly, Onell Design's documented history is best summarized through the development and recognition of the Glyos System, its collaborative activity, and its visibility in independent-toy coverage.
- 2010
The Rig is included among MTV's Top Ten Toys
[1]The interchangeable vinyl piece The Rig was featured in MTV's Top Ten Toys of 2010.
- 2008
Glyos System wins Best Mini Line Toy
[1]Plastic and Plush named the Glyos System Series the Best Mini Line Toy of 2008.
Collaboration with Real x Head
[1]Onell Design collaborated with Real x Head in Japan, extending the brand's independent toy network internationally.
Products and positioning
Independent designer-toy and action-figure brand centered on durable, compact, interchangeable figures that combine collectible character design with user-directed customization.
Interchangeable action-figure system
Glyos System Series
Onell Design's central product platform is a series of small-scale collectible action figures and compatible parts. The line includes characters such as Pheyden, Exellis, Crayboth, Argen, Gobon, Armodoc, Armorvor, Noboto, Buildman, and Skeleden. Its defining feature is the ability to exchange components between figures, allowing users to customize forms and create new combinations. The system combines play-oriented durability with the limited-production and character-design focus of the designer-toy market.
Interchangeable vinyl toy piece
The Rig
The Rig is an interchangeable vinyl piece associated with the Glyos System. Its modular construction reflects Onell Design's emphasis on recombination and customization rather than fixed, stand-alone figures. The product gained wider visibility when MTV included it in its Top Ten Toys of 2010.
Recent events
- 2010
The Rig appears in MTV's Top Ten Toys of 2010[1]
Other
Onell Design's interchangeable vinyl piece The Rig was included in MTV's Top Ten Toys of 2010.
- 2008
Glyos System receives the 2008 Best Mini Line Toy Award[1]
Other
The Glyos System Series was recognized as the Best Mini Line Toy of 2008 by Plastic and Plush, a toy-review website.
Onell Design collaborates with Real x Head[1]
Other
Onell Design collaborated with the Japanese artist and toy company Real x Head on work connected with the independent toy and artist-collective scene.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/onell-design · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled