The Vinimates line retained key visual cues from the iconic Minimates base body—such as the cylindrical head and spherical hands—but its lack of articulation opened the door for more expressive posing and unique sculpted elements. Since each figure was a new sculpt, the designs could push further into character-specific details while still preserving the recognizable Minimates silhouette. Some tampo-printed features, like the facial details, were deliberately kept in place to maintain a clear connection to the original Minimates aesthetic.
Although Minimates and Vinimates were often seen as “simple” in style, a surprising amount of detail went into their design—especially at the 4" scale. For characters like Batman, much of his suit’s armor was carefully translated into the sculpt, with certain elements stretched or compressed to suit both the base body proportions and the stylized aesthetic of the line. The goal was always to stay true to the character while working within the unique visual language of the format.