I don’t get it.What exactly don’t you get?It turns from a building into a robot, right?Precisely.Well, what is fun about that?Well, if you had read your industry breakdown, you would see that our success in the action figure area has climbed from 27% to 45% in the last two years. I still don’t get it. What don’t you get?There’s a million robots that turn into something. This is a building that turns into something. What’s fun about playing with a building? That’s not any fun. This is a skyscraper.

LYAP

Limericks!

Design is a process that helps in a crunchCreativity is a skill that adds extra punchIts best when you playAnd most experts sayFun makes it better than brunch!-samuel fritton

A design should be useful and prettyBut a toy needs to also be witty'Cause the purpose of playIs to brighten one's dayAnd a toy that does not is a pity-geoffrey anderson

Designing a product is toughMaking it for children is roughBut it is all for funAnd when the day is doneEveryone's a kid sure enough-bradley ni

My thoughts composed as a limerickLike design there’s always a gimmickAnd the point of playIs it tries to conveyThere’s fun for even a cynic-claire leitgen

By now the whole world is designedHowever, you may feel inclinedTo start all again(Just pick up your pen!)And keep the end user in mind...-nel pilgrim-rukavina

As adults we sometimes lose trackWhat we do can always impactWith play, you createSpark the mind and awakeYour ideas, your designs interact

As students we have the powerTo cultivate an idea to flowerEncourage it to growAnd as we all knowWe'll figure it out in the shower-rebecca hoffmann

Design is a test of the mindA great idea can be hard to findIt should be compelling,or it won't be sellingAnd make sure it is one of a kind-amanda zibolski

A toy must encourage you to playSo much that you could do it all day designed for the client success is reliant on keeping preconceived notions at bay-nathan bennett

Quiz!1. What is your name?

2. Who is our customer in toy design?

3. What is play?

4. What is the opposite of play?

Who is our Customer?

Influence on Product Selection

Prod

uct

Use

User

Purchaser

Producer

cost/safety

play value

Designing Toy Products

Functional Requirements

Design Embodiments

Toy Products also require play value (functional requirements)

freedom of movement within a given space

It is a quality of mind. “Play and work are words used to describe the same activity under different circumstances”- Mark Twain

It is developmental and cathartic.“It is essential for helping children reach important social, emotional, and cognitive developmental milestones as well as helping them manage stress and become resilient" - The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)

It is a natural and learned schematization of life.“A primative and paradoxical communication, schematic expression, and a succession of disequilibrial bipolar state, with their own rules, sequences and climaxes” - Brian Sutton Smith, PhD

what is play?

captivating

intrinsically motivated

process focused

with pretense

Play describes a state of mind during an activity that is:

Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

$$

what is play?

work work disguised as play directed play guided play free playchore

Play describes a state of mind during an activity that is:

what is play?captivating

intrinsically motivated

process focused

with pretense

EvolutionistsChildren learn important survival tools and prepare for adulthood

PsychoanalystsPlay is an emotional outlet (cathartic) and children develop an identity

Developmental Psychologists“It is essential for helping children reach important social, emotional, and cognitive developmental milestones as well as helping them manage stress and become resilient" - American Academy of Pediatrics

Brian Sutton SmithPlay for the sake of play Fun and Relaxation

Physical, Social

Emotional, Sensual, Creative

Cognitive, Social, Emotional

UN Convention on the Rights of the Child of 1989. Article 31

1. States Parties recognize the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts.

2. States Parties shall respect and promote the right of the child to participate fully in cultural and artistic life and shall encourage the provision of appropriate and equal opportunities for cultural, artistic, recreational and leisure activity.

Importance of Play

Classifying Play“Classification is the first step in bringing order into any scientific endeavor” - Michael Ashby

Consumer Product Safety CommissionCreative PlayMake-Believe PlayManipulative PlayLearning PlayActive Play

The National Institute for Play Creative PlayImaginative/Pretend PlayStorytelling PlayBody PlayObject PlayAttunement PlaySocial Play

Existing Classifications“Classification is the first step in bringing order into any scientific endeavor” - Michael Ashby

Del Vecchio’s Toy CategoriesCreationFriendshipStorytellingNurturing EmulationExperienceMasteryCollection

Roger Caillois (Man, Play and Games)Mimicry - Role PlayingIlinx - PerceptionAgon - CompetitionAlea - Chance

Scales of Play

S s

Classifying Play

Sensory Fantasy Construction Challenge

WORD

Classifying Play

Sensory Fantasy Construction Challenge Massage, Yoga,

Music Movies, TV, Flirting

Books, MakeupArts and CraftsMusic, Cooking

Games, Gambling, TriviaSports, Recreation

Classifying Play

Sensory Fantasy Construction Challenge

push our limits

also more sensual

motor skills are refinedavailability of tools

level of detail

more knowledgemore refined skills

Flow

base more in realityage relation

How play changes with age

Classifying PlayThe Play “Pyramid”

construction

sensory

fantasy

challenge

Classifying PlayThe Play “Pyramid”

construction

sensory

fantasy

challenge

Classifying PlayThe Play “Pyramid” - Fantasy Challenge Edge

Classifying PlayInside the Play Pyramid

Sensory

Fantasy

Construction

Challenge

Are Designer Toys?

Sensory

Fantasy

Construction

Challenge

What is Play Value?

Developmental benefits of the play?

Length of time a user plays?

Variety of play?

Does it Afford Play?

construction

sensory

fantasy

challenge

Play Affordances Affordance- the action possibilities (of a toy) that limit and guide an actor (customer audience)

“I suspect that none of us know all the affordances of even everyday objects.” -Donald Norman

Perceived Play Affordances

Play Affordances

Play Affordances

“it is dangerous to pretend we know what a child will do with a toy just from its characteristics alone; children have a way of doing things with toys

over and beyond the apparent character of the toy”-sutton smith

...but we can still design suggestions! A toy is in the mind of the child, a toy product is in the mind of the designer.

Ideally, a toy product is the same in the mind of both parties. -kudrowitz

Play and Age

*Gender Assignment based on findings of Blakemore and Centers in “Characteristics of Boys’ and Girls’ Toys”, 2005

Play Classification of “Popular Toys” in 2006-2007 *

Sensory Motor

Concrete Operations

Formal Operations

Preoperational

.1 .51 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13

Play and Age

Popular Toy Trends

1993

1980

2005 2009 2010

Fantasy 4-12 age rangegender neutralVariety of themesAnimalsCollect them allEasily transportable $10 price rangeSmall companies

1980

2011

1996

Challengeconstruction

sensory

fantasy

challenge

Play with the toy (if possible)

What is the play value?

What makes it innovative?

What makes this a successful toy?

Is this part of a trend?

What’s next? Where do you see this going?(if anywhere)

2

Logistics!Notebooks?!

Brainstorming and Innovation: Thursday Rapson 56

Sketching Monday! (bring a fineliner pen)

Theme/Team Introduction Wednesday

Logistics!Children’s Museum: Friday, 5:30-7:30

Observation

Meet in the lobby

questions?