Project Type
Product Design
Category
Toy Design
Collaborators
PROJECT OVERVIEW
The project involves researching and developing a design for an interactive or remote controlled (RC) children's toy. The project will also involve identifying a target market, creating a narrative, and developing a mock commercial to showcase the toy's features and appeal. The goal is to create an engaging and entertaining toy that fits the market space you identify.
Lauryn Gabriele
Amelie Houle
Brianna McGregor
OBJECTIVES
Research
Identify competitors, target audience, and complete a white space analysis based on the current market.
Durability
Use materials that can withstand regular use and are easy to clean. The toy should be able to endure the wear and tear of a child's use.
Aesthetics
Create a visually appealing design that will suit the identified target market. The toy should be colourful and engaging, encouraging children to use it.
Commercial
Write a script and film a commercial draft for the designed toy that is between 30-35 seconds in length.
Interactions
Outline the toy's interaction and features through a button map. Include all lights, buttons, sounds and motion in the chart.
NARRATIVE
Sammy is an adventurous & curious snail that lives in the garden and loves to roam around discovering new things along the way. He loves dancing around the garden making art with his snail trail. Sammy wants to share his discoveries in the garden through singing, dancing and making art! Sammy dances around kids’ pages teaching them fun facts about his drawings while dancing and singing along with them as they colour the pages in.
RESEARCH
Price Range + Complexity
There is a noticeable alignment between the price point and the complexity of toys. Higher prices often correlate with more complex features and larger sizes. Setting our price at $50 allows us to offer a toy with multiple functions without overwhelming the consumer.
Gender Appeal + Branding
Our study revealed that a majority of interactive toys for girls come with more feminine branding. Toys for girls often feature themes like animals, babies, and mythological creatures, using colors such as pink, purple, and blue with embellishments like sparkles and stickers. Recognizing these preferences allows us to design a toy that appeals to this demographic.
Theme Trends
We found that gender-neutral toys often gravitate towards themes like animals or robots and utilize neutral colors. In contrast, girls' toys emphasize animals, babies, and mythological creatures. This knowledge helps us in theme selection to ensure maximum appeal.
Material + Interaction Preferences
Toys for girls usually incorporate a mix of materials, combining plastic with plush elements to add softness and a tactile dimension. Direct interaction features, rather than purely digital, are crucial for engaging this age group.
WHITE SPACE ANALYSIS
There is a distinct white space in the market for a toy that combines slight femininity with gender-neutral appeal, priced around $50. Most high-end, girl-oriented interactive toys are limited, and there is an opportunity to create a toy that balances traditional girl-oriented themes with the broader appeal of gender-neutral designs.
Targeting the identified white space by developing a toy that is:
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Slightly feminine yet appealing to a broader audience.
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Priced at $50 to balance complexity and affordability.
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Featuring a mix of materials and direct interaction technology.
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Emphasizing themes that blend traditional femininity with neutral design elements.
Fun Facts
Each design card comes with multiple fun facts that Sammy is ready to share with you.
Bright Colours
Eyecatching use of bright blues and greens balanced with accents of pink and indigo for a gender neutral design.
Sing + Learn
Dance and sing along as Sammy shares educational stories from his many garden adventures.
Quick Charging
With battery life lasting upto an hour of play, Sammy's charging log only takes 20 mins before he is ready to explore once more
