Toy Design
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Prototyping
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Prototyping
- Provide the toy name
- Make sure you have at least one good photo of your toy that you could include in your portfolio.
- Post the poster you designed.
- Post a video showing the play experience (the IMA show might be a good chance to film something)
Part 02: Reflection (one or two paragraphs)
Reflect on the experience of creating this toy, but before writing, think about the next things that you should mention:
In what way the readings, documentaries, or what you have learned in this course inspired your project? What did you learn during this process? What are you most proud of? What did you struggle with? How well did you achieve to include the concept of Diversity and Inclusion in your toy? What would you do if you have more time?
Note: Make sure you reference relevant ideas and other projects or toys you used as references that are relevant in your research.
Part 1
Toy name: Who Says?
Part 2
I think Who Says might be the most organized project I’ve done this semester. After going through the first two projects, I learned a lot about managing time and keeping my work focused. So when I got to Project 4, I didn’t waste much time doing things that didn’t help the final result.
Since this toy is about gender equality, some of the readings from Project 1 really stuck with me—like the Refinery29 article on gender bias in toys( which actually inspires me to do this topic because in this article she was saying that toys are deemed "acceptable" for girls and boys do actually wind up influencing subconscious cues of what careers, activities, and interests are "acceptable" for women and men. ) They helped me think more deeply about things like what really counts as gender-neutral colors, and how design choices—like color—can subtly reinforce or challenge stereotypes.
Out of all my projects, this one had the most research behind it. The main theme is diversity and inclusion, and I tried to reflect that in a few different ways. First, the toy helps break the stereotype link between gender and certain careers. Second, I added a physical interaction element that can help older people exercise their hand muscles—especially those need muscle recoveries. I think both parts match the theme really well. For the design, I looked at this hand exercise guide from the Hong Kong government(https://www.elderly.gov.hk/tc_chi/education_and_media_resources/files/ham/1130507-Hand%20ex%20pamphlet_TC-W3C.pdf), which listed useful movements like scooping, pouring, and inserting. I did my best to include those in the toy, and I’m honestly really proud of how it turned out.
For the physical part, I put a lot of thought into the silicone grip. I made it slightly loose and not fully stuck to the spoon, so shaking hands won’t make the ball fall out too easily, and it also works the muscles more. If I had more time, I’d first smooth out the grip—it’s still a bit rough and not as ergonomic as I’d like. I’d also upgrade the flipping box part of the toy, which isn’t super intuitive yet and could definitely look better too.
Some toys that also inspire me a lot:
Unisex by Sy Wang⬇️