The Toy Pitch - Week 5

Project 1 is nearing an end, our designs and ideas now must into the mix and be presented. Tonight we looked at commercials as the ultimate marketing vehicle, but telling your story to the group is the most honest way to gain fans and bring out the critiques. We saw many come back from the bring to save their toy ideas!

Rendering Workflows - Week 4

Once we have ideas and innovations bouncing around our brains, we need to be able to get those out onto paper. The ability to share your thoughts in visual form is paramount. Time becomes a factor as we need to work, sketch and iterate fast.

Understanding Toys Through Deconstruction - Week 3

When we first look at toy and toy construction, a complex order of elements seems to be in place. But when we actually begin to dismantle common toys, we find an ordered design and clever understanding. How can this happen? And to go a step further, this thinking helps us to begin to design and construct our own toys.

Toy Store Research and Insight - Week 2

Well it was great to have such a packed class last night. Everyone had really insightful visits to the different toy retail places they went.

As we discussed, what you see on the shelf as a consumer has been all planned and designed prior by the toy folks. Remember also that all our handouts, assignments and projects are on Oasis.

Next class we start thinking with pencils like toy designers!

WELCOME TO TOY DESIGN 2010 AT COLUMBIA!

Well it's time to start up another semester of Toy Design at Columbia. I want to welcome all new students to this really cool and hyper-look into the world of toy design and invention. See you all on Thursday!

John Popadiuk

Week 8 - Design Studio for "Free" Project 2

Again the prototype will be the focus of Project 2, the drawing or sketch is not enough for us to get our ideas across. Now building something real becomes an issue and direction. If we ideate to much technology we may not be able to actual make it without a lot more support. If we only build simple things then then may not be fun for kids? So a balance has to be found.

Week 7 - Prototyping Lecture

Prototyping is a lost art in many regards, and state of the art in others. At one time the model-maker was key to creating great works-like or looks-like "one" offs or first models. The prototype. Tonight in class we explored the classic "sketch-model" build as we developed some new NeoPets game designs with a new color screen! Being able to just sit down and make your ideas real will be the focus of our next project. Real working toys!

Week 5 - Week 6 - Rendering and Project One

Well everyone has had a good start on their first project for Banzai Toys. The re-invention of the "super-soaker" is a tough challenge. As the toy design profession is skilled, the ability to sketch and render your ideas is paramount to success. A review of some "quick" methods for rendering shall be explored.

Week 4 - Technology & Trendy Toys

Our assignment for tonight was to follow the push of technology into the retail space and out to toy kids. Some in the industry believe that all toys will have some technological component to them. Is this really possible? Or realistic?

Week 3 - Deconstruction and Toy Thinking!

Well for us to properly understand the semantics of toy creating we must get our hands into the toys themselves. Take them apart, crunch them into pieces and see what makes them cool. Tonight we deconstructed a lot of stuff and managed to put some of it back into new ideas. We take this with us into project one for Banzai!

Week 2 - Basics of Toy Dynamics and Play!

Our second class was full of great insight into the idea of play and actually how complicated it is. As toy designers we have to be aware of the market and trends, along with the actual category and target demographic. The great thing which makes it fun is that there is an enormous scope to design within.

Next class we will start to de-construct real toys to see just how they are put together! We need to begin to think like toy inventors and look for imaginative ways to make fantastic ideas come to life.

Welcome to Toy Design for 2009

Hello! Another semester has arrived and another great group of talented Columbia students have entertained the idea of learning how to design toys, games and more! The Art & Design department is a wonderful place to grow and refine our skills.

A cheery welcome to all, creating toys is not for the faint. See you tonight in class. This blog is for you so make it worthy.

John

Week 11 - Sustainable Toy Design?

We began tonight on module one of the LEGO sustainable toy project as teams. Everyone is in a new group and has started on their pinball machine inventions. Looking beyond the aesthetic at just play, or more importantly the sustainability of play, in a very pure form is on our minds. Play should exist for kids in a way they can discover and adapt along with. Creating a magical experience is priority. 

Week 10 - Manufacturing

As we move into our final toy issues that revolve around sustainabilty, we had a sobering look into the world of toy manufacturing and the reality of factories overseas. As designers we have a big responsibility and power to effect change within the model of toy business. The choice of process, materials and manufacture affect more people than can be imagined. Can we make simple toys that engage kids? Let's see in project 3!

Week 9 - Project 2 Final Team Presentations

Tonight we had a short work session that culminated in a full class presentation of all the toy designs for project 2. Each team was responsible for all ideation, sketches and final working prototypes that best displayed each concept. Unlike true modelmaking, the level of detail is not entirely a focus here, the ability to play with the prototype and engage the audience is the goal. The reel is cool! 

Week 8 - Toy Patents

At the heart of most toys is a unique feature or mechanical idea, software module or innovative interaction. Many of these ideas, or intellectual properties, can be protected via a legal registration or Patent. Patents can be an important part of a toy's rollout and success, covering either the aesthetic form (design patent) or unique ability (mechanical patent). 

 

Week 7 - Work Studio Project 2

This week's class had all of us focus on our free toy project construction. Primarily our direction is centered on the prototype and it's functionality. A simple model can more than make up for a sketch in conveying your toy invention. 

Week 6 - Convergence of Ideas

All the Whamo projects finally are up and reflect a
broad vision of ideas and new forms. Merit can be
found in all the work - so much so that many of the
illustrations were missing from last weeks first showing.

Our studio session dealing with a basic system schematic
completes our look into electronics until later in the semester
when we peek at the robotics of Japan. Teams were assigned for

our "free" project 2. Time to make reality! John

Week 5 - Toy Electronics

The wrapup began tonight on our Whamo project with
everyone moving into final illustration work. A great look
at toy marketing as seen through the commercial spot.

We also began to look at the basic systems that
can be found in all toys....an embedded schematic
of input / output devices quietly run by simple controllers
and smart programming.

Week 4 - Rendering Workflow

Howdy...
The idea of rendering is very subjective. but for toy design we need to take our thoughtful and detail-filled thumbnails and get them into a form that can be presented. Traditionally most rendering or presentation sketches were finished in marker or guoche (as depicted here in class) but using a vector based digital tool, like the demo, allows us to work fast and output designs in a multitude of ways. Link to the in-class demo files here....or email if you need them sent. More than happy to review work online.
http://www.struk-ture.com/render1.ai
http://www.struk-ture.com/render2.ai