Toy Design

Design a meaningful toy backed by research and strong design philosophy.

Finding a Path

Exploring ideas for meaningful toys led me down many paths, interactive sandboxes, demolition games, modular pinball machines, customizable electric cars, even a mortar-shooting gallery. The common threads among these concepts were modularity, hand-eye coordination, and sparking the imagination.

In the end, I landed on an idea that, at first, seemed a little underwhelming:

A Ball Maze.

Benchmarking

The problem with ball mazes is a general lack of replay ability.

Is a Ball Maze Meaningful?

YES! Mazes, puzzles, and problem-solving toys help kids build key skills, plus, they’re fun and boost brainpower.

Visual Skills

Fine Motor Skills

Patience

Finding Solutions

Cognitive Skills

Confidence

Functional Inspiration

Aesthetic Inspiration

Conception

Traditional ball mazes lose appeal once completed. To keep them engaging, I designed a modular maze using a spring-loaded pin board and interchangeable level cards. The cards have hole patterns that allow certain pins to pop up, forming unique maze layouts. Players navigate the ball by rotating the playfield and using gravity to reach the finish.

Ideation Sketching

Modeling

1 & 2 Foam Model

Landscape orientation was quickly discarded after foam models revealed an uncomfortable hand position.

3 Chipboard Model

Model 3’s grips were neither aesthetic nor comfortable, but its side profile was carried into the final CAD.

4 Chipboard Model

Model 4 offered the best overall width, drawer design, and hand positioning.

5 Foam Model

Model 5 had an appropriate overall length and comfortable hand positioning; however, the controls were set too far inward from the handles.

Under Construction…