Jessica D: Toy Final
The toy I created is a toy that caters to the OCAD student body, as well as all other adults. It is meant to be a toy than can be kept forever and be a challenge for a wide span of generations. It can be used occasionally to pass time or to create conversation and therefore would be kept in places like an office or work studio. Although the prototype created for this toy was made out of found objects, it clearly demonstrated the toy’s objective and proved to be a challenge for its entertainers.
Observations
Most people in class initially passed by the toy and didn’t pay much attention to it. Once someone gave it a try, they found it to be quite challenging. Others then saw the frustration the first person was getting while playing with the toy and they then became intrigued. Most classmates didn’t pay much attention to the toy, but those who did found themselves returning to it. I noticed that many people struggled to see inside the ball since it was half transparent and half pink which caused a problem since it made the toy more difficult to accomplish.
Proposal
The toy needs to be able to satisfy several factors for its entertainer. The first and most important factor being the ‘fun’ level that the person experiences while playing with the toy. A second factor includes its practicality and whether or not the person will continue to use the toy over time and or see it as something they would soon be putting in storage. The third factor is whether the toy is visually pleasing. This toy will satisfy these three factors since it is a toy that can be played by most and is very simple to understand. While doing the prototype testing, most people figured out how to play with it without any instruction. The fun level caters to those who like a small but satisfying challenge. Also while testing the prototype, it was observed that, depending on the person, some were able to focus on it for longer than others but those who weren’t able to focus on it for very long at one time, kept returning to it. The next important factor is the practicality involved with this type of toy. This toy is meant to be something that can be played with, but also can be put on display and kept for a long time. The third factor that would further the toy was the fact that it needs to be visually pleasing. Initially, the idea was to make the toy out of a clear plastic and have the four balls inside different colours. This, however, would not have catered to most people. The final toy idea is to have the outer sphere to be a clear glass and having the inside balls and their sockets made from a light but durable wood. If the materials used are kept simple and organic looking, the toy would be gender and age neutral and by making the toy out of glass and wood, it is simple and timeless.
