PRD-276: Toy Design

This class is designed to teach students basic skills and concepts necessary for the application of their product, illustration, and graphic work in the field of Toy Design. With a focus on play patterns and storytelling students will create a product concept or world of characters, plots and environments. From this concept or world they will design a line of marketable and manufacturable toys. Each week different aspects of product development are covered from the design and business perspective including developing a business plan, manufacturing and production strategies, marketing methods, financial planning, sales and contract negotiations. Outcomes: Students will: -Build a prototype and packaging for one design in the line. -Develop a professional licensing proposal to distribute to potential manufacturers. -Have a final exam on the business content of the class. Topics included in class Toy design: Play Patterns, validating toy concepts, character design and story building, style guides. Research: Toy industry, competitive products, intellectual property, focus groups Marketing: Distribution networks, marketing strategies, sales Modeling and prototyping: Materials selection, packaging design Manufacturing and production: Manufacturing process overview, working with vendors Financing: Sources of investment money, terms of the deal for licensing Intellectual property Character licensing, copyright, patent, and trademark Required texts: Toy and Game Inventors Handbook by Richard Levy and Ronald O. Weingartner