Sammy the Doodling Snail

Toy Design | Student Project | 2021

Project Type
Product Design
Category
Toy Design
Collaborators
Amelie Houle
Brianna McGregor

Project Overview

The project involves researching and developing a design for an interactive or remote controlled (RC) children's toy. The project will also involve identifying a target market, creating a narrative, and developing a mock commercial to showcase the toy's features and appeal. The goal is to create an engaging and entertaining toy that fits the market space you identify.

OBJECTIVES

Research
  • Identify competitors
  • Target audience
  • White space analysis of current market.
Durability
  • Materials that withstand use.
  • Easy to clean.
  • Able to endure  wear and tear.
Aesthetics
  • Appealing design
  • Suits the identified target market
  • Colourful + engaging
Interactions
  • Outline the features.
  • Map interactions with all lights, buttons, sounds and motion.
Commercial
  • Write a script
  • Draft + film a commercial that is between 30-35 seconds in length.

Narative

Sammy is an adventurous & curious snail that lives in the garden and loves to roam around discovering new things along the way. He loves dancing around the garden making art with his snail trail. Sammy wants to share his discoveries in the garden through singing, dancing and making art! Sammy dances around kids’ pages teaching them fun facts about his drawings while dancing and singing along with them as they colour the pages in.

Gallery

Research

Price Range + Complexity

There is a noticeable alignment between the price point and the complexity of toys. Higher prices often correlate with more complex features and larger sizes. Setting our price at $50 allows us to offer a toy with multiple functions without overwhelming the consumer.

Gender Appeal + Branding

Our study revealed that a majority of interactive toys for girls come with more feminine branding. Toys for girls often feature themes like animals, babies, and mythological creatures, using colors such as pink, purple, and blue with embellishments like sparkles and stickers. Recognizing these preferences allows us to design a toy that appeals to this demographic.

Theme Trends

It was found that gender-neutral toys often gravitate towards themes like animals or robots and utilize neutral colors. In contrast, girls' toys emphasize animals, babies, and mythological creatures. This knowledge helps us in theme selection to ensure maximum appeal.

Material + Interaction Preferences

Toys for girls usually incorporate a mix of materials, combining plastic with plush elements to add softness and a tactile dimension. Direct interaction features, rather than purely digital, are crucial for engaging this age group.

White Space Analysis

Toys for girls usually incorporate a mix of materials, combining plastic with plush elements to add softness and a tactile dimension. Direct interaction features, rather than purely digital, are crucial for engaging this age group.

Targeting the identified white space by developing a toy that is:

  • Slightly feminine yet appealing to a broader audience.
  • Priced at $50 to balance complexity and affordability.
  • Featuring a mix of sturdy materials and direct interaction technology.
  • Emphasizing themes that blend "traditional femininity" with neutral design elements.

Fun Facts

Each design card comes with multiple fun facts that Sammy is ready to share with you.

Bright Colours

Eye catching use of bright blues and greens balanced with accents of pink and indigo for a gender neutral design.

Sign + Learn

Dance and sing along as Sammy shares educational stories from his garden adventures.

Quick Charging

With battery life lasting upto an hour of play, Sammy's charging log only takes 20 mins before he is ready to explore once more

Commercial Draft