To become a toy designer, one should have a degree in art or graphics and create new toy ideas to market to manufacturers. They must have creativity, computing and graphic arts capabilities, and an aptitude to connect with children. Attending classes and workshops in crafts can also be beneficial. Some designers prefer to work directly for manufacturers, while others invent their own models and sell them to larger manufacturers.
To become a toy designer, creative individuals must start with a degree in art or graphics and work towards creating new toy and game ideas to market to children’s product manufacturers. These students may also want to take classes that teach basic craft skills such as sewing and carpentry. Some inventors who prefer to oversee toy and game products from a broad perspective but dislike the initial creative process may choose to seek employment directly with existing toy manufacturers.
The job responsibilities for someone who wants to become a toy designer is to create new types of toys and toy lines. A toy can be defined as any portable entertainment created and marketed specifically for children, including board games, but generally not video games. The designer must have extensive computing and graphic arts capabilities. The toy design is usually sketched before being 3D rendered in a graphics program. The builder then uses this model to create a prototype of the design which is submitted for approval.
A student who wants to become a toy designer must pursue a post-secondary education in art or computer programming with a focus on graphic art. Some schools offer degrees specifically in the field of toy design, although it’s not technically necessary to own one to enter that field. Students must have an abundance of natural creativity, with an aptitude to connect with children and understand what interests them. While toy designers often have market research teams on hand to analyze which types of toys are selling well at certain times, many designers choose to rely on their own intuition to create innovative and popular products.
Students can work on personal projects while completing their degrees or actively seek employment with toy manufacturers as they approach graduation. Some artists become toy designers by inventing a model or game of their own design and construction and selling it to a larger manufacturer. The inventor develops the project in this type of situation, from the idea to the model, to the prototype and the final working product. He then takes you to several companies that are actively looking for new children’s products, where, if the toy works well, he might offer a full purchase of the new toy or an option that includes royalties. Some designers prefer to work directly for the manufacturer and may only be involved in various aspects of larger projects that are conceptualized and developed by the company rather than directly by the designer.
Artists may find it beneficial to attend classes and workshops in a variety of crafts such as sewing, metalworking, engineering and carpentry. These skills can teach people on the path to becoming a toy designer to master basic design mechanics used to create a wide variety of children’s items and games. The designer with this type of experience is usually better able to finish his own toy and is not limited to his lack of knowledge in the area of physical construction.
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