Research
Key Insights
Customers consider "Innovativeness" a desirable quantity in toys, even isolated from other factors.
Other factors like adventurousness, interaction (with another person), encouraging expression,
Paper and Cardboard are very cost effective and are environmentally sustainable compared to alternatives.
Products should be designed with manufacturing in mind to reduce costs.
Technology has increased age ranges for products
Consumers avoid heavy driven battery toys, as parents struggle to change batteries often
Small toys under $10 are used for rewards
Consumers do not trust in "Eco-friendly" or Sustainable tags
Give parents volume option, so they have control of noise
Parents like toys that reminds them of their childhood / retro toys
Primary Research
Interviews
Mary C.
Dr. Mary McAvoy
Main Takeaways:
Recess is full of games based on Among Us, several with different rules or no rules at all, completely made up, pseudo-Hide & Seek + Tag, physical/imaginative play
Toys used during free time: Legos (bin with no instructions), puzzles, matching games, Uno/simple card games, drawing, logic games (quit when frustrated), [No to Yahtzee, Farkle, or reading]
Disney: never Mickey, Encanto to the max (individual characters and stories), only the newer Marvel movies, some movies banned by some parents (Turning Red, Lightyear)
Kids want to do trendy/popular/cool things but are aware of expenses from parents (ex: can’t go to Disneyland because of price)
Big differential for parents: “What is it teaching?” – Thinks “neutral but inclusive” is the best approach for hot-button topics
Her family is “Simple Disney Fans”, casual but regular use of Disney media, like Parks “purely because of ambiance”.
Actionable Insights:
Children need to have the freedom to be social or individual in their play, toys are just the format for interaction and expression.
Focus on newer Disney properties that children have greater context for.
Professor of Theatre for Young Audiences and Early Childhood Development at Arizona State
Main Takeaways:
Play is imitating human relationships and interactions
A child's natural impulse is not to understand the feelings of others; they have to be taught to become part of an empathic community.
Kids struggle separating reality from fiction.
Kids need to understand what creativity is in their brain; they are working on understanding the abstract dimension of life.
Kids' job in society is to be learners, so what we give them to consume often serves an education purpose.
Adults see value in products solely in how those products contribute to childhood development.
Actionable Insights:
A developed toy needs to properly walk the tightrope of providing aesthetic entertainment from the child's perspective and educational enrichment from the parent's perspective.
A developed toy needs its use to encourage (or at least not discourage) sharing to help develop interpersonal empathy.
Jeff S.
Shawn & Jess M.
Generation: X
Parent of:
Male (18), Female (14), Male (7)
Main Takeaways:
Currently his oldest two children 16+ years old are interested in playing with friends, video games, sports and dance. His youngest son, 7 years old, is the only one really playing with toys now.
Youngest son “Loves anything dinosaurs and cars” He loves Jurassic Park, reads a lot of dinosaur books and have figurines to play with. The majority of his current toys are “mostly figurines and legos”
Youngest has QR code dinosaur toys and will by them occasion but not a lot or all the time
Jeff as a reward system with toys under $10 that are earned from chores and good behavior. Toy more expense are used as gifts or special events.
Tends to avoid battery operated toys because “doesn’t want the toy to become obsolete when the battery dies”
Likes to buy Legos because they are “endless fun” and fully creative
Throws away cheap toy and donates nice toys to friends or thrift stores
Doesn’t like high maintenance toys that are one-time experiences like hatching toys or that are messy
Doesn’t believe in “ecofriendly” marketing as they seem fake and are unreliable
Actionable Insights:
Avoids heavy driven battery toys, as parents struggle to change batteries often
Small toys under $10 are used for rewards
No trust in "Eco-friendly" or Sustainable tags
Generation: Millenia
Parents of:
Female, 2
Main Takeaways:
Big Disney fan, daughters favorite show is "Bluey"
Shawn and Jess feel overwhelmed when buying toys as they are getting more and more expensive. There are limitless options and a lot of pressure to buy “the right toys” and feel the clutter of having too many toys
Their pediatrician recommends toys when they take their daughter for check ups
They research online, learn from their grandparents, parents and from social media ads and feed for learning, developing toys and trendy montessori toys
“Modern problem need modern solutions” Shawn feels modern toys should reflect our modern technology and tools
Shawn brought a toy game controller with all working buttons, sounds, and retro cheat codes. Their daughter loves this toy because the family will play video games. She has her own controller as well.
They get their toy recommendations from friends as they can try different from each other and from school.
They read to their daughter every night and currently found the Harry Potter illustrated series that they are reading to her. Because it reminds them of their childhood and when she is older she can have the books to read too.
Limit screen time to 1-2 hours a day, and try to go for walks or play outside
Actionable Insights:
Give parents volume option, so they have control of noise
Loves toys that reminds them of their childhood / retro toys
Article Summaries
User and other Stakeholders
19th Century Consumerism of Toys
Anthropology study on the culture of toys in Transylvania during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. As a rise in consumerism and urban living separates from traditional lifestyles. Social debate on the growing luxuries for children’s leisure activities.
Actionable Insight: Importance of "Play is Culture," as play reflects community lifestyles
Further Reading: "Don't Buy Toys, Invent Them! Children, Toys, and Consumption in Transylvania in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries" - Google Docs
Business, Market, Existing Product Solutions
Trends Driving The Toy Industry
The Pandemic significantly affected the toy industry and consumers' buying patterns. Toy entities see an increase in sales when there is a physical toy in conjunction with a digital show/movie. Nostalgia is still something parents are willing to pay for, as well as entities that value Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Toy subscriptions and technology integrations have also risen in popularity.
Actionable Insight: Environmental CSR and integrated tech appear to be two of the biggest driving factors in toy purchasing patterns past the Pandemic.
Further Reading: 7 Trends Driving The Toy Industry
Existing Product Solutions (Technology Focus)
CNC Manufacturing
The introduction of "translation software" which converts easily accessible design tools into machine code is increasing the utilization of CNC manufacturing systems (Computer Controlled Manufacturing equipment) and reducing the need for specialized CNC engineering personnel in design firms and manufacturing sites.
Actionable Insight: Designing products with manufacturing in mind reduces costs significantly.
Further Reading: Toy Molds Are Child’s Play For CNC
Smart Toys
Among other findings, a study based on the Chinese toy market found that "perceived innovativeness" is a significant factor in customer's "willingness to pay" for a product, even when isolated from other factors. Additionally, social factors are affect a customer's interest more than quality, cost, or emotional factors, at least in some markets.
Actionable Insight: Innovative Toys are desireable, even isolated from other factors.
Further Reading: Consumer Innovativeness, Product Innovation and Smart Toys
Emerging Product Solutions (Technology Focus)
Automatic Design
Complex algorithms are being developed to “synthesize mechanical toys solely from the motion of their features”, greatly simplifying the engineering phase of design, and opening up further possibilities in automated design, particularly in conjunction with CNC and 3D printing capabilities. However, further development is necessary before this process can be used in production.
Actionable Insight: Complexity in design is increasingly accessible.
Further Reading: Motion-Guided Mechanical Toy Modeling
Bio-Plastics
PLA “Bioplastics”, which come from renewable resources and are biodegradable, are able to mimic other types of plastic and will likely soon replace them in some fields, possibly including toys and packaging. Most bioplastics still suffer from stability issues, but some current applications exist. Further development will likely widen potential use cases.
Actionable Insight: Plastics are becoming more sustainable, but other sustainability factors should be addressed as well.
Further Reading: Commodity Polymers from Renewable Resources: Polylactic Acid
Society and the Environment
Recycling of Electronic Toys
Typical plastic waste needs to be seperated from PCBs, wire, and other "e-waste" when recycling. Providing programs to gather toys near the end of their usage and separating out the electronic components multiplies the rate of recycling materials twelvefold.
Actionable Insights: The onus lies on the manufacturing company to provide an easy-to-access sustainable waste management solution for its products.
Further Reading: A Pilot Project for the Recovery and Recycling of Toys
Section Summaries
Users and Other Stakeholders
Users
Stakeholders
Manufacturers
Distributors
Retailers
Children
Caretakers
User Summary
Our target market is Generation Alpha children and Millienial parents. Generation Alpha are children 12 years old and younger, while Millennials are 26 - 41 years old. Generation Alpha was born during the digital age, they are more tech savvy and adaptable. With access to the internet they are more informed about global news and care more about family, inclusivity and world affairs. The pandemic was during their formative years leading to a rise in mental health issues and online learning. They need emotional support, engagement, and creative output.
Parent’s wants while looking for a toy is to focus on functionally, safety, and engagement of the toy. While the user’s want it to be new, fun, and attached to previous shows or knowledge they know. The stakeholders of toys are children, guardians/caretakers, manufacturers, retailers, and distributors.
Business, Market, Existing Product Solutions
Competitors
Business Summary
Babies from birth to 12 months play with toys that engage their senses. One to two year olds need engagement with their motor skills. Three to five is when more of their curiosity is sparked hence the increase in asking questions, following directions, and movement and coordination. Six to seven year olds start to develop their own interests. Lastly, ages 8 and up start to develop their own interests and hobbies.
For the most part, “[Research] indicated no differences in the level of utilization between age-appropriate and younger toys”, meaning that children do not “age out” of toys as might otherwise be assumed. (Source in footnotes).
Mattel, Hasbro, Lego, and MGA are all direct competitors in the toy industry.
Existing and Emerging Product Solutions (Technology Focus)
Nearly universally, toys are Petrochemical Plastics made with CNC Manufacturing using Injection Molding
Today, CNC semi-automated manufacturing is the dominant manufacturing system, combined with injection molding for petrochemical plastics and die-casting for light metals. Designing products with these manufacturing methods in mind can significantly reduce per-unit and overall cost of manufacturing, increasing product reach.
Smart Toys are increasingly popular, and offer an expanded range of possibilities in the interactive play space. Increasing technology in toys allows for further complexity in play, increasing age ranges on individual products and allowing for direct competition with videogames in the physical toy market. Additionally, innovative toys are desireable for their innovativeness alone, even considering other factors.
Soon, Toys will soon be made with Renewable Bio-Plastics made with Automated Design using 3D Printing
In the near future, Automated Design will largely replace CNC manufacturing, where the algorithms which produce the CNC manufacturing system will also create the mechanical design elements of the product. Emerging renewable bio-plastics will also likely replace traditional petrochemical plastic, as the renewable aspect and lowered cost of semi-local production will overtake the traditional plastics. Although these technologies are not yet developed enough to be utilized, they will be very soon. Developing products keeping these new manufacturing systems in mind will increase adaptability in the market and reduce future costs.
Further Reading: Motion-Guided Mechanical Toy Modeling
Further Reading: Commodity Polymers from Renewable Resources: Polylactic Acid
Society and the Environment
Paper and cardboard remain some of the most sustainable materials available. Both are easily reused and recycled, both are readily available and easily utilized, and both have structural properties robust enough to maintain shape without over-engineering, while not being so rigid as to require advanced machinery to manipulate, making them both easily manufactured and easy to customize by the end user.
Products that invest in and advertise recycling programs for their toys allow the product to relieve the customer of waste management, adding a green selling point and cleansing guilt from the toy purchase.
Further Reading: Terracycle/Hasbro Recycling Program
Society Summary
Given the state of our post-pandemic reality, our project needs to consider how quarantines have affected child development. One such study back at development data from the 2003 SARS pandemic within China. While their culture and environment differs from ours, the data collected by the researchers shows delays in very early and universal milestones in child development. These kids struggled with taking their first steps and learning the very beginnings of spoken language. In addition, researchers found a direct correlation between the size of the pandemic and the increase in developmental milestones. The emphasis the article gives towards social stress indicates that society hurts not just from the isolation and sudden change, but from the real confrontation with death so many families had to face. Grief comes with big emotions, and these are emotions worth processing.
Further Reading: Pandemic Effects on Childhood Development
Research Activities
Personas
Gia M.
Gen Alpha, Millennial Parents
Lives in an apartment with parents and 2 siblings (ages 4 and 7)
Social anxiety from the pandemic, but has a couple friends from school and played online multiplayer games with them
Has a couple hours of screen time per day, parents discourage overuse
Never been to a Disney Park but wants to go; knows from parents that they can’t afford it
Has access to Disney+ and uses it to watch tv and have family movie night
Likes Stitch, Encanto, Star Wars, and some Marvel Characters
Doesn’t know what she wants to be when she grows up, but enjoys science
Savannah M.
Millennial parent to Gen Alpha kid
Raising three children with her partner
Recovering from financial woes in the aftermath of the pandemic
Does her best to help her kids balance screen time and establish good habits young
Often buys toys and other items to encourage education and growth in her children
Saves up for her family to go to Disneyland
Grew up watching classic Disney movies and Disney Channel
Maria M.
Gen X grandparent to Gen Alpha kid
Suffering health consequences from contracting Covid during the pandemic
Lives in a different state from children or grandchildren but visits when they can
Gives children gifts that are more centered on fun and the joy of the child than education
Wants to play with grandchildren but often runs out of energy and needs to take a break
Grew up watching the original Disney Movies and cartoons
Mood Board
Benchmarking
Survey Results
User Hierarchy of Needs
Generation Alpha Children
Millennial Parents
Actionable Insights & POGs
Actionable Insights
Customers consider "Innovativeness" a desirable quantity in toys, even isolated from other factors.
Other factors like adventurousness, interaction (with another person), and encouraging expression.
Paper and Cardboard are very cost-effective, and are environmentally sustainable compared to alternatives.
Products should be designed with manufacturing in mind to reduce costs.
Technology allows increased age ranges for products
Gen Alpha needs toys that can act as helpers in building skills and relationships in a post-pandemic world.
POGs
I am a Gen Alpha trying to make friends but I’m shy because the pandemic has isolated me which makes me feel lonely.
How can kids socialize together outside of (school || online)?
What are ways/activities we can encourage kids to socialize and make friends?
I am a young teen [Gen Z (13-18)] trying to be myself but I don’t know where to start because my parents are my identity so far which makes me feel lost with a lack of control.
How do we provide connections between different stages of a person's life?
How do kids use their imagination to express themselves?
What are all the ways we can unleash kids imaginations to encourage them to express themselves?
I am a Gen Alpha trying to go on an adventure but I can’t go/participate because I need supervision which makes me feel stifled.
What tools do kids have that encourage them to have a sense of personal adventure (outside of their online presence)
How can we bring adventures inside the home?
What are all the ways we can bring imaginative adventures into the home?
What toys do they have to play with in their imagination play that doesn’t require a costume?
What tools do kids have to encourage unsolicited outdoor active play?
What kind of tools can we create for kids to inspire serendipitous outdoor active play?
How can we bring the positive aspects of online play into the physical world?
How do kids use their imagination to escape?
I am a Gen Alpha trying to be (re)connect with people but I don't know where to start because I have been in Isolation due to Covid which makes me feel scared.
What tools do kids have to connect with past/present/and future friendships?
I am a Gen Alpha trying to express my needs but I don’t always have the words or power to communicate which makes me feel frustrated
What tools do kids have to develop their ability to communicate effectively?
How do we help kids develop their ability to communicate?
What are all the ways we can help kids develop their ability to communicate?
How do we teach kids without making them feel pandered to?
I am a Gen Alpha (6-12) trying to complete everyday tasks but I struggle to follow through because nobody is there to guide me which makes me feel unmotivated.
How do we foster the freedom of independence without creating liabilities?