Toy designers create toys like board games, puzzles, computer games, stuffed animals, remote-control cars, infant toys, and dolls. They work with a variety of materials including injection molding, polymer clay, plastic, rubber, vinyl, plush, metal, wood, computers, and electronics. Toy designers need to spend a lot of time watching children play so they can create new ideas for children's toys and think about modifications to existing toys or games. They need to make sure their toy designs are safe for children, and that they only use materials that are approved by safety regulations.
Toy designers may sketch their initial ideas by hand, create computer models or sculpt in plastic-clay. Toy designers should have a working knowledge of computers, as well as graphic design and drawing skills. Toy designers then create a prototype of the toy (usually a physical model or computer-animated graphic), which they show their manufacturer.
Merchandising is an important part of modern day marketing, and particularly for children's movies, music and entertainment toy designers are in demand to create promotional merchandise such as toys, games and novelty items so an interest in marketing is a plus when pursuing a career as a toy designer.
If you want a career in toy design, you should love children and enjoy creating new inventions. You should also be a bit of a child yourself, and use your childhood as inspiration for your designs! There are a few colleges and universities internationally that offer specialised degrees in toy design. However skills in related fields such as Graphic Design, Industrial Design, fine art, architecture, Cartooning, engineering, and marketing will help you obtain an entry position. Apply for an assistant job, design junior or an internship at a toy design company. If you can't get a job at a toy design company right away, take an industrial design or graphic design job. Once you build up your toy design portfolio, you can land your dream position!
Other toy design resources:
Check out the careers of: Industrial Designer, Animator, Cartoonist, Illustrator or Graphic Designer if you like sculpting figures check out: Polymer Clay Supplies and Sculpture Supplies.
