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Author
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Topic: Are toy designers evil?
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iab
unregistered
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posted 12-29-2003 11:59 AM
After spending the last several days assembling toys with ill fitting parts, buying batteries that last about 15 minutes in the toy and stepping on multiple small parts with extremely sharp edges, I find sitting behind my desk to be much safer - mentally and physically.Do toy designers want to torment parents on purpose? Are they thinking if someone steps on this part just right I will send them to the emergency room? Do they enjoy knowing if the tolerance is off it can make assembly impossible and drive an adult to mutter over and over "It should fit. Its got to fit. The instructions says it will fit."? Anyone else have similar experiences?
IP: Logged |
toy designer.
unregistered
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posted 12-29-2003 03:43 PM
Its not the toy designers. Its the tooling engineers or the cost engineers that screw it up.I will admit that the directions they put with the toys are ridiculous. Companies want to save on translations so they only show diagrams with no verbal directions. No wonder no one can figure how the stuff goes together. IP: Logged |
xtcdesign
unregistered
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posted 12-29-2003 03:49 PM
quote:
Originally posted by toy designer.:
Companies want to save on translations so they only show diagrams with no verbal directions. No wonder no one can figure how the stuff goes together.
best instructions are wordless. best products don't need instructions. best designers take responsibility.
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cyaxares
unregistered
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posted 12-30-2003 01:05 PM
I still like toys that don't require instructions. How Lego used to be...IP: Logged |
Toy Designer
unregistered
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posted 12-30-2003 01:31 PM
True but if there were no instructions then the product would already have to be assembled. This is possible but then the price would go way up.There are always trade offs. quote:
Originally posted by xtcdesign:
best instructions are wordless. best products don't need instructions. best designers take responsibility.
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ykh
unregistered
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posted 12-30-2003 01:43 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Toy Designer:
True but if there were no instructions then the product would already have to be assembled. This is possible but then the price would go way up.There are always trade offs.
i did an RTA product similar to a big toy few years back. about 23 parts not including hardware. traditionally required lots of instructions. i fought with engineers to get molded-in details (square-to-square, triangle-to-triangle, aso) and individual snap geometry to make it idiotproof. no extra tooling. no extra costs. just engineering mindset to not change. without the VP Eng behind me the thing would have been done like all the others and needed instructions. price came down. utility patent was filed. instructions unnecessary. broad statements are dangerous. iab makes a good point. IP: Logged |
iab
unregistered
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posted 01-01-2004 09:47 AM
First, Happy '04. Second, I thought of another evil trait of toy designers - the packaging. I understand the need for proper display, but it seems to me it could be accomplished with half the tie-downs used. I need to get out the toolbox to free a toy from its packaging.Also, back to the hundreds of plastic bits included with the toy to step on (example: the Bratz doll my daughter got from her grandmother has tiny jewelry, accessories, etc). How about giving me something to contain this stuff. I would also love something to pick it up. An idea for those who want to make some money - develop a Lego vacuum. Something on one end sucks those shards of glass off the floor and on the other end blows them into the toy box. IP: Logged |
Toy Designer
unregistered
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posted 01-01-2004 03:30 PM
"I understand the need for proper display, but it seems to me it could be accomplished with half the tie-downs used. I need to get out the toolbox to free a toy from its packaging."Its a shipping issue. Don't want the stuff to move around so it gets ruined... although I personally feel that some guy in china who makes the stuff has a relative that makes tie downs. "Also, back to the hundreds of plastic bits included with the toy to step on. How about giving me something to contain this stuff." Fisher Price actually made a toy vehicle a while back that did this. Great idea... kid picks up his own mess and has fun doing it. IP: Logged |
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