Marble Run
A children's toy must be designed for a specific demographic (age / gender), satisfy at least one of the following developmental categories (emotional, physical, social, intellectual / creative), and use some of the core principals of design (balance, movement/ rhythm, repetition, emphasis, contrast, variety and unity). There must also be a storyline to support the design of this toy.
After lots of iteration exploring various categories of children's toys, I have decided to re-invent some of the popular mechanics seen at carnivals and scale them down for domestic play. This toy is inspired by the Rail Runner and Bowler Roller from the CNE.
2022
Children's toy design, product design, woodshop, metal shop, rapid prototyping
Project duration: 8 weeks
OCAD University
Market Research
Demographic
I was initially interested in creating a toy for boys and girls under 7 to explore the intellectual/creative or physical side of development. I explored the structures of jungle gyms and pondered scaling components down.
Materials
Wooden toys have a rich feel to them but a lot of similar concepts are already being reused via different colours, shapes, sizes etc. However most wooden toys served the same function - to aid young children in balancing, matching, or construction play.
Toy Categories
I did not want to make a story building toy with lots of small parts (ex. a doll house) and instead wanted to focus on creating a new product where play is integrated in the design - not just the imagination. I have always enjoyed skill-based games with a clear objective.
Concept Ideation
Fabrication Process
Final Work
Final Prototype
2022
Photo by the artist
Materials: Plywood frame, pinewood base and handles, brass rod and 2mm brass wire (marble track), 20mm diameter glass marble, 1/8" clear and neon green acrylic (8.5"x11"), 10/24 bolt (6cm long) with washers and nuts.
Dimensions: (Main box) 9"x11.5"x 2.25"
Scale 1:1
Key Demographic
This toy is suitable for boys and girls ages 8+.
Users must use trial and error to figure out the perfect amount of force required to balance the marble in the middle of the track. The player must be fundamentally familiar with the Law of Conservation of Energy which states that the total energy within an isolated system remains constant.
Development
Marble Run satisfies the intellectual and creative developmental stages as it is highly physics-dependent.
Social development may also be satisfied as the two handles allow it to be used as a single player game, or two-person team building exercise that fosters communication and good connection with the person manning the other handle.
Principals of Design
Balance and movement/rhythm are considered in my final design as players are attempting to balance a marble through controlled movement and fine motor skills / hand-eye coordination.