plan toys: Hive and Seek
how might we…
encourage curiosity and build storytelling confidence through play, in a product that aligns with the plan toys brand?
Hive and Seek was the final toy concept our team pitched for our sponsor Plan Toys in PDES 3711: Toy Design. The concept was selected as the sponsor's favorite for that semester. The toy was later on invited for showcasing at the People of Play Innovator Conference in Chicago alongside two other UMN design student projects and inventor projects to be considered for licensing.
The toy concept was a result of a five round sprint through ideation, concept generation, sketch modeling, prototype refinement, and production of the final design. This process involved the collaboration of 5 team members, specializing in industrial design, engineering, graphics, and marketing.
ideation
Team Cyan gathers inspiration
Team Cyan reflects on their findings
Brainstorm, sort, and voting: The team went through three rounds of ideation, starting with a group brainstorm, individual brainstorm, and then refined sketches. All concepts were silent sorted and voted on to determine the top 5 ideas to pitch to Plan Toys for further development.
concept generation and sketch models
2D Pulli
3D Pulli
Fish Pulli
My First Microscope
Explorer Kit
Two favorite concepts were selected out of the five pitched product ideas. The team created five sketch models, iterating on these two favorites.
Concept 1: Collaborative 2 player game, designed for bonding between parent and child. Iterations of original concept were 3D pulli and Fish Pulli
Concept 2: My first microscope pretend play kit. Iteration on an optics educational toy became the explorer kit.
Following sketch model presentations, 3D pulli and My First Microscope moved to the next round for further development on form.
Prototype refinement
Refined "My First Microscope"
Refined "3D Pulli"
In the prototype refinement round, My First Microscope takes on a playful form in line with the Plan Toys brand identity. More interactive elements are incorporated into the design to increase play value. For additional details, see Plan Toys: My First Microscope page.
The 3D Pulli maze panels were designed to an environmental theme, where players must work together to guide the bee character through a garden. This concept moved on to the final round, where the theme, set up, gameplay, and storyline were expanded on.
In the final round of design, the team conducted user and market research to explore the design space. The story of Beatrice the Bee was elaborated on with additional characters incorporated into the gameplay. In addition to navigating the maze, a pollen-collecting task was added to increase the challenge and create an opportunity for environmental education. Different difficulty levels of maze setup and a storybook/instruction manual were designed in order to guide play.
final design
Market Research
User Research
Storybook
Maze Cards
Models
Final Demo