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Docklets Toy Bricks by Thade Precht |
Home > Winners > Design #48399 >Interview |
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FS: What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?
TP: DOCKLETS® is a new system of building blocks for both small and tall builders! Its hook and loop coins allow you to build simple or complex three-dimensional models which would not be possible with conventional toy blocks. The coins are colour-coded for intuitive use and also ensure a certain flexibility between the blocks, leading to ergonomic shapes and the recreation of movements. Illustrated step-by-step instructions make building your model ideas childs play.
FS: What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?
TP: The main ambition was to establish wood as a renewable resource in the plastic-driven world of constructive toys. I also strived to create a 3d building set that could provide more than just stacking or connecting blocks in one or two directions.
FS: What are your future plans for this award winning design?
TP: Manufacturing and marketing are running at full speed to have DOCKLETS® in stores by the end of July. Simultaneously we are working on the follow-up products for 2017.
FS: How long did it take you to design this particular concept?
TP: It's always hard to give an exact time span on projects like these. The overall project took about 1.5 years from ideation to prototyping.
FS: Why did you design this particular concept? Was this design commissioned or did you decide to pursuit an inspiration?
TP: In the beginning there was an inspiration, which led to a couple of proof of concept models. I then approached Beluga Spielwaren GmbH, a company I have already been successfully working with in the past and whom I thought mught be the right partner to bring a concept like this to market.
FS: Is your design being produced or used by another company, or do you plan to sell or lease the production rights or do you intent to produce your work yourself?
TP: Manufacturing and sales are carried out by Beluga Spielwaren GmbH, a well-known German toy company located in the „toy region“ Nuremberg. Their range of goods mainly comprises wooden toys, plush toys and games, as well as licensing products from brands such as HARIBO and Janosch.
FS: What made you design this particular type of work?
TP: Like millions of kids around the globe, I loved to play with LEGO when I was little. However, what always disturbed me was the solid nature of the LEGO connectors - once you put two pieces together, there is no more flexbility, movements and ergonomics. Years later, while watching my son absorbed in playing with toy blocks, I came across the idea of creating a new kind of building brick that was a little more eco-friendly and could be 3d assembled into various flexible and ergonomic shapes.
FS: Who is the target customer for his design?
TP: The main target group comprises kids aged 6-10. However, also kids from age 4+ and even grown-ups and seniors can easily enjoy playing with DOCKLETS®.
FS: What sets this design apart from other similar or resembling concepts?
TP: That's clearly the flexibility between the blocks, leading to ergonomic shapes and the recreation of movements.
FS: How did you come up with the name for this design? What does it mean?
TP: The term DOCKLETS refers to little blocks being "docked" together. Also, the sound "cklets" equals the German word "Klett", which stands for hook and loop / VELCRO®.
FS: What are some of the challenges you faced during the design/realization of your concept?
TP: The DOCKLETS® needed to be designed in a way that all parts of all sets would be fully intermateable and easy to manufacture, while at the same time they needed to provide a LEGO-like free play experience. Forward planning regarding follow-up sets was crutial.
FS: How did you decide to submit your design to an international design competition?
TP: Marketingwise we decided to submit the design to a couple of design/toy competitions to increase the brands visibility and reputation.
FS: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
TP: Enjoy DOCKLETS®! :)
FS: Thank you for providing us with this opportunity to interview you.
A' Design Award and Competitions grants rights to press members and bloggers to use parts of this interview. This interview is provided as it is; DesignPRWire and A' Design Award and Competitions cannot be held responsible for the answers given by participating designers.
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