Gumbek Didactic Toy by Lea Vavra |
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| DESIGN DETAILS | |||||
| DESIGN NAME: Gumbek PRIMARY FUNCTION: Didactic Toy INSPIRATION: My grandmother, Ruzica Vavra, had one of the first toy productions and toy stores in Croatia. Her popular stuffed toys brought joy to many generations, but unfortunately the store was closed due to the arrival of global manufacturers on our market. I have always been inspired by that story, and after finishing my education at the Faculty of Architecture - School of Design, I decided to revive the family tradition from a designer's aspect, creating smart toys, stimulating for kids development. UNIQUE PROPERTIES / PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Gumbeki are modular plush toys that stimulate creativity and enhance motor skills through play. Each toy consists of seven parts which children connect to each other by buttons in order to create a whole, which helps improve fine motor skills. The parts are made of colorful materials with different textures so they provide a good stimulus for the development of sensory integration. The arrangement of different shapes helps to develop imagination as the toy can be put together in lots of ways. OPERATION / FLOW / INTERACTION: This modular toy comes in parts and kids have to assemble their own toy by connecting the parts to one another. There are seven different segments; three larger ones with buttons and buttonholes sew, and four smaller ones with just buttonholes. The pieces are attached together by threading the buttons through the buttonholes. There are lots of different ways of putting them together, but for those children who view the toy as a puzzle there is an assemby scheme for the way we imagined them. PROJECT DURATION AND LOCATION: The project started in 2016. in Zagreb, Croatia and finished in 2018. when it was put on the Croatian market and exhibited in numerous exhibits, festivals and fairs, such as Zagreb Design Week or Exhibition of Croatian design 1718. FITS BEST INTO CATEGORY: Toys, Games and Hobby Products Design |
PRODUCTION / REALIZATION TECHNOLOGY: I wanted to make a soft toy that kids could assemble themselves so I created a plushie that consists of several different parts that can be connected to each other with buttons. All of these parts are handmade. The fabric pieces are cut by hand, pinned together and sewn on a sewing machine. After that, they are turned over and stuffed. The hole left after stuffing is sewn shut by hand. The buttonholes are sewn on a sewing machine. The final step is to sew the buttons, which is also done by hand. SPECIFICATIONS / TECHNICAL PROPERTIES: SMALL SIZE GUMBEKI 17 x 17 x 15 cm, packaging approximately 20 x 20 x 20 cm MEDIUM SIZE GUMBEKI 27 x 27 x 24 cm, packaging approximately 30 x 30 x 30 cm LARGE SIZE GUMBEKI 36 x 36 x 33 cm, packaging approximately 40 x 40 x 40 cm TAGS: toy, soft toy, plush, didactic, educational, creative, children RESEARCH ABSTRACT: Through the review of various literatures I researched the topics such as the history and different types of play, typology of toys, cultural differences, the impact and importance of playing for children's physical and emotional development etc. I also conducted two surveys on 200 parents about kids playing habits today and the importance of childhood toys. I found that children today have a large number of toys that often quickly bore them because they do not stimulate their development. CHALLENGE: I noticed a lack of emotional connection to toys in today's children, which is important for their development. Also, parents are increasingly giving kids activities on screens that can be harmful to children's physical development if used excessively. I wanted to create a soft toy that kids would connect to emotionally, but I also wanted them to learn an activity through play. Didactic toys are mostly made of hard materials, so it was a challenge creating a one with a soft tactile experience. ADDED DATE: 2023-07-04 12:08:54 TEAM MEMBERS (1) : IMAGE CREDITS: Image #1 : Photographer Lea Vavra, Gumbeki, 2022. Image #2 : Photographer Lea Vavra, Gumbek - warm, 2022. Image #3 : Photographer Lea Vavra, Gumbek - cold, 2022. Image #4 : Photographer Lea Vavra, Gumbek - earthy, 2022. Image #5 : Photographer Lea Vavra, Gumbek assembly variations, 2022. |
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| Visit the following page to learn more: https://tinyurl.com/y5wddsju | |||||
| CLIENT/STUDIO/BRAND DETAILS | |
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NAME: Kistra PROFILE: Kistra is a design company from Zagreb. The core of our business is the design and production of interactive, handmade toys for children. We originate from the first toy manufacturing company in Zagreb – "Igračke Vavra", from which we inherited a love for toys and quality handmade products. What makes our toys special is the purposeful design that helps to refine fine motor skills and develop each child's creative skills. |
| AWARD DETAILS | |
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Gumbek Didactic Toy by Lea Vavra is Winner in Toys, Games and Hobby Products Design Category, 2023 - 2024.· Press Members: Login or Register to request an exclusive interview with Lea Vavra. · Click here to register inorder to view the profile and other works by Lea Vavra. |
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