Design

The secret weapon for many toy firms, design agencies and invention studios are the unsung heroes of our industry. This category celebrates a firm that deserves recognition for exceptional work over the last 12 months.

Darren Lee Phillipson, Vice President of Global Product Design at Alpha Group, looks at how a creative approach to pitching can make all the difference.

Nominations are now open for the Play Creators Awards, taking place at the 2019 Play Creators Festival.

We caught up with TOMY’s senior concept and design manager, Chris Huisman, to learn more about the design process behind Ritzy Rollerz, and why “the sky’s the limit” when it comes to the brand’s future.

“The games category is another avenue to deliver pop culture to our ever-growing fan base,” said Funko president Andrew Perlmutter.

We caught up with figures from Bang Zoom, Open 2 Design and Sweet Spot Studio Inc to learn more about how 2018 was for them and what they think of the state of play moving into this year.

One player takes on the role of the killer shark, while the other players step into the sopping wet boots of Brody, Hooper and Quint.

With shoppers becoming more environmentally conscious and the industry boasting the potential to become more eco-friendly, we asked toy and game creators what the design community can do to help make the toy space greener.

Alpha’s Darren Lee Phillipson, Triclops’ Rob Ames and Sweet Spot Studio’s Jon Vanderbeek will discuss the process of creating licensed toys in a session chaired by Mojo Nation’s Billy Langsworthy

Start Licensing’s Ian Downes takes a look at how toy and game brands have become their own force in the world of licensing, and how both companies and designers should be aiming for innovation when it comes to creating ranges based on existing IP.