Project Two - Final Toy Proposal - Stephen James Legomski

MYM 

(Magnetize Your Mind)

The Imagination's Cornerstone 

MYM is a toy with parts composed of reused material including: rubber disks, metal rods, metal surfaces, magnets (Fig.1) and even the box it comes in which is made of cardboard. Imagination and creativity of the user is needed in order to construct a final outcome. Even then, one can add to it. Convenient size and collapsible, transportation and storage is at ease.

It is a toy that would be played when one is bored, or when one has the craving to think or build. Schools are able to have it as a playtime toy meaning kids could learn while playing.

Fig.1

Procedure:

There are a few ways someone can play with MYM. By putting the metal surfaces on another surface. The metal rods that are included, have magnet bases that are then put onto the surface. Also all the surfaces don't need to be used, only one, or all four. The colored disks that come in bags, are used to make patterns, images, or objects by sliding them down the rods. It is possible to make either 2D or 3D outcomes, and the metal surfaces are mirrors (Fig.2), so one can some how incorporate that into what their making. 

Fig.2

Why is it fun?

There are very little limitations with MYM and you are not told what to build, you do what you want to do. Once someone starts playing around, they will be reminded of their childhood when they used to build with blocks, or Lego (research showed that users enjoyed interacting with toys that brought back memories of their childhood). This toy takes time to play and once with the end result, one feels satisfaction with what they made. It's not fuzzy, it's not soft, but the nature of a magnet makes it all okay. The intended use of this product does not necessarily have to happen, the magnets alone can be played with separate from the other pieces included. There are many ways to enjoy this toy. A lot of people, mostly younger kids, get "scared" once they open up a box, and a list of instructions fall out. With MYM there are instructions pasted on the inside where it lists the parts, 3 small steps, and 3 examples. The limited explanation makes it less boring, along with the examples that come within, give excitement because they would know instantly what to expect (Fig.3). MYM is so open, that eventually a user is capable to come up with their own game using the pieces.

Fig.3

Demographic:

When designing this product, the target consumer was for 17-21 years of age. The end result is acceptable for 11+ years of age and for both male and female users. Since there are little pieces (the rubber disks) and the rods, users under the age of 11 should not play with it unless under adult supervision. The simple "building block" focus of MYM is the attraction of this toy for this age group. With the younger consumer, it would be interesting to see how they interact with it at first since their minds are less influenced from the world around them and have more curiosity in how something works. One could predict that they would play with the magnets more and as they get older, other outcomes using all the pieces included will be made into forms never thought of before. Unlike an older (young adult) consumer who would most likely start building with all the material.

The little limitations of every aspect of the toy including what it's made of, MYM would appeal to those who like to work with their hands and even then it could branch off to many other kinds of people who may not.

This toy can be sold in a variety of outlets including design stores (Umbra), toy stores (Toys R Us) and games stores (Mind Games) where all age groups are bound to come upon this product.

User Testing:

More and more outcomes keep coming from MYM. A female tester, age 18, started off playing around with patterns, adding disks to the rods. Afterwards instead of making another pattern or image, she took the metal surfaces and built vertically using the magnets to hold it together (Fig.4). Along with another tester, age 12 male, they commented that there should be more disks with more colors and more rods of the sizes included. That way there isn't a tendency to run out and more patterns or images can be produced. Other user testers, ages ranging from 17-26 both male and female, had concentrated hard on what they were making but used it in the way it's initially intended.

Because of the simplicity of the toy, the instructions were not needed for 2 of 6 testers. The other 4, once opened the box, automatically looked at the instructions but not for long since they are straight forward. 

Fig.4