Eames Toy
Product design
Spring 2022
During my undergrad at Northwestern, I was assigned to design a children’s toy out of a 12” x 24” sheet of cardboard, inspired by designers Ray and Charles Eames. I specifically focused on efficiency and frugality.
Design a toy that wastes as little of the cardboard as possible.
Prototype and laser cut cardboard.
Role: lead product designer
Research
Cardboard creation techniques
Slot joints
Clean
Assembly
Children's toys
Puzzle
Tactile
References something recognizable to kids
Main concept
I became obsessed with the idea of wasting absolutely no material. My goal was to design a puzzle pattern that used every inch of the 12” x 24” sheet of cardboard.
Initial sketch.
What do I do with the surrounding cardboard after cutting out the circular pizza?
Sketch of my solution: a pizza stand.
Laser cutting svg
This was my final design and what I used to laser cut the final 12” x 24” cardboard sheet.
Final prototype assembly
Pizza puzzle base structure.
Full puzzle assembly.
Reflection
This project was both fun and challenging. I enjoyed pushing myself with the "don't waste any material" constraint, which made me think deeply about sustainable design and waste in mass production. Additionally, I had enjoyed the opportunity to practice laser cutting.
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Design sketching
2020 - present