Toy Design
BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS
SCHOOL OF ART AND DESIGN
Students in this program learn the complete design cycle, from brainstorming, sketching, drafting, and rendering through design and engineering to product materials, safety considerations, and building working prototypes. Courses cover design for the infant through tween markets, teaching child development, psychology, and motor learning. Facilities include a professional model-making workshop, a computer lab with Cintiq touch-sensitive displays, and a space to work with children. Students create 3D digital renderings that translate to 3D prints. The program cultivates an awareness of beauty, craft, safety, environmental sustainability, and the appropriate integration of technology.
COURSES INCLUDE
Games, Computer Graphics in Toy Design, Model Making and 3D Prototyping, Soft Toy and Doll Design, Storybook Design and Licensed Product, The Toy Industry: Materials and Methods, Business Practices for the Toy Industry
TYPICAL INTERNSHIPS
Fisher-Price, Spin Master, Hasbro, Mattel, Alex, K’Nex
CAREER OUTCOMES
Graduates of the program work as toy designers for major toy and specialty design companies and inventor groups.
Children on the autism spectrum have trouble socializing—and Toy Design students are finding ways to help. In a partnership with Hasbro, Hassenfeld Child Health Innovation Institute, and Brown University, they’re discovering how to design products to enhance these children’s ability to engage and play with one another. After intensive research and observation of the children during class and at recess, the students presented initial concepts, which they refined based on experts’ feedback. The goal is for products students create to eventually be brought to market.
Students with an AAS in Communication Design Foundation, Fashion Design, Fine Arts, Footwear and Accessories Design, Illustration, Interior Design, Jewelry Design, Menswear, Photography and Related Media, or Textile/Surface Design may apply to this BFA program. Students with other AAS degrees may require additional coursework. Learn more about 2+2