This was a collaborative project Rachel and I worked on together for our industrial design core class this spring.

The project was to design a wooden children's toy and make it on a pin router, using the same shape multiple times.We named our toy Tesselo because they are tessellations that can be used as a puzzle or building toy.

Zach drew the critters which Rachel and I then stenciled onto the blocks using these great clay-based child safe/non-toxic paints. The idea is that the kid can mix and match the critters and that multiple sets of the toy could feature different creatures. Rachel was especially interested in encouraging open source design where toy libraries could use the toy or someone could even make their own out of cardboard.

We really tried to consider sustainability when designing this. If made with a laser-cutter there would be virtually no waste while cutting and it could be made from reclaimed or sustainable woods. As a final coat we used Shellac, which is food-safe and therefore perfect for kids who will probably put toys in their mouths.

For packaging Rachel and I sewed a raw canvas bag that tied with a drawstring, and stenciled the logo Rachel designed onto it. The packaging is then reusable as storage for the toy and very sturdy.