Toy Designing/Making : Job Prospects & Career Options

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Growing popularity of playful learning has increased the demand for toy designers especially for educational toys. With the right mix of creativity, passion and marketing, toy making can be an extremely lucrative career for prospective aspirants. There is a huge market for toys even in international market. Hence those with a creative blend along with imagination and love for toys can take up this field as your career choice.

Toy designers may sketch their initial ideas by hand, create computer models or sculpt in plastic-clay. They can either create new ideas for children's toys or think about modifications to existing toys or games. They need to make sure of the safety aspect of their toy designs, and that they only use materials that are safe for children. Designers must be familiar with the material they are using, and see whether your design can be implemented in that material.

Teachers, special educators, psychologists, engineers, architects and even computer science graduates can take up a course in toy designing, blending their own backgrounds into toy designing. Psychologists, teachers and special educators can easily analyse the needs of each age group and design toys according to their development stages. Computer science graduates can use embedded software that could give functionality to toys.

One can choose the area of interest and specialize in that area. Some toy makers/designers specialize in educational toys which are specifically designed to be used in educational settings or to stimulate intellectual development, while others may be interested in more general toys, or in a specific field of the toy industry, such as making models, board games, or replications of old-fashioned toys and games. Toys for pets is also an emerging industry. One can also specialise in soft toy items, as the demand for soft toys is increasing day by day.

Toy designers may work either as employed or self employed professionals. A fresher in the toy design field can do internship in a company of their choice and then move up to their own. Toy designers can work independently, start up their own toy manufacturing unit, in which case they can create their own design and make toys in their own idea. But then they have to find a market for their finished products by either creating a link with retailer or manage their own outlet.

Toy designers can also get hired by toy manufacturing companies where they sell their ideas. Toy designers can even write books about toy design or become an instructor at an institute. They can work with interior designers to design kids rooms and play schools on theme based toys. They can also become toy design consultant. As a freelancer one can take up projects of even foreign clients.