Cwic Toy by Pablo Saracho

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DI: What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?

PS : Deciduous trees show perfectly the cycle of life every year. We thought that it could be a good idea to design a tree in which you could change pieces of different colors that represent the foliage in every season. At the same time, you can explain to a kid the cycle of life.

DI: What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?

PS : We wanted Cwic to be both beautiful, colorful and didactic.

DI: What are your future plans for this award winning design?

PS : Keep working on the next wooden toy.

DI: How long did it take you to design this particular concept?

PS : Three months.

DI: Why did you design this particular concept? Was this design commissioned or did you decide to pursuit an inspiration?

PS : It was just inspiration, serendipity. Having a walk last fall in Segovia and seeing all the trees changing colors and getting ready for hibernation.

DI: Is your design being produced or used by another company, or do you plan to sell or lease the production rights or do you intent to produce your work yourself?

PS : We are producing the work ourselves.

DI: What made you design this particular type of work?

PS : We think toys can be beautiful, inspirational, interactive and 100% natural.

DI: Where there any other designs and/or designers that helped the influence the design of your work?

PS : Not that I have in mind right now.

DI: Who is the target customer for his design?

PS : Children from 3 to 103.

DI: What sets this design apart from other similar or resembling concepts?

PS : We have never seen anything like it. It is more than just a puzzle. Besides, the design is different from most of the wooden toys you can find in the market.

DI: How did you come up with the name for this design? What does it mean?

PS : Cwic means life in anglo saxon. My wife is a philologist and so she looked for a name that could transmit the idea of being alive without being too evident. Besides it had to be short and easy to remember.

DI: Which design tools did you use when you were working on this project?

PS : The pencil and paper, a computer, the tools in my garage during the weekends and in the factory during the weeks, to get to a valid prototype. After that, a CNC machine.

DI: What is the most unique aspect of your design?

PS : Simplicity, synthesis. Being able to tell a lot of things from a minimalistic design.

DI: Who did you collaborate with for this design? Did you work with people with technical / specialized skills?

PS : All the people in the company.

DI: What is the role of technology in this particular design?

PS : It is very important if you are to produce in market prices and for the wholw world.

DI: What are some of the challenges you faced during the design/realization of your concept?

PS : How to represent a tree and its foliage with different pieces. We had to build a trunk that could resist standing as we put the different circles that represent the foliage. The packaging was also a challenge.

DI: How did you decide to submit your design to an international design competition?

PS : It is our best design this year.