We had the distinct pleasure to interview award winning designer Thade Precht about their original and creative Toy bricks design work. Thade Precht is an award-winning industrial designer, that makes our world a better place with their original toy bricks works.
Thade Precht ("TP") answered Design Interview ("DI") questions about their award-winning work Docklets Toy bricks. Interview questions prepared by Frank Scott.
TP : DOCKLETS® is a new system of building blocks for both small and tall builders! Its hook and loop coins allow you to build simple or complex three-dimensional models which would not be possible with conventional toy blocks. The coins are colour-coded for intuitive use and also ensure a certain flexibility between the blocks, leading to ergonomic shapes and the recreation of movements. Illustrated step-by-step instructions make building your model ideas childs play.
TP : The main ambition was to establish wood as a renewable resource in the plastic-driven world of constructive toys. I also strived to create a 3d building set that could provide more than just stacking or connecting blocks in one or two directions.
TP : Manufacturing and marketing are running at full speed to have DOCKLETS® in stores by the end of July. Simultaneously we are working on the follow-up products for 2017.
TP : It's always hard to give an exact time span on projects like these. The overall project took about 1.5 years from ideation to prototyping.
TP : In the beginning there was an inspiration, which led to a couple of proof of concept models. I then approached Beluga Spielwaren GmbH, a company I have already been successfully working with in the past and whom I thought mught be the right partner to bring a concept like this to market.
TP : Manufacturing and sales are carried out by Beluga Spielwaren GmbH, a well-known German toy company located in the „toy region“ Nuremberg. Their range of goods mainly comprises wooden toys, plush toys and games, as well as licensing products from brands such as HARIBO and Janosch.
TP : Like millions of kids around the globe, I loved to play with LEGO when I was little. However, what always disturbed me was the solid nature of the LEGO connectors - once you put two pieces together, there is no more flexbility, movements and ergonomics. Years later, while watching my son absorbed in playing with toy blocks, I came across the idea of creating a new kind of building brick that was a little more eco-friendly and could be 3d assembled into various flexible and ergonomic shapes.
TP : The main target group comprises kids aged 6-10. However, also kids from age 4+ and even grown-ups and seniors can easily enjoy playing with DOCKLETS®.
TP : That's clearly the flexibility between the blocks, leading to ergonomic shapes and the recreation of movements.
TP : The term DOCKLETS refers to little blocks being "docked" together. Also, the sound "cklets" equals the German word "Klett", which stands for hook and loop / VELCRO®.
TP : The DOCKLETS® needed to be designed in a way that all parts of all sets would be fully intermateable and easy to manufacture, while at the same time they needed to provide a LEGO-like free play experience. Forward planning regarding follow-up sets was crutial.
TP : Marketingwise we decided to submit the design to a couple of design/toy competitions to increase the brands visibility and reputation.
TP : Enjoy DOCKLETS®! :)
