BFA in Toy Design

Our Mission

Toys are an important part of our history and culture. Not only is imaginative play fun but as psychologists have shown, it’s also crucial for the development of such high-level skills as decision making, socialization, and creativity. Majors focus on the essential categories of action figures, games, plush, dolls, preschool toys, and toy vehicles. Students begin by learning analog skills in conceptual drawing, sculpting, and prototyping, and progress into digital illustration and graphic representation, model making, and rapid prototyping. Faculty and guest mentors are toy and entertainment design professionals.

Summer internships allow majors industry experience at companies including Mattel, Hasbro, Bandai, Disney, DreamWorks, and many more.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students in the Toy Design Department will:

• Creativity and Entrepreneurism: Demonstrate individual expression and an imaginative approach in the creation of unique, innovative concepts and designs.
• Visual and Oral Communication: Express their ideas clearly and effectively through conceptual drawings, prototypes, and written and verbal presentation.
• Skill and Technical Knowledge: Use their critical thinking skills and technical knowledge to manipulate art and design media in expressing their work.
• Resource Literacy: Recognize when information is needed and be able to locate, evaluate, and effectively utilize information from multiple sources and media.
• Professionalism: Collaborate effectively and work in teams with other designers and related areas including marketing, engineering and manufacturing.
• Social Consciousness: Make ethical decisions with consideration of social and environmental factors in the design of toys. Play is crucial for the development of skills including decision-making, socialization, and creativity, and toy designers must be aware of the impact they have on society

Degree Requirements

All programs’ curricula are developed in response to Program Learning Outcomes, which signify what students learn within a degree program or emphasis area. All program learning outcomes respond to overarching Institutional Learning Outcomes. View the Product Design program learning outcomes here or request information.