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. Toy Design 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.
Student Work
Program Learning Outcomes
Toy Design graduates will:
- Demonstrate individual expression and a non-conventional approach in the creation of unique, innovative concepts and designs. (Creativity and Entrepreneurism)
- Express their ideas clearly and effectively through conceptual drawings, prototypes, and written and verbal presentation. (Visual and Oral Communication)
- Recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and effectively utilize information from multiple sources and media. (Resource Literacy)
- Collaborate and work in teams with other designers and related areas including marketing, engineering and manufacturing. (Professionalism)
- 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. Students will develop their professionalism by practicing strong work ethics, as well as effective communication and presentation skills. (Social Consciousness)
Assessment Measures
Student learning in Liberal Arts and Sciences courses is assessed using level-appropriate rubrics and evaluations of presentations, papers, projects, reflections, exhibitions, and Capstone as well as Departmental Programmatic Assessment projects. Collectively these measures allow us to determine the level and quality of education attained by our students.