Lunar Drop is a non-traditional marble run in that it is compact for easy travel and doubles as a two player board game for on the go fun. This project involved creating a fully functioning toy with branding for 5–8-year-old boys. Lunar Drop is an ode to my childhood as it combines my love for games and road trips with my family. The goal was to bring a different dynamic to the already existing concept of a marble run.
The process started with a class session of observing and interacting with two kids play. Taking what I had noticed in the observation, I walked toy aisles, and began sketching ideas. The leading question throughout this project was, "What is the experience?" Lunar drop creates a sense of anticipation as the outcome is unpredictable. For the theme and colors I decided to draw inspiration from the style of retro space. I wanted to add to the imagination that kids bring in turning a simple concept into an exciting endeavor. Establishing a theme helped bring that to life.
I gathered various materials, sketched out the configuration, and with the help of my dad measured and cut each component inside the box. I decided to hand paint the box to further emphasize the hands on experience. Once the toy was finished, a play testing session with the target demographic was conducted and I observed one boy who after his first run through of the toy was fully invested. The intuitive design and dynamic gameplay captured his imagination and kept him engaged.
After sketching different concepts, I created several iterations of the logo with the goal of conveying the main idea of the toy and game combination. The result was a clean yet kid-friendly style logo.
