Week 8
Returning to the Toy
Sometimes I realise that your first thoughts can actually be your best ones. If I think back to a few weeks ago, I started with the idea of a toy but moved away from it because I was worried it would shift the focus too much towards toys rather than the topic itself.
After a lot of deliberation, I think I’m actually going back to that idea. There’s something about toys that people are naturally drawn to, whether it’s out of curiosity, comfort, or just the familiarity of it.
I keep thinking about what it would mean if this became the kind of toy someone chooses to bring into their life. It’s something that feels soft and approachable on the surface, but carries a very different role underneath.
Positioning it as a toy also ties back to the idea of it being a product. It’s something that can be bought, owned, and lived with, which makes the interaction feel more personal and everyday rather than something distant or conceptual.
Going with the toy idea, I decided to shape this prototype as a teddy bear. This is because teddy bears are such traditional objects that feel very familiar to most people. They’re often associated with comfort, trust, and emotional attachment, which makes them quite interesting to work with in this context.
Using something so recognisable and comforting creates a contrast with what the object is actually doing. It looks harmless and approachable, but at the same time it takes on a more observing or responsive role.
I did some more sketching to get ideas going, and decided to go with the name “Evy.” Initially, it was “Evie” because it sounds like “eye,” but while sketching, I changed the “ie” to a “y.”
The “y” visually forms something similar to a chat bubble, which felt quite fitting for this topic, especially with the focus on communication and interaction with AI.
I also did another sketch looking at a packaging box for EVY. Since the focus is on the eyes, I initially designed it so that the transparent panel of the box only reveals the eyes.
I might change this, though. If it’s meant to be a product, it probably needs to feel more approachable. Especially since I want it to be a teddy bear that has a more unassuming presence.