Materials

I've always had a weakness for using wood and other natural materials in my designs (Cardboard Mechanics, Nonsense). Why? Because I liked how natural materials can give you the idea that something is handmade with love. It is friendly and close to nature. Also I love to surprise users with making the natural product interactive.
For Virtuoso however, I'm thinking about using plastic instead of wood. Why? Because it is easier and cheaper to produce, the form of Virtuoso is very round, which is very hard to make with wood and it takes a long time to make. I want to create something really colorful (as I said in the beginning), something that is merry and cheerful. Colors can really pop out in plastic, and the form of the toy can be emphasized by making it shiny. And this toy is something I really want to get on the market, let as much people possible have fun with this. So it has to be payable.







I however don't like to make it look cheap. So the plastic has to be strong, have volume and a bit of weight. I'm going to cry if my toy will look like the toy on the right.
You can already see that the material process of this plastic was made as cheap as possible. Now, I'm not a material designer, but as a consumer I really won't expect a fun original toy experience out of this toy. The magic of this interaction is already gone, because it looks like a piece of plastic instead of a good design.