Toy Design for Children: Who Are We Really Designing For?
In the world of toy design for children, the daily hustle of parenting often turns toy shopping into a quick decision. A moment of well-intentioned responsibility. But behind every toy on a shelf lies a much more complex story—one that involves caregiver choices, child needs, and designer assumptions. And very often, those stories don’t align.
This is the core insight explored in the academic study Design for All – 11.22, which examines how caregivers in Turkey choose toys, what factors influence them, and what this means for designers trying to create meaningful, sustainable products.
Toy Design for Children: Three Roles, One Disconnect
The study makes a key distinction:
“Caregivers are not the end users but make the purchase decisions.”
This seems obvious—but it’s a design challenge that is too often overlooked.
In most product categories, the buyer and the user are the same person. But with toys, that logic collapses. The caregiver is the one holding the wallet. The child is the one who will (hopefully) play with the toy. And the designer? Often, they are designing from a distance—based on market research, trends, or assumptions about what “should” be good for kids.
This leads to what the study identifies as a three-way misalignment:
- Caregivers select toys based on safety, aesthetics, educational promise, or even social image.
- Children interact based on curiosity, emotional response, texture, sound, and playfulness.
- Designers tend to focus on product categories, perceived consumer desires, or branding goals.
The result? A large number of toys that never fully reach their potential—objects that are chosen but never truly played with.
Why It Matters
This disconnect doesn’t just waste money or create cluttered playrooms. It also reveals a missed opportunity in sustainable design.
When a toy doesn’t resonate with a child, it is set aside. Sometimes it’s never touched again. This outcome has material consequences—more production, more disposal, and more emotional dissonance for both the buyer and the intended user.
It also deepens the caregiver’s internal conflict. As the study notes, toy buying is rarely neutral—it is entangled with emotions like guilt, responsibility, and a desire to be seen as a “good” parent. A toy that goes unused can feel like a failure of judgment or care.
Meanwhile, designers may see their role as fulfilled the moment the toy reaches the shelf. But the real test is not visibility—it’s playability.
So, Who Are We Designing For?
The title question is not rhetorical.
If toys are bought by adults but designed without fully understanding the needs of the children who use them, then we are designing into a void. Aesthetic appeal or market readiness won’t save a product that lacks emotional connection.
This doesn’t mean children need to be consulted in formal focus groups. But it does mean observing how they engage with toys, what holds their attention, what stimulates imagination—and what gets discarded.
It also means recognizing the caregiver’s dual role: both as a gatekeeper and as a person influenced by cultural expectations, social pressures, and internalized values.
A truly sustainable approach to toy design for children must consider the realities of caregiving and the lived experiences of young users.
A Call for Triangular Thinking
If we want to design toys that are truly sustainable—not just in materials, but in meaning—we need to think in triangles:
- Respect the caregiver’s context and priorities
- Center the child’s play experience
- Equip the designer with the right insights and empathy
Designing for toys is never just about form and function. It’s about navigating relationships, expectations, and imaginations.
So let’s return to that question, one more time—with intent:
Toys are bought by adults, used by children. But designed by whom?
And perhaps more importantly—with whom in mind?
🟢 This article is based entirely on the academic publication “Design for All – 11.22”, focusing on toy purchasing behavior and design implications in Turkey.
If you’d like to explore more about user-centered design in sustainability and education, check out other articles on sinemhalli.com
