We had the distinct pleasure to interview award winning designer Bistra Popova about their original and creative Wooden Magnetic Toys design work. Bistra Popova is an award-winning industrial designer, that makes our world a better place with their original wooden magnetic toys works.
Bistra Popova ("BP") answered Design Interview ("DI") questions about their award-winning work ESNAF Wooden Magnetic Toys. Interview questions prepared by Frank Scott.
BP : As qualified architects we explore the architecture of every object they see. We are interested in woodworking and wood modelling for quite some time but it was just a hobby until 7-8 years ago. Then it was decided to take the next step and we came up with the idea of creating wooden toys which could be assembled and disassembled using magnetic joints. The project was sitting aside for couple of years and then in 2013 the true inspiration came when we became parents and this felt like the right moment in time to get the project out to a wider audience.
BP : Our main focus was to design a puzzle like intellectual challege toy and we want this works to have a direction of every next collection to explore differen aspect of the design.
BP : We plan to develop more new collections and to explore the animals around the world.
BP : One year from the start of the drawings till the final manufactured products.
BP : We decide to explore the specific animals for each continent and we choose to research the Australia continent.
BP : We intend to produce our work by ourselves and it is not used by another company.
BP : We have this idea in our sketches for a long time and once we became parents we were inspired to make it real.
BP : Young families with children, design decoration lovers, animal collectors.
BP : The minimalistic design and the color magnet joints which are not hided but in a contrary they are exposed and used as a tool of the puzzle game.
BP : In its origin it means craftsman.
BP : Everything is designed and made by hand.
BP : The minimalistic design and the color magnet joints which are not hided but in a contrary they are exposed and used as a tool of the puzzle game.
BP : We manufactured it by ourselves because the team is made of people who design and people who have technical skills, people who have business skills. For the package design we use the graphich design studio PUNKT.
BP : The technology does not have a main role but it tends to be integrated in the manufacrture process.
BP : We research the specifiv species of animals in the different continents.
BP : The biggest challenge from a creative standpoint was to imagine an engaging interaction between the child and the toy - it had to be both fun and challenging and unique. It had to educate color matching, imagination developing, creativity, good taste and eco-friendly thinking. The creative challenge was to make a handmade eco-friendly product that has minimalist design and can be manufactured in large quantities. It is a challenge to develop a project into a product that is distributed to the final clients. It is a challenge a hobby to become a business. And it is not only a business challenge but a design challenge too.
BP : It was a suggestion from close friends, proffesionalist in design. They adviced that our products are suitable for this kind of competition.
BP : We learn about the materials, we explore forms, geometry and we learn about the manufacturing in big quantities and business developing.
BP : We are challenge to develop the way of playing with our toys, using only the magnet and the wood tool. We also think that the meaning of the design is to develop beautiful space, beautiful products that will inspire people to create beautiful things in their own jobs, lives... Because of this reason we think that children will form this taste and attitude to life playing with minimalistic toys which offers intelectual challenge too.
