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Posted March 25, 2009 On inspiration. Sources of new product idea inspiration are all around us. Our (now cult classic) game Fireball lsland was inspired by 3D, vacformed maps that I envisioned as a game board when I first spied them in a catalog long ago. My mother was the inspiration for our game Escape the Blob, marketed by my good friend John Reynolds and his team at Spears games in the UK, back in the 90’s. Seventh grade science class was the source of inspiration for our Hydrogen Rocket, and the technology in VacMan came from a book on pneumatic structures. Hasbro inspired us to create Baby Sip n Slurp when they told us they weren't going to look at our products anymore if we didn't start showing them what they wanted to see. Inspiration can be pleasant or it can be painful. But it can always be useful. We read trade journals and catalogs and scour toy stores, hardware stores, and any and every place our daily lives take us. We walk miles of trade shows aisles, constantly looking for that spark, technology, or observation that we might translate into a new toy or game. As a biologist by training and having a lifelong fascination with the exquisite design details of plants and animals, I am often inspired by form and function from the natural world - the movement of a snake, the trunk of an elephant, the jump of a kangaroo. One of my favorite sources of inspiration is my friend Chuck, the BugMan. Subject of a yet to be released PBS special, “A Naturalist in Cannibal Land,” he has spent his life traveling the world collecting bugs of every type from the jungles of South America, Africa, Indonesia and more. He has created displays for the Smithsonian and other museums and is a regular each year at the Wisconsin State Fair. He has some amazing stories to tell. He brings us specimens of the most amazing bugs, beetles, butterflies and moths, flying frogs and lizards, spectacular mineral formations, and ancient fossils of creatures that lived long ago. These are breathtaking examples of design in nature. Our patented, multiple award winning Talking Electronic Microscope and Talking Electronic Telescope are examples of product inspired by the marvels the Bug Man has shared with us. And we are going to be producing a children's TV show pilot based on the wonders of nature. Stay tuned. Inspiration is everywhere.
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