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Toy Designer

View this career for different education levels:

Primary Secondary Post-16

Imagine getting to play with toys and make new ones as your job! Thats pretty much what a Toy Designer does. They come up with exciting new ideas for toys, games, and play equipment that kids (and sometimes adults!) will love. This means thinking about what makes a toy fun, safe, and interesting. You might sketch ideas, create models out of clay or computer programs, and even test them out to see if they work as planned. It involves a lot of creativity and problem-solving, making sure the toy not only looks great but is also practical to make and safe for children to use. You would think about colours, shapes, materials, and how the toy will be packaged and sold. A Toy Designer works to bring their ideas to life, from the initial spark of imagination to a finished product on shop shelves. They might work as part of a team, collaborating with engineers to make sure the toy functions correctly, with marketing people to help sell the toy, and even with safety experts to ensure it meets all the strict UK safety standards. It's a job where you get to use your imagination every day, turning simple concepts into magical playthings that can bring joy to children everywhere. You might specialise in certain types of toys, like action figures, board games, educational toys, or outdoor play equipment.

Toy Designer

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📊 Statistics

Average Starting Salary

For a junior Toy Designer in the UK, you might expect to start with a salary around 20,000 to 25,000 pounds per year.

Experienced Salary Range

With more experience, a Toy Designer in the UK could earn between 30,000 and 50,000 pounds annually, and even more for senior or specialist roles.

Number of Positions

While there isnt a precise count for 'Toy Designer' alone, the broader product design industry in the UK employs thousands. Toy design is a niche within this, often with opportunities in larger toy companies or specialist design consultancies across the country, especially around London and the South East.

🚀 Careers in this path

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Lego Model Designer

Imagine creating brand new Lego sets and figures! You'd design how they look, what they do, and how they fit together, making sure they're fun for people of all ages to build and play with.

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Video Game Character Artist

If you love playing video games, how about designing the characters in them? You'd draw and create the look of heroes, villains, and all sorts of creatures, bringing them to life in virtual worlds.

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Childrens Book Illustrator

Do you enjoy drawing stories? As a children's book illustrator, you'd create all the pictures that go with the words in a storybook, helping to tell the tale and spark young readers' imaginations.

Build Your Creative Skills

Get Sketching and Drawing

Start by drawing all sorts of things! The more you practise, the better you'll get at putting your ideas onto paper. You can draw your favourite characters, new inventions, or even just silly doodles.

Drawing is a fundamental skill for a toy designer. It allows you to quickly express ideas and concepts. Try different drawing tools like pencils, pens, and even digital drawing apps. Focus on sketching from observation and imagination, developing your ability to draw objects from different angles and perspectives. This will help you communicate your toy ideas clearly to others.

Make Things with Your Hands

Use building blocks, clay, cardboard, or recycled materials to make your own models. It's a fantastic way to see if your ideas can actually be built and how they might work in real life.

Hands-on model making helps you understand how different materials work and how shapes fit together. Experiment with various crafts like origami, papercraft, LEGOs, or even making simple puppets. This practical experience is crucial for understanding the physical aspects of toy design, such as scale, proportion, and construction, which are vital for creating durable and functional toys.

Observe and Understand Play

Watch what toys your friends and younger family members enjoy most. Think about why they like certain games or toys and what makes them fun. This helps you understand what makes a good toy.

Understanding the 'play pattern' is key in toy design. Pay attention to how children interact with toys: do they build, pretend, collect, or explore? Observe different age groups to see how play changes. Reading books or articles about child development and play psychology can also provide valuable insights into what engages children and encourages learning through play. This observational skill is essential for designing toys that are truly engaging and appropriate for their target audience.

Academic Journey

Choose Relevant School Subjects

In secondary school, focus on subjects like Art and Design, Design and Technology (DT), and even Maths or Science. These subjects will help you with creativity, problem-solving, and understanding how things work.

Art and Design will develop your visual communication skills, colour theory, and creative thinking. Design and Technology will introduce you to different materials, manufacturing processes, and practical design challenges. While not always obvious, Maths and Science can be helpful for understanding physics (how things move) and engineering principles, which are important for designing safe and functional toys. A broad base of subjects will give you a strong foundation for a design career.

Consider Further Education

After school, you'll usually need to go to college or university to study a creative subject like Product Design, Toy Design, or Industrial Design. These courses teach you all the professional skills you'll need.

Many universities offer degrees specifically in Product Design, Industrial Design, or even specialist Toy Design courses. These programmes will teach you advanced sketching, 3D modelling software (CAD), prototyping techniques, material science, and design methodologies. You'll also build a portfolio of your work, which is essential for getting a job. Look for courses that have strong links to industry and offer opportunities for placements.

Build Your Design Portfolio

Start collecting all your best drawings, models, and creative projects. This 'portfolio' is like a showcase of your talents and will be super important when you apply for courses or jobs.

Your portfolio is a visual CV. It should show off your creativity, problem-solving skills, and technical abilities. Include a range of projects, from sketches and concept drawings to finished models and digital renders. For each project, briefly explain your design process, what problem you were solving, and what you learned. Even personal projects, like designing a new game or modifying an existing toy, can be great additions to your portfolio.

Professional Development

Gain Work Experience or Internships

Try to get some work experience or an internship at a toy company or a design studio. This is an amazing way to see how things work in the real world and make important connections.

Internships provide invaluable hands-on experience and insight into the daily operations of a toy company. You'll learn about different stages of the design process, from concept generation to manufacturing. It's also an excellent opportunity to network with experienced designers and potentially secure a full-time position after graduation. Even short placements during university holidays can be incredibly beneficial for your career development.

Master Design Software

Learn to use computer programmes for 3D modelling and graphic design, like SolidWorks, Rhino, Photoshop, and Illustrator. These are essential tools for professional toy designers.

Proficiency in CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software is almost mandatory for modern toy design. Programmes like SolidWorks, Fusion 360, or Rhino allow you to create precise 3D models of your designs, which can then be used for prototyping (e.g., 3D printing) and manufacturing. Graphic design software like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator are crucial for creating concept art, packaging designs, and presentations. Many universities teach these, but self-learning through online tutorials can also be very effective.

Network and Stay Updated

Go to toy fairs, design exhibitions, and online forums to meet other designers and see new trends. Staying curious and connected is important in this ever-changing industry.

Attending industry events like the London Toy Fair or design expos allows you to see the latest products, technologies, and trends in the toy market. It's also a great opportunity to meet professionals, share ideas, and find potential mentors or employers. Joining online design communities or professional organisations can also keep you informed about industry news, job opportunities, and design challenges, helping you to continuously grow and adapt your skills.

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🎯 View Apprenticeships

Explore relevant apprenticeships that can help you kickstart your career in Toy Designer. Apprenticeships offer hands-on experience and training while earning a wage.

🎓 View Apprenticeships

Career Progressions

This page showcases various career options and the pathways to reach them. Each career listed here shares transferable skills and knowledge, making it easier for individuals to transition between them.

Your current career is highlighted to help you see how it fits into the broader landscape of potential career choices. By clicking on any career, you can learn more about it, including the training and education required to pursue it.

Remember, progressing in your career often involves further learning and training. This page provides insights into future career options as well as those that can lead up to your current one.

These career progression decisions are informed by comparing the skills and knowledge needed for different occupations, along with data on how people move between them. Explore the possibilities and discover the exciting journey ahead in your career!

Sample Qualifications

A Toy Designer is primarily responsible for conceptualising, designing, and developing new toys, which directly aligns with the core duties of a Product Designer who focuses on the design and development of manufactured goods.

How to become

You can get into this job through:

  • a university course
  • an apprenticeship

University

You could study a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in a subject like:

  • design
  • product design
  • industrial product design
  • engineering

You could also do a course covering a particular industry, which includes design options, for example automotive engineering and furniture design.

You can improve your job prospects by getting work experience during your studies.

Your university careers service can help you to find suitable placements, internships and year in industry opportunities.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

More Information

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do a Product Design and Development Engineer Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship.

This can take up to 5 years to complete and is a mix of workplace training with academic study at an approved university.

You might also apply to do a Model Making Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship. Training includes physical and digital model making, building prototypes and creating mock-ups.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a degree apprenticeship

More Information

More Information

Career tips

Entering design competitions and exhibitions can be a good way of getting yourself noticed by employers.

You'll need to show employers that you have creative skills, technical knowledge and the ability to work to a design brief. This will usually involve presenting a portfolio of your design work to them.

Professional and industry bodies

You can join the Chartered Society of Designers for professional recognition, training opportunities and to make industry contacts.

Further information

You can get more information about careers in product design from Neon and the Design Business Association.

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