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What is Crystal Ball?
Crystal Ball is a toy that allows children to create colorful, elastic bubbles by inflating a dab of a special plastic-like substance through a straw, forming durable & bouncy balloon-like shapes.
Here is one of the original ads.
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Initial Design
Why the redesign?
The redesign of the product was driven by the need to make it more globally relevant, cost-efficient, and mechanically feasible. The original design's high development time, complex mechanisms, and manufacturing costs outweighed its market potential, prompting a streamlined approach to optimize production and usability.
Revised & Updated Design
Now changed to being a pre-made, off-the-shelf pump with a custom nozzle attached to the front
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While Crystal Ball is a great product and a successful brand, its strong brand identity is limited to Italy, making it less influential in developing a global toy product line.
When evaluating any product or design, especially in a company with multiple brands, it's crucial to analyze the time commitment required for development. This includes contributions from designers, engineers, and manufacturers in China.
It was concluded that the time commitment needed to develop this design was too large compared to the predicted sales forecast.
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While these are different categories, it makes sense to discuss them together because both cost and design for manufacturing directly relate to the production process.
For example, after receiving the original quote for this design, we realized that both the per-unit cost and the initial mold investment were far too high.
Additionally, the design may not be optimized for manufacturing. Issues could include non-ideal pieces for injection molding, too many separate pieces increasing labor costs, or complex assembly methods requiring additional training and raising the minimum order quantity (MOQ).
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This product involved several complex mechanisms that could lead to future issues. While developing the balloon's sealing and releasing mechanism was within my expertise, the air pump was outside our team's experience. However, with some design changes, we could leverage existing solutions to address this challenge efficiently.
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A Crystal Ball accessory that cleverly utilizes a manual air pump, allowing children to easily inflate a colorful Crystal Ball balloon. Once the balloon is inflated to their satisfaction, they can use a convenient release button located on the top of the pump. This button activates a mechanism that twists and moves the nozzle, effectively helping to seal or detach the balloon seamlessly.
Prototype & Packaging
What does it do?
Crystal Ball Pump works by utilizing a standard ball pump with a custom attachment. Then simply apply the Crystal Ball paste to the end, pump it with air, and then press the button located on top to easily detach the balloon.
Read more about the development & design process below
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Project Background
This portfolio project is part of my Master’s Thesis at Giochi Preziosi, an Italian toy company. It highlights a tangible product I developed, now in manufacturing. Through research and collaboration with stakeholders, I ensured the product meets market and safety standards. This experience deepened my understanding of product development and toy launch processes, with potential industry impact.
Design & Engineering Challenges
Below are some of the different design and engineering challenges that I faced while developing this product.
