CONCEPT
Getting ready for the 2024 Tacoma TRD launch, Toyota wanted a cool promotional item. Since many Tacoma owners are dog lovers, creating a dog toy was a no-brainer. Despite the tight timeline, Marlon managed to design and engineer the product with the right balance of flexibility and Toyota-level quality. This speedy yet top-notch process highlights some of the industrial design skills that Marlon has. With the collaboration of PTR Design, the product was released, fully manufactured in the United States.
After working with the client, we focused on two main goals: making the toy safe for dogs and designing a shape that clearly showed the new 2024 Toyota Tacoma.
When moving to production, the client wanted all products made in the United States. This was achieved by working with an American rubber manufacturer. The process included several steps: creating initial sketches, rendering designs, 3D printing prototypes, and producing 500 sample rubber units, all of which helped realize the client's vision.
Finally, the toy underwent rigorous testing by experts in the field :)
Given the limited time for ideation, effective communication with the client played a pivotal role in the project. Once a direction was established, leveraging AI for visual guidance proved instrumental in shaping the toy's design. Safety for dogs and the durability of materials were paramount concerns that were carefully taken into consideration throughout the process.
*Skills: Sketching Rendering CAD Product Development Time Management Creativiy / Critical Thinking