The Creative Process

I've been thinking a lot about this lately, especially designing the new side snaps, but I thought I'd use a non-nappy example.

Step 1: The Problem
It has been driving us mad for months that Widget will come up to us and grab our shorts or shirt, standing right on top of us and pulling our clothes. Or she will do it when you're trying to walk. It doesn't sound like much, but try it for a bit!

Step 2: Define it a bit
I've been watching her, it's not just pulling on our clothes but rubbing the material between her fingers, she does it to her own clothes, dolls, the couch cover, anything around her. She will keep doing it to the point of not being able to carry things or hold my hand because both hands are occupied rolling the material back and forth.

Step 3: Basic solutions
Give her something to play with! But that won't work, she already has various bits of fabric, doll wraps etc, plus she'd lose them when we go out. Obviously clothes are convenient.

Step 4: Start brainstorming the little problems one by one.
Comparisons: have several different fabrics joined together.

• Patchwork
• Mola (sp?) - I don't think this would rub very well, and it would be too thick.
• She loves the free-form embroidery writing.

Rubbing: need to have floating bits for her to rub

• Taggies
• Ribbons
• Butterfly/Fairy wings
• Skirts
• Arms, legs, hair

Losing it: needs to attach to her somehow

• She loves bags.
• Around the neck
• Clip or snap to clothes

Step 5: Start putting complex solutions together
OK, I think something around the neck is best, so arms of some sort. Hugging? ooh, that could be a fairy. And she could have a great skirt made of all the pieces!

Step 6: Practicalities
So what would the bottom look like?
Would it have legs?
What will I make it out of?
How will I make it?
The answer to most of these comes from experience - I've made dolls before, so how did I make them. What materials do I already have that I could make it out of.

Step 7: Making it sale-able
Most ideas stop at step 6 and move into production/testing. There are many things I make for my girls that I don't try to sell in my store! Generally things like clothes, hair accessories, toys. If I was going to take this one further I would have to look at extending it because it's very specific.
What is my age group/market?
How broad is the market?
How would I make something that would appeal to a boy?
Could it multi-task? I mean, how many parents would buy a really specific toy like that?
Are there any safety considerations?

Testing and Production
Or maybe that should be the other way around. I find the first time I make things there is a lot of fiddling, drawing, changing of ideas half way through, ...
That's a whole other story!