Tag Archives: Inventors

The I.D.I.O.T. (International Designer and Inventor of Toys) Award - first launched in 1988 - is given as a tribute to luminaries who have made outstanding contributions to the industry.

Attended by industry luminaries and sponsored by heavyweights like Hasbro, Oxford Games and Mattel, the evening was opened by Nancy Zwiers, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Spin Master.

We sat down with Animoodles creator, Marissa Louie to find out more about this exciting new product.

Founded by former ToyNews editor Billy Langsworthy, Mojo Nation aims to give inventors a helping hand within the design industry.

Vivid is responsible for a wealth of popular toy brands, but where do ideas for the likes of Fungus Amungus come from. Jonny Henton, Vivid’s development and QA director, tells Billy Langsworthy what a typical day is like for the firm’s R&D arm, how to spot a good idea and why the industry is in great place when it comes to creativity.

New and seasoned inventors have the chance to pitch toy ideas directly to the two firms.

'There is no standardised method for learning about your period, and as a result, many young women are unprepared and uncomfortable when the time comes,' read a statement from the designers.

Bryan Benedict spent ten years designing real cars before Mattel came knocking. Now, as a senior Hot Wheels designer, he’s the brains behind a raft of character cars including Star Wars and Super Mario ranges. Here, he tells Billy Langsworthy what life is like working inside the engine-room of the world’s most prolific car manufacturer.

Belfast-based Ciaran Larkin, who runs his own design company called I Make Anything, has been working with the firm at its Rhode Island HQ, having impressed Hasbro’s inventor relations team at last year’s event.

This year’s Inventors Workshop will be at held at Whittlebury Hall in Northamptonshire on Tuesday, September 20th, 2016.