Reflections on Data Collection during Toy Prototype Development in a Design Studio Course

During product development, it is common to elicit feedback from various stakeholders, especially during prototype testing. This iterative "build and test"practice enables designers to reframe problem spaces, define stakeholder needs, and implement design changes. Toy prototypes are unique in that they require input from children (often the end-users), parents/guardians (often the consumer), and experts in the field. In a unique client-sponsored product innovation course, 10 cross-functional design teams collaborated to research, ideate, prototype, and evaluate toy prototypes across a span of 16 weeks through three main checkpoints. With the first and second checkpoints of prototyping activities completed, this ongoing study outlines the data collection methods and learnings of the complexities in engaging design students and stakeholders, including children as the end users, in the design process. The study has implications for stakeholder engagement in design pedagogy and ways for researchers to explore the interactions between designers and stakeholders in the classroom.