Challenge

How might we provide quality playtime for kids without the worries of creating clutter at home and harming the environment?

Toys are more than entertainment. They provide an opportunity for a child to learn. With online e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Target, parents can easily buy their children’s favorite toys with just one click.

However, such convenience leads to two issues, (1) many parents often struggle with toy clutter. They spend a lot of time and effort cleaning up and end up throwing tons of toys away. (2) 90% of the toys on the market are made out of plastic and rarely recyclable, resulting in harmful environmental impact.

1. Understanding Users and Market

User interviews and competitive analysis revealed the following key insights:

• when getting toys for their kids, parents value: quality, safety and educational aspect of toys
• many parents are skeptical of giving used toys to their kids for two main reasons: cleanliness and condition of toys
• while enjoying the convenience of Amazon and Target, parents also get overwhelmed by too many options available

2. Building User-Centered Site Map through Card Sorting

I conducted card sorting session with my target user group to get insights about how to products and navigation should be organized in order to meet my user's expectations.

3. Prototype, User Test, Repeat

I conducted a series of user testing, using both paper and digital prototypes, to guide my design process.

Solution

Own the experience, not the toys.

I created an e-commerce website where parents can rent a diverse range of top quality wooden toys for their kids. Parents no longer have to worry about the clutter. Eventually, it's safe for kids and environment.

Assurance

Many parents are skeptical of giving used toys to their kids for two main reasons: cleanliness and condition of toys. This becomes more of a challenge in the online shopping experience, as parents have limited access to inspect these criteria.

Here is my approach to providing parents the right information so that they can feel safe and assured when renting toys online:

• Detailed Review:  includes photos of the toys and ratings of the toy's condition, submitted by previous customers
• What's in My Box?: provides toy wipes along with each rental order for the parents to clean the toys before handing over to their children
• Our Values: lists out each toy's materials and sources, so parents know that every toy is safe to play with

Curated

Amazon and Target, my research participants' primary shopping destinations, offer a broad range of toys through a seamless shopping experience. However, many parents often feel overwhelmed by the endless number of choices available. My Toy Box's toy selection is curated and targets parents' need: high quality, safe, and educational.

Effortless

Parents can enjoy the rental experience with three simple steps. Browsing toys is very easy, with age and type filtering options.