Rockabye Design process
Overview
Shapes, colors and textures may seem elementary, but they are far from elementary in our design process. See how Danny the Dinosaur came to life.
Research
Our market research experts include professional colorists, fashion designers, fabric experts, interior decorators, and child development professionals. We present the research to our creative development team and they incorporate it into a design.
Focus Groups
We invite children and parents from local preschools and various parenting organizations to come over and play. After watching the kids and talking to the parents to gain their insight we add that to our research and move forward.
Environment
We feel true creativity does not come from cubicles and restrictive offices. At RockAbye, we don’t have to imagine the world our characters live in, because we work there, from our castle room to our underwater world, our designers co-exist with the characters they create.
Development Phase One – Sketches
After our research indicates that it’s time to make a dinosaur, Phase One of our development process begins. Our designers create a variety of pencil sketches for review. The best one is selected to advance to Phase Two.
Development Phase Two – Color Palette
Color selection is vital to the process. Color conveys feelings, moods, and emotions. We carefully select the appropriate color palette to give Danny a friendly personality.
Development Phase Three – Fabrics
Our designs are quality crafted with the most luxurious fabrics from around the world. Fabrics are the physical and tactile elements necessary to convey emotion. What we like to call the huggability factor.
Development Phase Four – activities
Danny has the same great educational and fun songs that are in all Rockabye rockers and then the appropriate tactile elements, squeaks, rattles, and crinkles are added to entertain the little rider as they rock their way through the ages. Fun and discovery will never be extinct as long as Danny is around.
Development Phase Five – Prototype
The final and most gratifying phase is when we receive our first prototype – Danny is coming to life! We now have the opportunity to evaluate all the decisions we made in the first four phases and make final improvements to create the perfect rocker.
Kid Testing
Now that Danny has come to life, it’s time to test him with our toughest critics and their parents.
Final Sample
At last! After we have gone through all the design phases, testing and have approved the final sample, our year long process is complete. Danny is now ready to rock and roll. Now the phase one begins again as we start work on our next whimsical creation.
Production
Rockers to the Rooftops: Yes, it’s neat to see the first prototype, but perhaps more amazing is when the rockers go into production. Here in our US company owned factory, we manufacture, hand-assemble, and inspect each one for integrity of color, material, and construction…and then stack them to the rooftops.