This content was published: May 27, 1999. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
PCC Graphic Design Students Tinker with "Child's Play" Toy Projects
Photos and story by James Hill
Last year it was socks. This year it’s toys. The graphic design room at Portland Community College’s Sylvania Campus will soon be filled with one-of-a-kind toys all prototypes from budding student designers and entrepreneurs who are in PCC instructor Erin Marshall’s graphic design class.
The students and instructor will be available to share and discuss their toys and marketing materials on Wednesday, June 2, from 10 to 11 a.m. in the CT Building, Room 125, Sylvania Campus, 12000 S.W. 49th Ave. The projects will be on display through Tuesday, June 8, with a student party from 9-11 a.m. on June 8. The public is welcome to attend.
"This is a chance to see their hard work, all in one place at one time, and to celebrate the amazing creativity that comes out of this class," said Marshall, who teaches first-year graphic design students at PCC.
Marshall assigns the multi-dimensional project to her third-term students. After two terms of the PCC design program, she believes they are ready to tackle the term-long project that incorporates design, marketing, fabrication and team building. This year, the challenge for students is to come up with a prototype toy for the fictitious Child’s Play Toys company. Instructor Marshall acts as president and CEO of the company and is the students’ client. Marshall says the fictitious company specializes in toys that are educational, non-violent and non-gender specific.
"These are high-end design toys, they’re learning toys," said Marshall, while commenting on the lack of inspiration, quality and educational value in many of the toys on the market today. PCC students’ projects include a country in a box theme, and math flash cards for Vietnamese children who are learning English.
Students pour their creative energies into proposal writing, creating a prototype of their toy, developing a logo, letterhead, packaging, labeling, and even in-store display design for their toys. All will be on display for interested viewers on show-and-tell day, Wednesday, June 2.
About James Hill
James G. Hill, an award-winning journalist and public relations writer, is the Director of Public Relations at Portland Community College. A graduate of Portland State University, James has worked as a section editor for the Newberg Graphic... more »