The Evolution of Toy design

Carolina Herrera Bride Barbie Doll

Toys have always held a special place in my heart, because even as an adult I still play with toys. Children and adults find great enjoyment in them. As children we played with GI Jo's to Barbie dolls and Lego's, and as adults we get into this "collectible" toy genre where you cant open the toy and you keep it for its value. But every which way toys have evolved greatly from the simple wooden blocks, and classic Barbie dolls, and the green army soldiers.

Toys have grown with our society's cultural norms. For example, Barbie dolls used to only come in the white Caucasian version, but now because we have grown more to accept that we are a multicultural society they have made newer colored versions of Barbie to appeal to the multicultural society today. Although they have yet to come out with a Barbie that has more realistic body proportions, in my opinion that design is long overdue. In terms of other toys such as hot wheels, they have evolved from a simple metal frame and wheels to more advanced mechanical toys. They now have hot wheels that operate with batteries and spin around the track for a more realistic racing playtime. Overall toys have changed with the times in accordance to norms and to maintain interest in the younger generations.