Sketching out a future
When Samantha initially majored in robotics and mechatronics, she realised she wanted to explore a more creative side of engineering. Product design was the perfect fit – a chance to apply her technical expertise and expand her creative prowess.
While Samantha already excelled at maths, she had to adapt quickly and build her sketching skills. Once she did, she was off to a flying start. Her natural eye for design made her portfolio impressive, even if she was new to concept drawing.
When Samantha’s teacher recommended an internship at Moose Toys, she was intrigued. Toy design sounded fun, and it could be the perfect opportunity to test her skills.
Her portfolio caught their attention immediately. Within hours of applying, Moose invited Samantha in for an interview, and she scored the internship!
Samantha | Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) | Moose Toys
When work feels like play
From day one, the internship at Moose had Samantha building real skills. First, she was tasked with finding the ‘wow factor’ of a variety of toys. ‘We’ve all played with toys, but you never think about how they’re designed’, she says.
Over time, Samantha got the hang of working on real-world projects. At every stage, she made her work come to life by continually developing and testing her concepts.
The Little Live Pets Mama Surprises project
The main venture Samantha worked on during her internship was the Little Live Pets Mama Surprises project. With a set price point of $10, she focused on maximising the fun and getting the best value for the customer. During a prototype test, Samantha even identified and fixed a pinch point which could be a risk to little fingers.
Samantha kept developing and refining the project until it was ready to hit the shelves. Her attention to detail and creativity paid off beautifully – her work ended up in thousands of stores, entertaining millions, and even spawned an adorable line-up of toys that are stocked to this day!
The wonderful world of toy design
Samantha says the work culture at Moose was awesome, with a quirky office to match. There was an indoor treehouse, toys sprawled across every desk, and even half an aeroplane converted into a meeting room. It was the perfect place for Samantha to flourish.
Samantha says her favourite part was how excited the kids were about the toys she helped create. She even got to watch it in real-time with her colleagues at a major supermarket. ‘The kids' final reaction was amazing’, she says.
After the internship
Samantha’s contract got renewed after her internship, and she still works as a freelancer with Moose. Thanks to this continuing connection, Samantha’s in the loop about opportunities all around the industry. ‘Applying for the internship was the best decision of my life’, she says.
As her career progresses, Samantha hopes to be a design manager in the toy industry. With everything she’s learned so far, she’s well on her way.
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