Idea product developed in collaboration with a toy consultant to turn the "no-so-no" period of cleanup into a treasure hunt.
- The following is content from the press release -
Konel (headquartered in Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Mitsuyo Demura, CEO; hereinafter "Konel"), a cross-border creative group based in Nihonbashi, Kanazawa, and Shimokitazawa, has developed "Goo-Goo Monster," a talking toy box that returns chewing sounds and fun responses when the toy is fed in the mouth.
Goo-Goo Monster" is a "tidying up entertainment" product developed in collaboration with a toy consultant to help children clean up when they are reluctant to do so. Konel and Takamura Sangyo, who shared the same idea, worked together to develop this "talking toy box" using a smartphone and cardboard. Applications will be accepted on the crowdfunding site CAMPFIRE from October 11 (Wed.).
■"Goo-Goo Monster" Crowdfunding (Reservations accepted from Wednesday, October 11 to Thursday, November 30)
https://camp-fire.jp/projects/view/671152
Concept Movie
What is "Goo-Goo Monster," a talking toy box?
Goo-Goo Monster," a talking toy box, was developed to help children clean up when they are in the "nay-nay" stage. When toys are placed in the box in accordance with about 20 different orders, such as "I want a warm toy," "I want a fluffy toy," etc., the toy box returns chewing sounds and fun responses, making it a communicative toy box that allows children to clean up as if they were on a treasure hunt.
Concept Movie
When toys are placed according to the order of about 20 different toys, such as "I want a warm toy" or "I want a fluffy toy," the toy will respond to each order and support the child's tidying up.
Parts that can be used to decorate the body are printed on the outer box.
You can make your own "Goo-Goo Monster" by painting, cutting, and pasting.
Development Background
Goo-Goo Monster is a product born from the desire to create an opportunity to foster new communication between parents and children. The product is being developed by Konel, a creative group that shares toy consultant Kaori Sato's ideas, in collaboration with Takamura Sangyo, a company that produces cardboard playground equipment.
Kaori Sato, Toy Consultant
This idea came to me while playing restaurant with a friend's children. The kids would ask me, "What do you want to eat? I would say something like, "I want something red," and they would try their best to find it for me. Seeing their eyes twinkling as they looked for something to order, I thought it might be useful for "cleaning up," which is a common concern of the child-rearing generation around us.
While children in the nay-say phase do not like to be told by their parents to put things away, they also have the feeling that they can do it by themselves. We thought that finding and giving toys ordered by Monster on their own and getting feedback would help children develop their sense of self-efficacy.
The monster's orders for what it wants to eat can vary in color, shape, texture (e.g., "fluffy" or "smooth"), and taste (e.g., "sweet"). The randomness of the orders encourages children to use their imagination in the search for the desired food. We also expect to see new communication between parents and children, such as "This looks sweet" and "Why do you think it's sweet? We also expect that this will lead to new communication between parents and children, such as "This looks sweet" and "Why do you think it's sweet?
Yasuhiro Ogino, Konel Technical Director
We participated in this project because we strongly empathized with Mr. Sato's idea of converting the "stress of cleaning up" that families with small children tend to have into positive play. Utilizing our strengths in technology and prototyping, we were mainly responsible for the design of the web application that runs inside the smartphone and the mechanical design of the housing. The application uses the smartphone's in-camera to perform image recognition to determine the toys' comings and goings and characteristics. After many iterations of experience and technology testing, we finally came up with a product that turns tidying up into entertainment by combining a smartphone and cardboard boxes. We hope you will enjoy this product with your children at home.
Testimonials
It's just cute and I can put anything in it! (H.M., age 8)
The best thing is that my son loves it. As a toy consultant, from the Good Toys Steering Committee member's point of view, it is not a toy, but the three guiding principles (healthy toys, long-selling toys, and toys that respect play communication) are all ____. And I was thinking that it could be used in senior citizen facilities. (E.M. (Mom/Master Toy Consultant))
About the specifications of the enclosure
By teaming up with Takamura Sangyo, who can make a prototype from scratch, we were able to examine the materials and shape many times. We made improvements by adding roundness to the head shape, adjusting the size, and consulting with Takamura Sangyo.
The cardboard of the chassis gives parents and children the idea of assembling and bringing to life their own monster by printing illustrations of the arms, wings, and other parts. The monster can also be completed by putting eyes into it to give it a soul and make it more lovable.
About Crowdfunding
The product will be folded and mailed at the time of delivery.
Challenge yourself and your children to make simple crafts.
Attach eye stickers, paint colors, and create the world's one and only "Goo-Goo Monster!
This product is for iPhone only. (iPhone7 or later recommended)
Returned items include those that will be ready in time for Christmas gifts, those that can be customized with all the lines of an order, and those with early-bird specials to enjoy the various worlds of the Goo-Goo Monster.
Click here for the "Goo-Goo Monster" crowdfunding campaign
(Reservations accepted from Wednesday, October 11 to Thursday, November 30.
https://camp-fire.jp/projects/view/671152
About the Development Team
Kaori Sato, Toy Consultant
After graduating from Tama Art University's Department of Graphic Design in 2012, he worked for an advertising company. Specializes in character development and experience design. He is a certified toy consultant.
Hisayuki Motomiya (Takamura Sangyo Co., Ltd.)
He has been in charge of designing and designing cardboard promotional fixtures, playground equipment, and POP as a sales promotion team leader at Takamura Sangyo since January 2013, and was appointed as Senior Managing Director in June 2022.
Yasuhiro Ogino (Director, Konel Corporation / Technical Director, Intellectual Property Hunter
(Organizer, Technical Directors Association, Inc.)
Raised in Amsterdam. After working as an engineer at a startup and as a freelance engineer, he joined the creative collective Konel as a member of the management team in 2016. As a technical director, he has developed and directed a wide variety of services, installations, and media art. He co-founded Intellectual Property Pictorial Book, and as an intellectual property hunter, he collects technologies that have impact and applicability, and pursues new methods to materialize his fantasies. Recent projects he has been involved in include "Brainwave Purchase Center" and "Flowers that Grow with Emotion".
About Konel
Konel is a collective of creators/artists in over 30 occupations with the theme of "imagination and embodiment. With a culture of skill crossing borders, we promote projects by crossing borders in brand design, research and development, and art production. With bases in Nihonbashi, Kanazawa, and Shimokitazawa, the group continues to implement future experiences while mixing diverse ethnic groups. Major works include the brainwave purchasing center "BWTC" (2022), "Yuragi Kabe - TOU" (KYOTO STEAM 2020 International Art Competition Start-up Exhibition) co-created by Panasonic's joint R&D organization "Aug Lab," and the food tech (KYOTO STEAM 2020 International Art Competition Startup Exhibition) and "Cyber Wagashi" (Media Ambition Tokyo 2020), which was created in collaboration with the food tech project OPEN MEALS. In-house products include "Onomatopee no Oyatsu-tachi," a series of gentle sweets made with local ingredients based on the theme of onomatopee (texture).
Konel Inc. Official Site: https://konel.jp/
Instagram :. https://instagram.com/hellokonel
YouTube :. https://www.youtube.com/@hello_konel
Contact:info@konel.jp
Representative: Mitsuyo Demura
Address: Nihonbashi Underground Laboratory, 6-14 Nihonbashi Yokoyamacho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Established: October 2011
Capital: 9.5 million yen
For inquiries regarding this matter, please contact
Please feel free to contact us at this address for inquiries regarding product handling, collaboration, and interviews.
Media Inquiries
Goo-Goo Monster PR Office (Uno, Ito)
Mail:. gu-gu-monster@allnight-p.com Tell: 070-6982-5041(Uno)
