PAHAL DESIGNS

Career in Toy
& Game Design

What is Toy Design?

Toy Design course includes both hard material like plastic, ceramic, metal, wood as well as soft material such as cloth, cotton, fibre, rubber and more. The designing of toys is not just limited to product development, but also implementing scientific research and quality check for safety standards. The toy industry is segmented into plush soft toys, Action Hero Figures, Arts & Crafts, Building Sets, Dolls, Games/Puzzles, Electronics, Outdoor games and Sports Toys. To make career in Toy Industry students need to learn, develop skills and implement their creativity skills in designing trendsetting products for kids of all ages. The toys and games are developed for different age groups such as plush stuffed toys (soft material) for infants, light-weight and educational toys and games for toddlers and preschoolers, crafty and creative toys and games for pre-teenagers and, Artificial Intelligence based and Technical toys for teenagers. Toy design course is offered through other major design specializations i.e. product design, soft material design, hard material design, game design and has great scope in education, toy industry as well as entertainment sectors. Through the design courses for toys designing, learning of fundamentals of play, game theories, character designing, user research methods are imparted to students. The students also work on projects to design variety of toys and games such as heritage toys, digital games, educational play kit and also, indoor-outdoor games kit. Basically, to succeed in Toy designing career, one must acquire core and in-depth knowledge of Toy Industry such as what are the scopes?What are the challenges of Toy Industry?Competition in Market and Research and Innovation, etc. As per IBEF analysis report, the Indian Toy Industry is expected to grow by 20% CAGR in the coming years, but is still facing challenges such as small-scale production, lack of innovation and technology, Therefore, at a global level in Toy Market, India needs sustained new product development, quality and technical enhancements which will help in Competitive Advantage.

Toy Design Skillset

  • Creativity and zest for uniqueness
  • Soft skills including sense of fun
  • Fabric Knowledge
  • Leadership skills, Presentational Skills
  • Research and Innovativeness skills
  • Good knowledge of CAD technology
  • Tools and techniques for sewing and decoration
  • Model making and manufacturing
  • Critical eye for detail
  • Illustrations and Drawing Skills

Toy Design Eligibility and Entrance Exams

  • Toy design course can be pursued by students who have completed their Class 10+2 level education from recognized schools affiliated to national/state education boards.
  • There is no restriction of stream and students from all stream i.e. Science/Commerce/Arts can pursue an undergraduate course in Toy Design.
Toy Design Entrance Exams

For admission in a Toy Designcourse, candidates have to go through a mandatory selection procedure of Design Institutes offering the course. The selection procedure includes candidates appearing for eligible entrance tests and scoring qualifying marks. Listed below are some of the design entrance exams in India for Toy Design course:

Entrance Exams for Toy Design Course

  • NID Entrance Exam All India Entrance Examination for Design
  • MIT Institute of Design DAT Common Entrance Exam for Design

Toy Design Syllabus

In India, National Institute of Design offers a course in Toy Desinging at postgraduate degree level. Besides, there are other vocational training institutes for toy making that offer short-term courses in toy designing. Moreover, courses in soft material designing, arts & crafts include toy design subject as part of course curriculum.

MDes in Toy and Game DesignMDes

Design fundamentals Progressing into methodologies for understanding complex sysyem level problems and scenario visualizations
Material and media studies Elements of play
Material and media studies Character design
Creative thinking, user User research methods provide specialized inputs
psychology Design projects of heritage toys
Game theory Educational play material, sports equipment and designs for futuristic scenarios

Short-term course in Toy Designing

Fabric Identification Mould Making
Pattern Making Online Stiching
Fire Cutting, Hand Cutting, Press Cutting Punching Technique
Inversion Finishing and Spray Painting
Stuffing Technique, Hand Stufffing Technique , Machine Stuffing Technique Metal Detection
Packaging

Toy Design Jobs and Career Opportunities

Toy Design Job ProfileAverage Salary
Product Designer 5.80 Lakh and above
Training Manager 6.90 Lakh and above
Marketing Manager/ Coordinator 2.50 Lakh and above

Disclaimer: The average salary data has been obtained from Payscale.com

Toy Desing:Top Recruiters

Students with Toy Design degree get offers to work with top brands in Toy Industry in various department such as Product Development and Innovation, Designing, Research and Marketing etc. Moreover, students can also set up their own business in the industry.

Top Companies for Toy Designing
  • Funskool
  • Hamleys
  • Toy R Us
  • Hot Wheels
  • MGA Entertainment
  • FirstCry
  • Bandai Namco
  • Mattel Inc.
  • TLego Inc.
  • Lego Inc.
  • Takara Tommy Co Ltd
  • V Tech

About Game Designer

Game designers are the developers and designers of specialized software. They visualise, plan and design the computer and video games. Game designers work with a team of professionals that helps in managing budget, project timelines and work schedules. The duty of game designers is designing levels, puzzles, characters, storylines, animation and art. They also use computer programming languages to write codes. Game designing includes designing the structure for the game, its setting and its layout. A game designer has to design easily maintainable, comfortable, expandable systems and has to regularly bring innovative game designing ideas to the plate. With the globalising and ever-evolving world, games have come across a variety of formats and platforms like PC, console, mobile, virtual and augmented reality. Such developments in the gaming industry demand for a game designer with a broad range of creative and technical skills to imagine, plan, test, develop and deliver an idea successfully.

Eligibility to become Game Designer

An aspirant does not require a degree or diploma to become a game designer as numerous employers give more preference to experience and game knowledge. For becoming a game designer a candidate must have a certain set of skills which he/she can acquire after completing relevant courses like B.Sc in Graphics, Animation & Gaming, B. Tech in Computer Science and Game Development, BA in Digital Filmmaking & Animation, M.Sc in Multimedia and Animation, M.Sc in Game Design and Development, Advanced Diploma in Game Art & 3D Game Content Creation, Advanced Diploma in Game Design and Development Application, Certificate in Game Art & Design etc. Enlisted below are the minimum eligibility conditions required to become a game designer

  • A bachelor’s degree in game design can be earned soon after completing class 12/intermediate successfully.
  • Game designers must possess a bachelor’s or diploma in game designing or a bachelor’s degree in computer science engineering or other equivalent fields.
  • It requires no specific entry-level. Although if a candidate has an undergraduate degree he/she will be preferred more.
  • Candidates with a degree in engineering have an upper hand over other candidates. They have a better insight into the technical aspects of computer applications.
  • Various colleges offer different programmes specifically build for game design. Aspirants can opt for game design courses in order to enhance the skills required in the field of game designing.

Types of Job Roles Game Designer

A game designer has diverse job roles to pick out from. An aspirant can either choose to become a freelancer or can work in a multinational company as well. Mentioned below are the possible job roles a game designer can go for.

01

Game Animator

They are the multimedia maestro. The responsibility of a game animator is to combine technology with art and imagination to create interactive animated images.

02

Game Audio Engineer

The role of a game audio engineer is to comprehend the essence of the game and blend dynamic audio to bring life to the world of games. They work on mixing ambient sounds with dynamic sound effects and background music of the game.

03

Game Designer

Duty of a game designer is to build levels, characters, puzzles, animation and art. You are expected to bring ideas to the table, create interactive narration, build prototypes and develop the mechanism of the game.

04

Game Programmer

Often considered as computer scientists and a brilliant software engineer, a game programmer uses codes to create the programme that smartphones, computer or video games system can read. They pick out the coding language that best suits the gaming platform.

05

Creative Game Director

Often the creator of the game concept, a creative game director needs to ensure that the video game project looks perfect in all the aspects. They are in charge of the overall vision of the project.

06

Game Artist

A game artist is responsible for all the aspects of game development that require visual art. They create 2D or 3D art form for the visual elements of the game.

07

Game Marketer/PR

A game marketer/PR has a pivotal role in the process. They have the duty of delivering the developer’s message and making sure that it has been taken well by the public.

08

QA Game Tester

Once the final submission has been done, approval is required by the QA game tester. They have to make sure that all the bugs, mistakes are getting fixed and the game is working properly.

09

Game System Designer

A game system designer works hand in hand with producers, programmers and other domains within the game design to develop game functions.

Employment Opportunities for Game Designer

Games are the best medium of recreation. With time, gaming industries are developing and are gaining popularity. At present, games are being wildly used to across a broad range of industries including fitness, education and healthcare. Captured below are the sectors where you can find employment Opportunities for a game designer.

  • Broadcasting companies
  • Creative agencies
  • Advertising firms
  • Computing and electronics organisations
  • Esports associations
  • Broadcasting companies
  • Education providers and education resource suppliers
  • Hardware and software distributors
  • Event organisers
  • PR, communications and marketing firms
  • Hardware and software distributors
  • Trade and retail organisations.
  • Software developers

Top Recruiting Agencies for a Game Designer

Multiple companies ardently require skilled and proficient game designers across the nation. Mentioned below are the name of some popular top recruiting agencies for game designers.

Planning to choose Game Designer as your career?

Pay Scale/Salary of Game Designer

Salary of Game Designers varies from profession to profession. It also depends on the individual’s abilities. The more the experience and skills, the better is the salary of game designers. Mentioned below are the pay scale or salary structure as per the profession.

Job Profile Starting Salary per annum (in INR) Mid Level Salary per annum (in INR) Senior Level Salary per annum (in INR)
Game Animator 2,28,000 3,60,000 16,00,000
Game Audio Engineer 1,18,000 3,63,927 18,00,000
Game Designer 2,00,000 5,03,628 10,00,000
Game Programmer 3,50,000 4,25,000 24,00,000
Creative Game Director 1,20,000 9,00,000 30,62,000
Game Artist 3,00,000 5,50,000 9,00,000
Game Marketer/PR 4,00,000 7,87,500 11,30,000
QA Game Tester 2,55,663 5,00,000 10,00,000
Game System Designer 3,50,000 5,00,000 10,00,000

Note: The above figure depends on company to company and individual to individual. They are subject to change.

Becoming a Game Designer

  • No hard and fast rule on the required qualification. You can be a game designer if you have the right traits. Any relevant degree would just act like a cherry on the top.
  • A game designer builds a world of imagination and creativity. It fuels your passion for work.
  • It is mentally stimulating as it is different with each project.
  • The industry is spreading rapidly. It has an ample amount of opportunity and good work for the aspirants.
  • Get to work with other dedicated, creative and enthusiastic people. Not only lifts the work environment but also provide a lot of new things to learn.
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