Dougal Grimes - Young Inventor Challenge Keynote!
(Dougal Grimes, Hasbro's Director of Product Design, and Rich Mazel, Hasbro's Senior Director of Global Product Acquisition, with Young Inventor Challenge entrants in 2015)
A bit about Dougal's background...
Dougal studied Product Design Engineering at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. After spending the majority of his design career at university turning mundane briefs to be toy and game related, he decided to pursue the big toy dream and joined Hasbro in 2008. Since then he has held many different roles at Hasbro, From Marketing to Sales to Product Acquisition. He is currently Director of Design for the Party Gaming Team.
PLAYFUL INTERVIEW:
What was your favorite toy or game as a child?
There was a series of games called T.H.I.N.G.S. (Totally Hilarious Incredibly Neat Games of Skill) that were like mini skill and action games. They were so cool and you could collect 8 of them. The SIR RING A LOT one was amazing, just like mini fair ground games.
Why and how did you get into the Toy and Game industry?
I really wanted to design kinder egg toys (a European chocolate egg with a toy inside), so this prompted me to look at the Toy and Game biz and consequently join Hasbro.
What trends do you see in toys or games that excite or worry you?
The current big swing to face to face games and physical games is great! It means that from a creative point of view we have to get better and better to make sure we keep gamers and players excited!
What advice can you give to inventors who are presenting new toy or game ideas to you?
Have fun while you are presenting, really focus on the great experience that your toy or game brings to the world.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Getting to see and play the games we have worked on with families and friends, and seeing the joy and togetherness it brings.
Where were you born?
I was born in Singapore, but grew up in Scotland.
What was your life like growing up?
I have 5 older brothers, so there was always a lot of games, toys and general nonsense around. Because the oldest was 10 years older than me, and they all had different tastes, I had a lot of exposure to a lot of different genres of everything…which has definitely influenced me today.
What do you read every day, and why?
My To Do List/Calendar….otherwise I’d forget everything.
Do you prefer scary movies or happy endings?
Scary movies with unhappy endings are the best; it’s rare to get ones that really get you – but that’s the point!
More information about the Young Inventor Challenge can be found here: www.chitag.com/yic
