Kids BTS — Pei Jet Teh

Back to School

A kids program focusing on back-to-school essentials for Target 2025’s Bullseye department product line.

Project Duration: 2 months
Ideation - Development Duration: 3 weeks

Role: Product Designer

My Design Process

Adopted the double diamond process as a framework for my design approach. While there are occasional exceptions necessitating the skipping of steps, my design process typically adheres to this structured flow.

Client’s Direction

Note: Moodboard cannot be disclosed due to NDA.

Program 1 - BTS Storage
(Classroom & Home)

Material: Plastic & Translucency
Texture: Fluted
Color Details: Color Pops
Nice to Have: Multifunctional

Program 2: Family BTS (Lunch & Bathroom Routine)

Material: Silicone/ Plastic
Texture: Puffy Looks
Color Details: Color Blocking
Nice to Have: Novel Shapes

Program 3: BTS Tools & Supplies
(Classroom Favors & Personal Use)

Material: Plastic
Texture: Matte/ Sensory & Fidget
Color Details: N/A
Nice to Have: Fun Characters

Research & Ideation

Research: Conducted market research through big-box kids retail stores, local kids stores, and online platforms. Compiled trend categories before ideation to grasp market trends and users’ purchasing behaviors. Integrated insights from competitive shopping, trend forecasting agencies (e.g., WGSN, TrendBible), and user research, including understanding teachers’ needs via social media platforms, to inform the ideation process.

Ideation: Hosted a collaborative brainstorming sessions with cross-functional teams to explore diverse product formats for the programs. Subsequently, initiated communication with factories to assess production capabilities and conduct cost-engineering on designs.

Style Guide Creation Process

To mitigate the risk of veering off course due to tight development timelines, I promptly brainstormed several themes suitable for all three programs. I then shared these ideas with my creative teammates for review and alignment before proceeding with design development.

Product Development Highlights

A combination of products designed for all three programs (Back-to-school Storage, Tools and Supplies, and Family Lunch & Bath).

FOLDABLE FLAT LAP DESK
In response to client demand, we designed a user-friendly form for this product, which included creating a comfortable fit around the user. Additionally, we introduced indentations at the bottom of each "leg" to serve as affordances for easy folding and unfolding of the lap desk.

PLASTIC REMOVABLE CADDY
Tailored for classroom utilization, featuring removable compartments for convenient sharing of art supplies. Tinted plastic of the main body allows users to easily identify contents within each compartment before retrieval.

PLASTIC CUSTOMIZABLE TRAY
Modular design of these trays ensures easy customization, empowering users to create the perfect organizational setup to suit their specific needs.

STATIONERY: PENCILS & ERASERS
Crafted with uplifting messaging and scents that align with the sensory gifting trend prevalent in the kids' market.

STICKERS
Sticker books and sheets featuring scents or interactive sensory elements that align with the sensory gifting trend prevalent in the kids’ market

QUILTED LUNCH BAGS & REUSABLE SNACK BAGS
The quilted technique, a popular trend in softline products, has been integrated into our lunch bags, designed to accommodate three sizes of novelty-shaped lunch boxes.

Design Iterations

Design iterations are a constant in my design process. Here's an example of a design iteration for the foldable lap desks, conducted before submission for client feedback prompted by cost considerations. It represents the ongoing balance between cost-efficiency and optimal user experience.