Koolawala
Toy Design | 2021 | Illustration, Packaging Design
An educational toy designed to bring awareness to the rich bio-diversity of Australian wildlife.
Objective
The KOOLAWALA ABC block set was created to educate the children of today on the biodiversity of Australia’s wildlife and why it is important to the planet. The dual function of the project is that for every box purchased, money is donated to help rebuild the habitat’s of animals that were destroyed in the bush-fire crisis. The design of the box contains an homage to the aboriginal culture (indigenous peoples of the country) by reflecting art style as well as cultural motifs and the names of the animals highlighted.
Background Info
Beginning in 2019, many consecutive months saw record breaking temperatures across the continent of Australia, causing an unrelenting series of raging bush-fires. 27.2 million acres burned, leaving over 1 billion animals dead and countless more severely injured, homeless and endangered. The purpose of the KOOLAWALA project is to educate children and their families on these awesome creatures as well as raise capital to help rebuild their homes.
The ABC's
The project objective was to design a cohesive and visually compelling block system for children. Aboriginal motifs + patterns were implemented to build an alternating "A" and "B" pattern for the blocksto create variation in the design. Each block contains four different sides
Letterform
English Word
Animal
Aboriginal Name
Tools for Learning
Each block measures 2.5 x 2.5 inches and is a safe, fun way for children to learn both their ABC’s as well as about unique wildlife at the same time! The blocks utilize a combination of both form and function to add a special toy to a family’s collection.
Box Materials
Educational Insert
Each box contains a double sided pullout in the center of the box set. The first side shows an illustration of the varying terrain of Australia + wildlife and the back explains fun facts about each creature paired to their letter. The illustrations are in full color, rich with the tones and hues of Australia to offset and contrast the raw wood and copper of the box.
