Gumbek Ihe Egwuregwu Nkuzi by Lea Vavra is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2024 Ihe Nrite A' Design Award nke Bronz in Nhazi Ihe Egwuregwu, Egwuregwu na Ngwaahịa Ntụrụndụ Competition Category.

BronzIhe Egwuregwu· 2024

Gumbek Ihe Egwuregwu Nkuzi

by Lea Vavra

Client: Kistra

Ihe Nrite A' Design Award nke Bronz Winner in Ihe Egwuregwu Category

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The Design

About Gumbek Ihe Egwuregwu Nkuzi

Gumbek bụ ihe egwuregwu nkuzi dị nro nke na-akpali okike ma na-agba ume ịzụlite nkà iji aka eme ihe nke ọma site n'egwuregwu. Ihe egwuregwu a nwere akụkụ dị iche iche na-abịa n'iberibe ma ụmụaka ga-achịkọta ihe egwuregwu ha n'onwe ha site n'ijikọta akụkụ ndị ahụ ọnụ iji mepụta otu zuru ezu. Enwere akụkụ asaa dị iche iche; atọ buru ibu na anọ pere mpe. A na-ejikọta iberibe ndị ahụ ọnụ site n'ịgbanye bọtịnụ n'oghere bọtịnụ, nke na-enyere aka melite nkà iji aka eme ihe nke ọma. Ọzọkwa, nhazi nke ụdịdị dị iche iche na-enyere aka ịzụlite echiche okike na okike ebe ọ bụ na enwere ike ịchịkọta ihe egwuregwu ahụ n'ụzọ dị iche iche.

The Recognition

About the Ihe Nrite A' Design Award nke Bronz

Gumbek Ihe Egwuregwu Nkuzi meriri A' Design Award nke Bronz, nnabata dị oke ugwu e nyere design ndị pụtara ìhè nke a ma ama maka nzụlite ihe, ọgụgụ isi na nghọta. Ndị meriri na Bronz bụ ihe e mere nke ndị nwere nka nke ukwuu ma dị mma n'imepụta nke na-egosi ahụmahụ buru ibu, echiche na ọgụgụ isi nke ndị designer ha. A na-atụ anya na Gumbek Ihe Egwuregwu Nkuzi ga-abụ ihe a na-asọpụrụ nke ukwuu, a na-eto na a hụrụ n'anya, nke dị oke ọrụ ma dị ọhụrụ. Design a meriri A' Design Award nke Bronz na-agụnye ụzọ kacha mma n'ime nka, sayensị, design na teknụzụ, ma dị mma nke ukwuu maka nlebara anya ya n'obere ihe. Gumbek Ihe Egwuregwu Nkuzi na-emezu mkpa nke ọma, na-emetụ ọchịchọ aka, na-adọrọ mmetụta obi ma na-adọta ọchịchọ ịmara.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Gumbeki are modular plush toys that stimulate creativity and enhance motor skills through play. Each toy consists of seven parts which children connect to each other by buttons in order to create a whole, which helps improve fine motor skills. The parts are made of colorful materials with different textures so they provide a good stimulus for the development of sensory integration. The arrangement of different shapes helps to develop imagination as the toy can be put together in lots of ways.
Dimensions & Packaging: SMALL SIZE GUMBEKI
17 x 17 x 15 cm, packaging approximately 20 x 20 x 20 cm
MEDIUM SIZE GUMBEKI
27 x 27 x 24 cm, packaging approximately 30 x 30 x 30 cm
LARGE SIZE GUMBEKI
36 x 36 x 33 cm, packaging approximately 40 x 40 x 40 cm
Tags: toy, soft toy, plush, didactic, educational, creative, children
Production Technology: I wanted to make a soft toy that kids could assemble themselves so I created a plushie that consists of several different parts that can be connected to each other with buttons. All of these parts are handmade. The fabric pieces are cut by hand, pinned together and sewn on a sewing machine. After that, they are turned over and stuffed. The hole left after stuffing is sewn shut by hand. The buttonholes are sewn on a sewing machine. The final step is to sew the buttons, which is also done by hand.
Design Challenge: I noticed a lack of emotional connection to toys in today's children, which is important for their development. Also, parents are increasingly giving kids activities on screens that can be harmful to children's physical development if used excessively. I wanted to create a soft toy that kids would connect to emotionally, but I also wanted them to learn an activity through play. Didactic toys are mostly made of hard materials, so it was a challenge creating a one with a soft tactile experience.
Research: Through the review of various literatures I researched the topics such as the history and different types of play, typology of toys, cultural differences, the impact and importance of playing for children's physical and emotional development etc. I also conducted two surveys on 200 parents about kids playing habits today and the importance of childhood toys. I found that children today have a large number of toys that often quickly bore them because they do not stimulate their development.
Inspiration: My grandmother, Ruzica Vavra, had one of the first toy productions and toy stores in Croatia. Her popular stuffed toys brought joy to many generations, but unfortunately the store was closed due to the arrival of global manufacturers on our market. I have always been inspired by that story, and after finishing my education at the Faculty of Architecture - School of Design, I decided to revive the family tradition from a designer's aspect, creating smart toys, stimulating for kids development.
Project Duration: The project started in 2016. in Zagreb, Croatia and finished in 2018. when it was put on the Croatian market and exhibited in numerous exhibits, festivals and fairs, such as Zagreb Design Week or Exhibition of Croatian design 1718.
Operation Flow: This modular toy comes in parts and kids have to assemble their own toy by connecting the parts to one another. There are seven different segments; three larger ones with buttons and buttonholes sew, and four smaller ones with just buttonholes. The pieces are attached together by threading the buttons through the buttonholes. There are lots of different ways of putting them together, but for those children who view the toy as a puzzle there is an assemby scheme for the way we imagined them.
Image Credits: Image #1 : Photographer Lea Vavra, Gumbeki, 2022.
Image #2 : Photographer Lea Vavra, Gumbek - warm, 2022.
Image #3 : Photographer Lea Vavra, Gumbek - cold, 2022.
Image #4 : Photographer Lea Vavra, Gumbek - earthy, 2022.
Image #5 : Photographer Lea Vavra, Gumbek assembly variations, 2022.