Iron Baby, Kids' and Children's Products Design · 2022
Creaon Toy
by Menglin Tian
- A' Design Award 2022 Iron Winner in Baby, Kids' and Children's Products Design
- Awarded April 15, 2022
- CLIENT: Menglin Tian
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 20,295
- Verification code 753308B2CE · Verify this award
About Creaon Toy
Creaon focuses on a variety of functional features needs of children aged 1-6 for toys. Children can use Creaon as regular crayons to draw pictures and create different roofs for Creaon cubes during drawing , and combine with their drawings to play pretend games. Creaon can also be used as a balance block for building games. Because it's made from soy wax, Creaon can disappear more environmentally than a regular plastic toy when it's done its job.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Creaon focuses on the creative, open ending, construction and imagination needs of children aged 1 to 6 for toys. Combine crayons with building blocks. When children draw with Creaon, they create different roofs that can become unique building blocks and play imaginary games with them. It realizes that toys can complete their multiple missions in a certain period of need, can still play after being damaged, and after completing the mission, it is more harmless to disappear than ordinary toys.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Width 15mm x Depth 15mm x Height 45mm
- Tags
- Toy, Childhood, Children, Playful, Sustainable
- Production Technology
- Soy Wax
- Design Challenge
- Finding the intersection of versatile toys and environmentally friendly materials with less waste is the most difficult and critical part of the design process. Research has found that toys that stimulate creativity and allow children to use their imagination and build are more suitable for a wider range of children, which means they are less likely to get tired of being thrown away. At the same time, I found that materials like soy wax are more environmentally friendly than plastic, and can continue to play even if broken, even simple DIY repair, unlike plastic toys that are more likely to be thrown away once broken. At the same time, wax toys can be mass-produced just like plastic toys.
- Project Duration
- The project started in November 2021 in London and finished in January 2022 in London, and was exhibited in online Work in Progress 2022 show in January 2022.
- Operation Flow
- Children can use them as regular crayons to draw pictures and create different roofs for the Creaon cubes. Children can combine their drawings with these small house-like Creaon cubes to play pretend games. Creaon can also be used as a balance block for building games.
- Research
- Among children's toys, the top five toys in the home are all made of plastic. However, because children grow up so quickly, their interests and demands for some toys change quickly. These plastic toys that can last a long time become "short life" toys. I started thinking about how to make play more sustainable while meeting the needs of children. I design from two aspects of more functions and more environmentally friendly materials to explore how to make toys last longer and less waste when toys finish their missions.
- Inspiration
- Among children's toys, the top five toys in the home are all made of plastic. However, because children grow up so quickly, their interests and demands for some toys change quickly. These plastic toys that can last a long time become "short life" toys, which are likely to cause serious environmental problems.
I began to think about how to extend the life of the toy and make it more environmentally friendly to its end. - Image Credits
- Image #1: Photographer Menglin Tian, 2022
Image #2: Photographer Menglin Tian, 2022
Image #3: Photographer Menglin Tian, 2022
Image #4: Photographer Menglin Tian, 2022
Image #5: Photographer Menglin Tian, 2022 - Patents
- Copyrights belong to Menglin Tian, 2022.
Colors of Creaon Toy
Design Interview about Creaon Toy
The appearance of CREAON is inspired by the unique street architecture landscape of the UK As the children draw with CREAON, they will create different roofs for the cubes. Then CREAON can become unique building blocks that children can play imaginary games with them.
As children draw pictures, CREAON can become unique building blocks, which can be combined with the children's drawings to play games such as imaginary situations and role play.
CREAON can still be played even if it is damaged. It is also a crayon to help children realize their ideas and be creative, a building block to build, a balance block to exercise concentration and so on. It no longer has a single gameplay function, and because of the nature of the material used (Soy Wax), it can continue to play even if it is damaged.
When CREAON has done its job, most of CREAON will exist in the form of cute paintings for children, rather than as space-hogs for parents to deal with. Because it is made from soy wax, even if discarded, the material used makes it more environmentally friendly than regular plastic toys. The cardboard packaging of CREAON is more simple and more environmentally friendly.
As children draw pictures, CREAON can become unique building blocks, which can be combined with the children's drawings to play games such as imaginary situations and role play.
CREAON can still be played even if it is damaged. It is also a crayon to help children realize their ideas and be creative, a building block to build, a balance block to exercise concentration and so on. It no longer has a single gameplay function, and because of the nature of the material used (Soy Wax), it can continue to play even if it is damaged.
When CREAON has done its job, most of CREAON will exist in the form of cute paintings for children, rather than as space-hogs for parents to deal with. Because it is made from soy wax, even if discarded, the material used makes it more environmentally friendly than regular plastic toys. The cardboard packaging of CREAON is more simple and more environmentally friendly.
I focus on two aspects: on the one hand, how to meet children's multiple demands for toys to achieve the purpose of increasing the service life of products; on the other hand, how to choose materials to achieve that they will not be discarded due to damage and have a more environmentally friendly end.
I hope to develop more lines and put them into production and sales.
I learned from an exhibition that a significant amount of the garbage in the ocean that we don't expect comes from children's toys. After my later research, I found that more than 80 per cent of children's toys are made of plastic. The results and the contents of the exhibition shocked me and I thought I should do something.
If any company is willing to cooperate with me, I am also very welcome. If not, I may make it by myself.
I've always liked things like toys. But I also want to play more environmentally responsible.
In my research, I found that there are many designs for the recycling of existing children's toys, which gives me inspiration in another direction. If there are many people who have made efforts after the end of plastic toys, is it possible to reduce them before they are born?
Parents who are guilt-ridden about buying plastic toys.
It has multiple functions and encourages children to explore multiple ways of playing.
I put crayon and create together， then Creaon. Let children use their imagination and creativity through this product.
I use quick-drying clay, which helps me quickly implement my ideas and test and iterate.
These small houses can be painted to produce different roof shapes, each unique. Children can play more games with these little houses combined with paintings.
I work with children and their parents. They give me feedback on feel, size and experience.
Help me with the data analysis.
At the beginning of the design, these data shocked me about the use of plastic and environmental pollution in toys in our era of environmental protection and sustainable development.
I need to find out that the need for toys is the long-term need of children as they grow and develop.
I have heard about this design competition before, and I always hope that my design can be seen and understood by more people.
When a problem is like a big ball in front of you, try to list them one by one. When it is broken down bit by bit, you can always find the part where you can contribute
I hope you have enjoyed my work. I'm happy to share my work with you.
Feel free to contact me: menglintian.design@gmail.com
Feel free to contact me: menglintian.design@gmail.com
Grand Interview about Creaon Toy
The decision to use soy wax in CREAON emerged from a series of research explorations into both children’s behavioral patterns and the environmental impact of conventional toys. During the early development phase, I analyzed the lifecycle of the top five household toys, most of which are plastic. I found that although these toys are made of durable material, they often become “short-lived” due to children’s fast-changing interests. This contradiction inspired me to search for a material that was safe, sustainable, and playful in multiple dimensions. Soy wax became the answer: it is non-toxic, biodegradable, and soft enough to encourage drawing, yet structurally stable enough to function as a building block. Prototyping and repeated testing confirmed that even when broken, soy wax blocks remain playable. This duality of being both a crayon and a block, while minimizing environmental burden was the key breakthrough that defined CREAON’s design philosophy.
The inspiration to merge drawing and construction into one design came from observing how young children naturally shift between two-dimensional and three-dimensional forms of play. A child may draw a house, then immediately pick up blocks to build it, or invent a story that connects both actions. I realized these activities are not separate, but part of a continuous imaginative process where children explore, test, and express their ideas. CREAON was conceived as a tool that could bridge this gap: when a child draws, the crayon itself becomes the “roof” or structural piece that later transforms into a building block. This integration encourages fluidity between artistic expression and spatial construction, reinforcing creativity and role play. By collapsing the boundary between drawing and building, CREAON empowers children to move seamlessly from idea to tangible form, cultivating a richer and more open-ended play experience.
The period of 2020–2022, marked by uncertainty and isolation, deeply influenced how I approached the design of CREAON. During that time, children’s opportunities for social interaction and outdoor exploration were greatly reduced, and toys became one of the few mediums through which they could express themselves and experience joy at home. This made me more aware that a toy should not only entertain but also serve as a creative outlet that sparks imagination and emotional resilience. CREAON was therefore designed to be simple yet transformative, combining drawing and building into a single tool that allows children to turn small moments into magical ones. The idea of adding “happiness and flash” was my response to that period: to create a toy that celebrates creativity, encourages role play, and brings brightness into children’s daily routines, even during challenging times.
Balancing durability with environmental responsibility was one of the core challenges in CREAON’s development. Traditional plastic toys are extremely durable in material, yet ironically short-lived in practice because children quickly outgrow them. My approach was to rethink durability not only as physical strength but as functional adaptability. By using soy wax, CREAON is durable in the sense that it continues to serve multiple purposes even when partially worn or broken, it can still be used as a crayon, a construction piece, or a balancing block. At the same time, its end-of-life pathway is more responsible: instead of becoming bulky plastic waste, most of CREAON’s value remains in children’s drawings, and the leftover material is biodegradable and less harmful to the environment. This balance allowed me to create a toy that sustains engagement through flexibility while offering a gentle exit strategy that aligns with ecological values.
Designing CREAON for children aged 1–6 required a careful balance between safety, developmental appropriateness, and creative freedom. At the youngest ages, safety was paramount: the blocks were designed with rounded edges, a size large enough to prevent swallowing hazards, and made from non-toxic soy wax, ensuring they could be safely handled even by toddlers. For slightly older children, the focus shifts toward motor skills, imagination, and role play. CREAON supports this by allowing simple scribbles to evolve into building elements, encouraging spatial thinking and storytelling. Rather than creating separate products for each age, I emphasized open-ended play value that adapts to a child’s developmental stage,whether it is grasping, drawing, stacking, or constructing more complex scenarios. This approach ensures that the toy grows with the child, maintaining both safety and creative potential throughout the early years.
The idea of integrating roofs as a design feature came from observing how children often depict houses in their earliest drawings, usually with a simple square and a triangular or curved roof on top. This universal visual language of “home” fascinated me, because it reflects both a child’s sense of structure and their emotional attachment to shelter. During my research into early childhood play, I found that children frequently move between drawing a house and then attempting to build one with blocks, yet these two actions were rarely connected by the toy itself. By making the crayon strokes literally transform into the roofs of building blocks, CREAON bridges that gap. The roof becomes not only an artistic expression but also a structural element in play, encouraging children to imagine entire streets or towns. This feature was therefore informed by both developmental psychology and direct observation of how children express architecture in their creative activities.
Receiving the A' Design Award in the Baby, Kids and Children’s Products category was both an honor and a validation of CREAON’s core philosophy. The recognition reinforced my belief that sustainability and creativity are not competing goals but can exist in harmony to enrich children’s lives. It also made me reflect on the broader responsibility of designers in shaping products that balance joy, imagination, and environmental stewardship. The award encouraged me to see sustainable innovation not as an optional feature but as an essential foundation for children’s product design, because what we create for them today inevitably shapes their relationship with the world tomorrow. This perspective motivates me to continue exploring materials, forms, and play patterns that nurture creativity while respecting our environment.
Designing each 15mm × 15mm × 45mm unit to function simultaneously as a crayon and a building block required iterative prototyping and testing. The dimensions were carefully chosen: large enough to be safely grasped by small hands and to prevent choking hazards, yet proportioned like a modular block so children could stack and balance them easily. The rectangular form provided stability for construction, while the ends were engineered to allow smooth drawing without crumbling. I experimented with various wax formulations until I found the right soy wax blend that offered both structural strength and a soft, even color application. The geometry also intentionally mimics architectural proportions—long enough to resemble a “wall” or “beam,” but when rotated or combined with drawings, it transforms into a “roof” element. By continuously testing with children of different ages, I refined the balance between playability, durability, and creative freedom, ensuring that each unit could truly perform as both an artistic tool and a construction material.
My broader design vision has always been to approach problem-solving in a way that feels interesting, poetic, and playful, and CREAON embodies that philosophy. Rather than treating a toy as a fixed object with a single function, I wanted to create an experience that unfolds in layers—first as a crayon, then as a building block, and ultimately as part of a child’s imaginative world. This reflects my belief that children’s products should not only entertain but also nurture curiosity, expression, and storytelling. CREAON’s ability to transform drawings into architectural play represents this vision: a poetic bridge between two-dimensional imagination and three-dimensional exploration. By embedding creativity and sustainability into the design, I hope to set a precedent for children’s products that inspire wonder, encourage open-ended thinking, and cultivate a lifelong love of creativity.
I believe CREAON’s approach demonstrates that sustainability in children’s toys does not have to come at the expense of creativity or play value. By rethinking materials and multifunctionality, it shows that toys can evolve from being static, single-use objects into dynamic tools that grow with the child while leaving a lighter environmental footprint. My hope is that CREAON can inspire the industry to adopt a mindset where durability is defined not only by physical strength but also by adaptability and ecological responsibility. Looking ahead, I envision more designers exploring biodegradable materials, modular forms, and play concepts that extend a toy’s life beyond traditional expectations. If CREAON can serve as a small example, it suggests that the future of toy design lies in creating products that spark joy, foster imagination, and respect the planet, values that children can carry forward into their own lives.