Click, Swap, Play:
THE Island Swappers
Island Swappers is a magnetic toy line designed to celebrate Filipino culture through imaginative play and customization. Each figure features fully interchangeable parts, from head to base plate, allowing users to mix elements inspired by Filipino values, national colors, and iconic celebrities.
SERVICES
3D Modeling & Sculpting
Package Design
Software
Adobe Illustrator, Blender, Procreate
GOAL
As a Filipino-American designer, I wanted to see higher representation of my culture in toy marketing and manufacturing. I created a toy line inspired by Filipino celebrities, culture, and national colors to celebrate and share Filipino identity through playful design and swapability.
With Color
Comes Chance
Each figure was printed with at least one of each color. The most common prints were white which increased the rarity of the gold and most customers tended to ask the odds of getting one. Scarcity may often lead to profitability.
SWAPABILITY with some Snapability
The 3D printed figures are magnetically connected which allow for various combinations. Separated by head, torso, legs and base, these figures can be interchanged as much as the customer would like.
Creative Culture
After samples were given to classmates and friends, there were various combinations that I didn’t initially anticiapte. I was amazed by the possibilities that many of them came up with.
Sun. Sing. Simmer.
All of the characters come equipped with a symbol on their backs to show what portion of Filipino culture they represent. Sunny (the national sun symbol), GiGi (a music note) and Crista (a chef’s hat).
The sun represents the patriotism of Filipinos and the support for one another. The music note showcases the music culture and love for singing throughout the Philippines. Lastly, the chef’s hat emphasizes Filipino cuisine and how it connects all people: anyone can love Filipino food.
Inserted images above the figures are from google and are not my own. They are there for conceptual context only.
The Swapper’s Box
The crate-like background encapsulates the idea of all the fun being shipped to the US straight from the Philippines! All the colors are bright tropical which emphasize the playful nature of the product.
Swapped Concepts
The initial plan was to use a rotating preview wheel to allow the consumer to preview a couple of different leg and head combinations. The hidden back slot was chosen for it’s speedier construction and reproducibility.
Stick Around!
Each character was based off of a famous filipino: Sunny (Manny Pacquiao), GiGi (Sarah Geronimo), and Crista (Cristeta Comerford). With each box purchase, two of the three character stickers were included in the back slot which represented a 50/50 chance to which figure could be inside the box.
My cultural mark
Each box also included a logo sticker which that promoted the possible colors and acted as the symbol of the brand. It was also placed in the tip of my table booth as a freebie to serve as a form of business card since it has my website on the bottom.
FROM Family to
Customers Alike
I wanted to thank my family and friends for all of their support. I could not have done it without any of them. The center image is my cousin who was one of my first, of many, happy customers. I am also happy to report all my boxes were sold, salamat po.
Final Takeaway
Creating a fun and interactive toy line like Island Swappers has been an extremely rewarding experience. I used my skills in Blender and 3D printing, working with both the software and hardware to bring the designs to life. I’m excited to apply these capabilities in a professional setting, hopefully working for a company that values play, culture, and creativity in the products they deliver.
