Behind the Design Part 1: From Spark to Blueprint

All of our toy and playset designs start with a story. At KidKraft, that story is shaped by imagination, research, and a team of designers who never stop thinking about how children play (and how families live). 

In this two-part series, we’re pulling back the curtain on our toy and playset design process. This first part will take you inside the earliest stages, from the first spark of inspiration to the blueprint that lays the foundation for every kitchen, wooden playset, and dollhouse design we create.

Where KidKraft Playset Designs Begin

Ideas at KidKraft come from two main places: requests from our sales team or retail partners and the free-flowing creativity of internal brainstorms. Sometimes a retailer asks for a specific product to meet the needs of their customers. Other times, our team imagines new possibilities during yearly brainstorming sessions.

Either way, it’s never a solo effort. Industrial designers, engineers, and product graphic designers collaborate from the very beginning, ensuring every idea balances creativity with practicality. Together, they start shaping toys that children will love—and parents will be happy to bring into their homes.

Gathering Inspiration for KidKraft Designs

Creative sparks don’t always happen at a desk. To get inspired, our team steps outside the office. Off-site brainstorms might include excursions in a designer's city, with visits to museums, historic homes, or stores to observe design trends in the wild. These experiences fuel days of sketching and sharing ideas back at the studio.

From there, mood boards take shape. Our designers gather visuals that highlight color palettes, textures, and architectural details. For wooden playsets or outdoor products, inspiration might come from timeless design elements in nature or real homes, which is why many KidKraft products feel both imaginative and authentic.

The Designer Behind the Designs

Meet Riley Burrus, Product Graphics Manager at KidKraft

Every KidKraft toy begins with a spark of imagination. But behind that spark are real people who pour their creativity and heart into each design. One of those people is Riley Burrus, who has been part of KidKraft for nearly a decade.

Riley’s path to toy design wasn’t exactly planned. With a degree in illustration, she imagined herself creating children’s books, weaving stories through words and pictures. But after graduation, while working as a barista and searching for her next step, she stumbled across a LinkedIn job posting for dollhouse illustration. It caught her attention immediately.

“I liked children’s book illustration because I love kids and telling stories,” Riley recalls. “When I interviewed for the dollhouse role, I realized this was just a different way of telling stories—one where the artwork itself inspires play.”

Today, Riley helps guide KidKraft’s designs from concept to reality. She and other designers often sneak in little “Easter eggs” that make each product feel extra special and enable them to incorporate a tiny bit of themselves into the design. For example, a dollhouse wallpaper might feature their pets, or a tiny framed picture could echo a loved one.

For Riley, toy design is more than creating something beautiful or fun. It’s about blending storytelling, imagination, and a personal touch that turns play into something magical. And when kids pick up a KidKraft toy, they’re not just playing with wood, paint, and accessories; they’re stepping into worlds crafted with care by designers like Riley, who see storytelling everywhere.

That same spirit of listening and storytelling doesn’t just come from our design team. It also comes from the families who play with our toys every day.

Listening to Customers

Of course, inspiration also comes directly from the families who play with our products. KidKraft’s design team studies thousands of product reviews across Amazon, Target, Costco, and other retailers to see what parents and kids love, as well as what could be better.

For example, our “easy craft line” was developed to reduce assembly time after hearing from parents who wanted a quicker setup. The team also considers both the child’s perspective (fun, imaginative, colorful) and the parent’s perspective (durability, value, aesthetics). It’s this balance that makes toys both entertaining and practical for everyday family life.

Spotting Trends Before They Happen

Designing toys isn’t just about responding to what’s popular now. A big part of toy design involves predicting what kids (and parents) will want one or two years down the road, when a toy finally hits the shelves.

Our design team looks to high fashion, interior design, fine art, and even kids’ animation for inspiration. Trends trickle down across industries, so a color palette from a runway show might eventually influence the look of a play kitchen or dollhouse. Keeping a finger on the pulse of these creative worlds allows our team to design toys that feel fresh, modern, and relevant.

Aesthetic Meets Function

While toys should always inspire play, they also need to work for the families who buy them. That’s why we blend age-appropriate design (like higher contrast colors for toddlers) with aesthetics parents appreciate, from brass accents to wood textures that echo modern interiors.

The goal is to create toys kids love to play with and parents love to see in their living spaces. For instance, a dollhouse or activity table might have a pop of bright color for imaginative play while also featuring textures and finishes that make it blend beautifully into a family room.

Visualizing the Blueprint

Before a toy becomes real, it lives in sketches, computer-aided design (CAD) drawings, and illustrated “moments” that capture its look and feel. Mood boards, color swatches, and concept art help communicate the vision during concept approval meetings with company leaders. This is where big ideas start to feel tangible, offering an exciting sneak peek of how creativity will soon become reality.

From Blueprint to Build: Explore the Designs in Action

Every KidKraft product begins with this mix of inspiration, research, and artistry. From sketches to mood boards, each step brings us closer to creating toys that spark imagination and fit seamlessly into family life.

Don’t miss Part 2 of this series, where we’ll explore what happens next: prototyping, product development, and the meticulous process of bringing these ideas to life with our global manufacturing partners.

Explore KidKraft’s full collection of playsets, dollhouses, play kitchens, kids’ furniture, and more to discover where inspiration becomes play.