In this episode, we dive into the fascinating journey of Barry, a visionary who started as an aspiring theme park ride designer and evolved into a groundbreaking toy creator and educator. We explore how divergent and convergent thinking shape creativity, and how toys serve as more than just playthings – they’re tools for limitless imagination. From Lego’s transformation to society’s expectations on toy use, we challenge the restrictions imposed on children’s creative freedom. Discover how kids naturally hybridize toys like Barbies and action figures, and why the industry’s focus on specialization might be stifling their innovation. We also examine the role of franchising in shaping toy creativity, and dive into the often-overlooked world of industrial design, pondering how media could elevate its visibility. And yes, we even touch on poop technology!
Here are some of the references from this episode, for those who want to dig a little deeper:
design.umn.edu/directory/barry-m-kudrowitz
Sparking Creativity: How Play and Humor Fuel Innovation and Design
MIT East Campus: Building Tradition with an East Campus Roller Coaster
Comparative Media Studies Degree Programs MIT
Jake The Dog Adventure Time Handmade Plush Toys (12 inches)
Harry Potter™ Toys and Gifts | Official LEGO® Shop US
Convergent vs. Divergent Thinking: Finding Balance [2024] • Asana
Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking
Pretend Play Toys and Play Sets
Toy Story | Official Disney Site
Weird Barbie – Barbie The Movie
Henry as a child with his Soakies! If you look closely you can see Felix’s head on Smoky the Bear’s body as an example of how kids remixed these.
The ‘Unitasker’ Kitchen Gadgets Alton Brown Loves To Loathe
What is Incremental Innovation?
Play Tetris | Free Online Game
RuPaul’s Drag Race (@rupaulsdragrace) • Instagram photos and videos
The History of Poop Is Really the History of Technology
How your poop can help train AI
Erikson’s Stages of Development
Toilets of the World – Harvard Book Store
Pooping Rainbow Soft Serve Unicorn
squattypotty.com/products/dookie-plush-unicorn?srsltid=AfmBO…DQkq
This Shark Tank winner has a $1 billion plan to replace toilet paper
Shark Tank Success: Dude Wipes Flush The Competition
TUSHY – The Modern & Sustainable Bidet Company
The best bidets of 2024, tested by editors | CNN Underscored
Toilet Paper Sprays | Biodegradable Flushable Wipes | Pristine Sprays
Watch The Great American Baking Show (2023) Online for Free | The Roku Channel | Roku
The Great American Baking Show (@thegreatamericanbakingshow) • Instagram photos and videos
Great British Bake Off – Homepage
Watch The Great British Bake Off
Check out our previous episode with Jackson Bird
Transmission podcast
Share your thoughts via Twitter with Henry, Colin and the How Do You Like It So Far? account! You can also email us at howdoyoulikeitsofarpodcast@gmail.com.
Music:
“In Time” by Dylan Emmett and “Spaceship” by Lesion X.
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In Time (Instrumental) by Dylan Emmet https://soundcloud.com/dylanemmet
Spaceship by Lesion X https://soundcloud.com/lesionxbeats
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/in-time-instrumental
Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lesion-x-spaceship
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/AzYoVrMLa1Q
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