“I’ve been thinking about this challenge for maybe four years!”: Make It Real’s Dominique Roy on developing the Spin Art Studio and Swift Twist Bracelet Maker

Dom, it’s always great to catch up. Tell us about Make It Real’s new Spin Art Studio.
Well, spin art is quite cool, but you tend to get quite random results. And even though the results of spin art are technically different, they generally all have the same look. So after doing that four or five times, what can you do apart from pretend you need more similar-looking bookmarks? I’ve been thinking about this challenge for maybe four years!

Wow! So how have you cracked it with this Spin Art Studio?
Central to it is this ‘spiral hub’. Essentially, it manipulates the ink into a spiral pattern. I always want our products to provide kids with variable control regarding the end result. Now, they can still use the Spin Art Studio as a more standard spin art toy… I wanted to be respectful to that play pattern because it’s an enduring one, but we obviously have to bring innovation to it.

So we also have these discs that have a protective spot varnish printed on them in different patterns so we can create artwork that’s themed. And the kid might not even see the pattern until they start doing the spin art and it reveals itself. So that adds levels of magic and storytelling to the process that isn’t usually there… The wheels stop spinning and suddenly you see the reveal.

And this uses ink, not paint?
Exactly – and that’s key because of the viscosity and, forgive the nerd in me, surface tension… And you can mix and match different colours easily this way, using different spiral patterns. Kids can experiment and try different things. You can also use the foam paintbrush to spread the ink, which creates some cool results, but is also super engaging and oddly satisfying…

That actually brings me to how we structure the play pattern here. We always had ‘Beginner’, ‘Maker’ and ‘Master’ levels, then we added ‘Explorer’ with the Polish and Shine Bead Tumbler. We’re doing the same here, with the ‘Master’ level being when you use the foam paintbrush.

Lovely – and you’re launching this as a solo item, but also as a Combo with the pottery wheel?
Yes, you may recall that the RPM on our Mini Pottery Studio is unusually high for a pottery wheel. We saw that as an opportunity to use the base of the pottery wheel to make spin art too. So the first product we’re launching is the Combo – a two-in-one that uses the pottery-wheel base but comes with a mess-free adapter that also lets you do spin art with it.

You mention that kids can experiment with this – how important is it for these craft items to be ‘open-ended’? Can things become too prescribed?
I’m all for open play and we’re pushing for that as much as possible. It’s an important filter to use when we assess a concept’s value, either for us or from outside inventors. Obviously, some play patterns don’t offer it as much. Look at our Swift Clicks bracelet maker – it’s more about mixing and matching colours… That can be good because some kids find great comfort being in full control. We always strive to offer a spectrum – from that to other products that are 100% open-ended, like the Mini Pottery Studio. The ‘Beginner’, ‘Maker’, ‘Master’ segmentation is pretty much a measure of the open-endness of our take on play patterns.

Absolutely. Moving onto another new launch – Swift Twist. Talk me through the origins of this bracelet maker.
This one came to us from Cheeky Donkey in Montreal – Sabrina Gareau. It’s super simple, but insanely efficient! She came to our booth and demonstrated the idea using her prototype – essentially a reworked handheld fan! But she showed us what it did and it was magic and so demonstratable. We were immediately in love with it. It felt like Sabrina had designed it with us in mind.

And how does it work?
You have a weight attached to two loops of thread. The tension is equal so that – when the pieces start to twist – it makes a very well- controlled spiral effect. It’s very simple and has that portable nature which is fantastic… You can make a bracelet while on the bus! Also, we’re in a tariff world now, and from a cost perspective this is a great item. It’s great that this is an inventor collaboration – we believe in that community and items like this showcase that.

Terrific. Thanks again Dom.

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