Jade Throgmorton – Head of Creative at Bonkers Toys – on design, creativity and getting brands ‘toy-ready’

Jade, it’s great to catch up. To kick us off, what set you on a path into toys? Was it always part of the plan?
I was always a fan/collector of toys, but I started designing for a separate company – POP Displays – which was owed by some toy industry people. One of the owners had the idea to do mini collectible skateboards, so I asked to be part of that company, which was called X-Concepts. Tech Deck was born and I’ve been in the toy industry ever since.

Amazing! You’re now Head of Creative at Bonkers Toys. How would you describe the creative culture at the company?
It’s pretty open and easy-going. I like to have our designers start with a fairly blue-sky open approach to the designs. Once we come up with a product strategy and general line plan, then we kick it to the designers to see what ideas they come back with. Then I find it best to let the designers ‘go to town’ with ideas to start – and then we meet as a team and discuss which ideas go forward. I love having all the creative energy dumped onto each project. We have a great team that works here!

Bonkers has brought several YouTube brands into the toy space. Can you talk me through some of the ways you’ve helped these types of IP get ‘toy-ready’?
This can be the challenging part of the process. We scour their content and work with them to develop ideas and or characters that we can build upon. Once we start to have a foundation there, then our awesome design team can sink their claws into it to develop ideas for a toy line. With Bonkers Toys’ experience and creativity, we come up with some great concepts.

Does your design process change when working on a more traditional entertainment brand, like Warrior Cats, versus a YouTube IP like Aphmau?
Each brand is tackled as its own animal, because each one is slightly different. Even if we were to do an entertainment brand, we would still approach it with our ‘Bonkers Method’ to make sure we are creating the right product for the line.

Are you a fan of the brands you work on?
Sometimes… It depends on the brand.

Does being a fan help or hinder the creative process?
I find pluses and minuses to both being a fan and not being a fan. By being a fan, you understand the property well and can have on point ideas and designs – but you can also be too close to it. When we get something new, and we don’t know as much about it, it gives us the opportunity to look at it with fresh eyes and more of a birds’ eye view – which can also be beneficial.

Last question Jade! What fuels your creativity?
Everything! Comics, TV, movies, toys, art… I just think my brain is wired that way. I’ve always liked making things, so I’m always coming up with new concepts. My family calls me the ‘Idea Guy’.

I can see why! Thanks again Jade.

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