Brandon James Yong-Ning Clutterbuck - MADA NOW 2021

This semester, I aimed to combine my passion for toy design with the goal of reducing waste in a waste-heavy industry. BUD.D (pronounced 'buddy') combats both clothing and toy waste through the use of evolving play, sentimental design and design for longevity. BUD.D is a children’s furniture product that adapts to different levels of play as a child grows up. By utilising outgrown children’s clothing to allow it to 'grow', BUD.D helps to reduce clothing waste by giving it ‘new life’ as a playable object. BUD.D’s growth over time allows for the product to continuously bring new levels of play, reducing the purchase of low play value toys that quickly contribute to toy waste.

BUD.D

BUD.D evolves through several physical stages over its lifespan, each to provide a new value to the user. It begins as an ottoman, then becomes a rideable toy, a large-scale plush character, and a decorative room piece.

BUD.D assembly

BUD.D is assembled without the need for screwing or locking mechanisms, allowing for ease of assembly and disassembly by a child. BUD.D can, therefore, be disassembled quickly so that the neck pieces can be used as pillows or incorporated into the imaginative play with other toys.

BUD.D's form progression

BUD.D is designed so that each stage of the product brings benefit to the age group using it. For mothers, it serves as an ottoman and storage. For early-stage children, it assists in standing up, and becomes a rideable plush. In later stages, BUD.D stimulates imaginative play through dismantling of the neck pieces, and finally landing as stylised furniture and symbol of a child's growth.

Clothing sharing

Due to the nature of BUD.D's growth, different age periods of clothes are compartmentalised in different neck pieces. This allows for sharing and trading of neck pieces amongst families, reducing the need to purchase more clothing items, thus contributing to textile waste. Swapping neck pieces of different colours also creates more unique and colourful animals.

BUD.D Neck components

The neck pieces are filled with outgrown clothing, as the child rapidly grows and replaces their wardrobe. As the child grows up, more neckpieces can be added. The growing BUD.D then becomes a symbol of the child's growth into maturity, gaining sentimental value.

BUD.D demo video