Images courtesy of MOLUK, used with permission.
"I experimented with different arm lengths and suction cup sizes to find a satisfying balance between stretching, holding on and letting go," MOLUK designer Alex Hochstrasser said in a written interview with Tingles. "The extra-long arms proved particularly interesting."
Oogi has no face, yet its whole body can express a surprising range of emotions. A tilt of the head or a change in posture can make the same stretchy figure seem curious, stubborn or delighted.
"They make Oogi more stretchy, but also let you tie its arms into knots or cross them – which gives a figure without a face a surprising range of expression."
Those same features invite a more acrobatic kind of play.
"There’s also a lot of fun in tossing Oogi like a dart at a smooth surface and seeing it stick the landing – hands, head or feet first. I enjoy how the same simple features invite physical experiments, express emotions and bring stories to life."
With Hix, the possibilities begin with a change of shape.
"Hix has flexible sections called living hinges that let you flip and transform the cones into different shapes, almost like an origami figure," Hochstrasser said.
"The challenge was to make these hinges strong enough to withstand repeated play, yet flexible enough for easy manipulation. The cone’s geometry does the rest: as you flip it, it naturally snaps into its new position."
"That makes the transformation feel satisfying and gives you another shape to explore, stack or combine."
Asked what tells him a design invites exploration without instructions, Hochstrasser points to the impulse to keep playing.
"I look for the moment when one discovery leads to another, without anyone needing to explain what to do next. Children are very good at this when we give them room. They don’t need to know what a toy is 'supposed' to do before trying something."
Even the designer can still be surprised.
"Oogis are great fun in the bathtub, and Hix can pour and funnel water, but only recently did we discover that the cones can take off and hover on a vertical fountain jet. Even knowing the toy inside out, I hadn’t imagined that."
"For me, that is the pleasure of open-ended design. You refine every detail, but you never have the final word on what the toy can become. The whole MOLUK family is designed to work together, so each new combination leaves room for another discovery."