The item pictured above is made for the fidgeter, one whose energies cannot stay entirely and consistently directed at a singular task. To me, it’s an ingenious invention that takes a hole in the market (or a wholly new market, perhaps) and offers a solution that optimizes how people were already trying to solve the problem in their day to day lives. Rather than tearing a napkin at the dinner table or swinging ones headphones around, these simple toys introduce a small element of exploration. They are designed to feel foreign, to move in unfamiliar ways so that one fingers cannot easily figure them out from the get-go. Because of their strangeness, they maintain their interest beyond when another commonplace item might lose its efficacy.
The challenge for these items comes in how to best market to their target audience. While children or young adults could make use of these devices, more and more adults are also seeking ways to better focus themselves and relieve stress incrementally with non-distracting activities. Many of these toys, because of their segmented colors and abstract shapes, appear much more targeted or appealing for younger audiences, which presents a barrier for entry to the larger adult audience that may exist. If this market is one that continues to develop, I anticipate a great number of toys with a more honed, sleek color palette as well as a simpler geometry (if the overall functionality can be carried over into these designs).
