About Learning Resources
We are on a mission to
bring learning to life! We are Learning Resources® , and we have been helping parents and teachers build generations of amazing kids since 1984. Voted among the Chicago Tribune’s Top Workplaces in 2020, 2021 and 2022, we’re a 150-person strong, family-owned company on a mission to bring learning to life with our award-winning products, including Toy of the Year winners Tumble Trax®, Botley® the Coding Robot, and Coding Critters™. From ABCs and 123s to fine motor and STEM skills, our educational toys offer kids the building blocks they need to succeed in school and develop a lifelong love of learning. We pride ourselves on being committed to our employee’s personal and professional development, a thriving culture and a diverse, creative atmosphere. Along with our culture and competitive benefits package, we offer opportunities for training and development by Harvard and UCLA professors as well as in-demand, motivating external speakers. We are looking for professionals who are truly just kids at heart! We hope you’ll come join our award-winning team today!
Team & Position Description
We are seeking an Industrial Designer I to join our dynamic design team! What makes us stand out? We create award-winning, durable, and fun products for teachers, parents, children, and pets. Join us and be a part of something awesome!
What You’ll Do Day To Day
- Create sketches, 3D models, renderings, and specification documents to communicate design concepts both internally and with outside vendors.
- Develop new products under the guidance of senior team members.
- Operate 3D printers to create models for reviewing assembly, user testing, and presentations.
- Support user testing and online surveys to validate design concepts.
- Participate in cross functional product brainstorming sessions, contributing innovative ideas and solutions.
- Participate in design reviews and provide constructive feedback to improve designs.
What We’re Looking For (Key Performance Objectives)
- Aid in designing and prototyping 13-18 products annually within timelines of product delivery. This will be a combination of children’s and pet products.
- Prepare 3-5 concepts for user testing through prototyping or renderings to build user testing data.
- Gain proficiency in 3D printers and prototyping within the first 90 days.
- Conduct thorough research on the latest trends in the toy industry to inspire and develop innovative product ideas. This involves engaging in trend research 2-3 times per year.
- Perform in-depth research on the latest trends in the pet industry to generate and develop innovative product ideas. This entails conducting trend research 1-2 times annually.
- Participate in 1-2 continuous improvement projects within the product development and industrial design team annually.
- Incorporate feedback from collaborative sessions into your idea generation process, showing adaptability and refinement based on team input.
- Prepare finished renderings for presentations, product reviews, and sales presentations 3-4 times annually.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with plastic materials and general manufacturing process.
- BS/BA in Industrial Design, toy design or equivalent.
- Able to solve problems creatively and/or knowing when to seek help.
- Ability to quickly iterate design concepts, either through sketch or 3d modelling.
- Proficient in 3D CAD (Rhinoceros preferred) and rendering software (KeyShot)
- Portfolio demonstrating innovative thinking with on-trend designs in consumer products, preferably with some toy design.
We are a drug-free workplace and an EEO employer.
Please note: This role will be filled by our internal recruitment team, so no assistance is needed from any outside staffing agency at this time.