Toy and jewelry designer Andrew Tober has worked as an Industrial Designer for over 15 years. Having worked on everything from theme-park rides to educational toys, Andrew is an expert in his field who has even worked with brand names such as Hasbro and Disney. To date, he has developed numerous award-winning products and licensed brands for both large and small businesses. Andrew holds a BFA in Industrial Design from the Columbus College of Art & Design. He currently resides in Orlando Florida with his family and was happy to discuss his career:
Andrew Tober (AT): It was just something I was always interested in. I started out as a kid making all sorts of gadgets (most of which never really worked but it was fun). I also always loved to draw, especially comic book characters. Coming up with new heroes and vehicles. Eventually went to college to become an illustrator and then found out this thing called Industrial Design. It was great, I could draw, build models, and create whatever I wanted. I knew it was the thing for me.
MM: How did you get into toys, then jewelry?
MM: What toys have you personally designed?
MM: How did you learn to design? What tools and/or software programs do you use?
MM: What would be your “dream project”?
AT: I’ve always been a huge “Star Wars” fan. So, personally, I would love to work on a Star Wars movie. Or anything Star Wars really. If you ever take a look at any of the “Art of Star Wars” books, that is something I totally would love to do. The concepts those designers come up with are works of art in and of themselves. They could (and do sometimes) make whole other series just based off of the designs that don’t even make it into those movies…meaning even the rejects are great. So, a dream of mine would be to work on the character or vehicle designs. Heck, even working on some of the props would be great.
MM: What advice can you offer to people who want to forge a career out of designing?
MM: To date, what has been the most rewarding part of working in the design industry?
AT: For me one thing that never gets old is running into a product you worked on in the wild. Especially when you’re in a store and you find the product unexpectedly. Still to this day brings a smile to my face.
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To learn more about Andrew Tober and see examples of his wonderful work, visit his official website.