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Designer Little : From a drawing to a cuddly doll
By Roaa AbuNada, Jordan News
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AMMAN — Have you ever drawn something bizarre as a child that you wanted to come to life? Or maybe a fantastic secret friend that you would talk to before falling asleep? What if someone committed their time to realizing your dreams and bringing your ideas to life?اضافة اعلان
A Jordanian couple and industrial designers do exactly that. The duo, Najala’a Abdallah and Ahmad Jarrar, launched their business, Designer Little in February 2021. Through it, they turn children’s drawings into charming, cuddly handcrafted dolls, mirroring the kids’ creativity and imagination.
“The spark came in when my nephew showed me a drawing and his wistful wish that it will never become his doll. I am a designer and I recognize the value of validating a kid’s imagination. I took that drawing and modelled it to a 3D character and turned it into a stuffed doll. His excitement led us to build a business based off that memory,” Jarrar told Jordan News.
The idea behind the business is that each child becomes the designer, hence the name: Designer Little. Then, Designer Little’s talented team renders the drawing into a digital 3D model, which enables customers to see how the design might look like as a stuffed doll, and becomes a manifestation of children’s unique outlook and thoughts, professionally. Afterward, the model is sent to the artisans who weave and knit it to a doll made of plush, cotton and wool.
Designer Little managed to turn even the weirdest and most original artworks – namely childish scrabbles — into a final product. Even a simple scrabble can be turned to a doll. Abdallah and Jarrar work their way around the scrabbles through refinement; they tamper with the sketching in order to make it comprehensible to the artisans, and by doing so, enable them to make the children’s dream come a reality. Each product goes through the full cycle of the design process, which usually takes three to four weeks.
Jarrar is aware of other contenders around the world who carry out a similar concept, but Designer Little is unique because through it, he and Abdallah do not sell out-of-the-mold dolls, but the experience behind it.
“It is crucial to understand what the child sees, that is the center of our attention. If they can imagine it, we will find a way to create it,” Jarrar said.
The two do not have in-house machines or artisans. Outsourcing artisans was the best choice for the business’s sustainability and scaling, they say.
To embody the intersection of profit and philanthropy, the artisans who do the knitting and weaving are Jordanians or Syrians; their work helps them contribute to the local economy and the project empowers as many local artisans as possible.
By supporting artisans, Designer Little makes culture meaningful, gives people meaning, and adds an extra splash of color to the world.
Upon launching in February, several prototypes based on drawings by the team were showcased on Instagram, making the project popular among children and grownups alike. Custom-made, handmade, huggable experience… who could ask for more?
Nowadays, they receive orders from Jordan and beyond. They can also scale up and handle bulk orders, and have the availability of worldwide shipping service.
On Designer Little’s Instagram page there is a weekly post under the name of “Designer of the week” where they feature a different little designer, the free souls behind the unique creations, as well as what makes them happy and what they want to do when they grow up.
From the friendly Boumeh to the cute Sprout, each doll is an innovative realization of a child’s vision; they are designed to the best specs and are so cute that it makes adults want to pick up a crayon and create a cuddly buddy.
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A Jordanian couple and industrial designers do exactly that. The duo, Najala’a Abdallah and Ahmad Jarrar, launched their business, Designer Little in February 2021. Through it, they turn children’s drawings into charming, cuddly handcrafted dolls, mirroring the kids’ creativity and imagination.
“The spark came in when my nephew showed me a drawing and his wistful wish that it will never become his doll. I am a designer and I recognize the value of validating a kid’s imagination. I took that drawing and modelled it to a 3D character and turned it into a stuffed doll. His excitement led us to build a business based off that memory,” Jarrar told Jordan News.
The idea behind the business is that each child becomes the designer, hence the name: Designer Little. Then, Designer Little’s talented team renders the drawing into a digital 3D model, which enables customers to see how the design might look like as a stuffed doll, and becomes a manifestation of children’s unique outlook and thoughts, professionally. Afterward, the model is sent to the artisans who weave and knit it to a doll made of plush, cotton and wool.
Designer Little managed to turn even the weirdest and most original artworks – namely childish scrabbles — into a final product. Even a simple scrabble can be turned to a doll. Abdallah and Jarrar work their way around the scrabbles through refinement; they tamper with the sketching in order to make it comprehensible to the artisans, and by doing so, enable them to make the children’s dream come a reality. Each product goes through the full cycle of the design process, which usually takes three to four weeks.
Jarrar is aware of other contenders around the world who carry out a similar concept, but Designer Little is unique because through it, he and Abdallah do not sell out-of-the-mold dolls, but the experience behind it.
“It is crucial to understand what the child sees, that is the center of our attention. If they can imagine it, we will find a way to create it,” Jarrar said.
The two do not have in-house machines or artisans. Outsourcing artisans was the best choice for the business’s sustainability and scaling, they say.
To embody the intersection of profit and philanthropy, the artisans who do the knitting and weaving are Jordanians or Syrians; their work helps them contribute to the local economy and the project empowers as many local artisans as possible.
By supporting artisans, Designer Little makes culture meaningful, gives people meaning, and adds an extra splash of color to the world.
Upon launching in February, several prototypes based on drawings by the team were showcased on Instagram, making the project popular among children and grownups alike. Custom-made, handmade, huggable experience… who could ask for more?
Nowadays, they receive orders from Jordan and beyond. They can also scale up and handle bulk orders, and have the availability of worldwide shipping service.
On Designer Little’s Instagram page there is a weekly post under the name of “Designer of the week” where they feature a different little designer, the free souls behind the unique creations, as well as what makes them happy and what they want to do when they grow up.
From the friendly Boumeh to the cute Sprout, each doll is an innovative realization of a child’s vision; they are designed to the best specs and are so cute that it makes adults want to pick up a crayon and create a cuddly buddy.
Read more Trending
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