In a multi-year collaboration with tonies, Noto helped reimagine one of the world’s most iconic audio products for children. Working from tonies’ strategic input and vision, we supported the design evolution of the Toniebox, reaffirming our partner’s leadership in screen-free, ad-free, and independent audio experiences.
Designing a system of box, disc, and controller, we powered the new Tonieplay product category, exclusive to the new Toniebox 2
Expanding the Tonieverse with a new use case
As a strategic partner, Noto helped turn tonies’ strategic vision into product reality as the Launch of Toniebox 2 and the introduction of Tonieplay have unlocked new growth potential through audience expansion and additional use cases. By developing a system of box, disc, and controller, we helped tonies create an expanding product category with interactive, screen-free games and quizzes for solo and multi-play, adding to and complementing tonies’ successful audio experience.
Tonieplay adds a new dimension to play through interactive, screen-free experiences, inviting kids to actively lead their own stories and learning journeys in games, quizzes, adventures, and challenges beyond listening.
With Noto’s expertise in interactive play, the collaboration uncovered previously untapped potential within tonies’ ecosystem: a playful universe beyond listening, driven by stories, discovery, and curiosity.
Through concept development, storyboards, and immersive video prototyping, Noto helped bring this new product category to life, not only showcasing the creative possibilities of screen-free, interactive storytelling, but also adding gaming as a new source of inspiration and revenue to the tonies brand.
This led to the creation of a modular system comprising a box, a controller, and a disc, which together form the foundation of the Tonieplay gaming platform.
Designing a child-friendly physical UX requires simplifying hardware and system complexity into a clear, tactile, and engaging experience. By considering children’s motor skills and thinking patterns, the interaction among the box, controller, and disc remains intuitive, enabling the imaginative game experiences created by the tonies team to unfold smoothly.
Each element intuitively indicates its function—how to place, turn, and press—creating understandable patterns of action and response that children can easily grasp and learn through play. The three components collectively form a unified tactile system: a versatile platform that allows tonies to develop a variety of interactive games and countless new applications.
Redesigning a classic
With care and precision, Noto has translated tonies’ product vision into design, guiding a genre-defining product into a new era.
Well-known and beloved elements, like the iconic ears and the familiar handcrafted softness, have been preserved and gently reinterpreted to retain their original charm.
At the same time, the overall expression has been modernized and attuned to the demands of today’s children and parents, while staying true to the Toniebox’s unmistakable character. A classic, redesigned not by changing its essence, but by letting it grow.
From concept to execution: Supporting product development end-to-end
In our collaboration with tonies, we not only redefined the design of the new product, thus supporting its transition into a new era; we also helped optimize the way it is made. What started out as a complex cube consisting of 32 seams with long production times and a high rejection rate was gradually transformed into a radically simplified pattern of just 5 seams. This was more than an aesthetic choice. It was an engineering achievement that streamlined manufacturing, reduced waste, and elevated quality. Working hand in hand, we explored the combination of silicone and textile elements, balancing their distinct properties to create a seamless softness across materials. Two challenges. Two breakthroughs. One vision, realized.
All prototyping was done in-house, based on a golden master mirroring production reality. This supported tonies’ decision-making, enabling early validation and anticipating challenges before they reached the factory floor.
By jointly controlling every detail—from the sewing strategy and foam softness (defined through in-house foam casting) to the assembly approach—we achieved the intended design vision. Together, we established a benchmark that guided all stakeholders and aligned vision and feasibility from concept to production.
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