Story

How did the Untwist Toy come about?

After taking some time to travel the world, I wanted to apply my creative skills, challenge my business knowledge, learn something new, and make something cool.  As someone who appreciates design, art, and making things, I wanted to create something that people could play with and hold.  I wanted to design something fun.  

What was the design inspiration for the Untwist Toy?

It's a story that began when I was a kid.  I was lucky enough to go an absolutely amazing summer camp called Buck's Rock in Connecticut.  I got to create, grow, meet brilliant artists and counselors who encouraged creativity, and experience all sorts of amazing artistic materials.  Glassblowing, Metals, Sculpture, Wood, Painting, Ceramics, Batique, Silkscreen, Photography, and Printing, to name just a few.

One day, while at camp, I was searching through some steel scrap metal that I could transform into a sculpture that I was working on.  I found an old Nut and Bolt in the pile.  Picked it up, cleaned it off, removed the rust, and played with it all summer. 

(Above is a photo of the actual Nut and Bolt.)

The way it felt and moved was amazing.  The texture.  The weight.  How the Nut fit perfectly on the threads of the Bolt, and how it would move just felt great.  It turns out that I kept it on my desk all through High School and College.  It was the object I held while studying, reading, and relaxing.  (I vividly remember studying High School Chemistry redox reactions and playing with it.)  Every time I picked it up, it would remind me of my experience at Buck's Rock.  Eventually, it got put in a box at my parent's house and eventually forgotten. 

Many years later I was visiting my parent's house, and my mom and dad asked me to clear out my old junk and sort through some boxes to throw away.  Well, there it was.  My old Nut and Bolt.  Back onto my desk it went.

Shortly after, the Untwist v1.0 was born.

-Todd

 

(Special thanks to my Mom and Dad for sending me to Buck's Rock, and for all of their love and support!  Nothing in my life would be possible without them.)