The Story Of Idea Duck

(A Fairy Tale Resume)

Once upon a time, in the magical land of northern California, there was a young woman named Susan McKinley Ross.

Susan had a job she adored. She was a product developer for a toy catalog called HearthSong. Her job was to turn her crazy ideas into fun products for children.

As a developer, she worked on both crafts and toys. When she worked on a craft kit, she'd research a craft and test new techniques, designs and materials. She learned how to emboss metal and cut mobiles from one sheet of paper. She tested recipes to find the best way to make rock candy and marshmallows and cream cheese.

After she made something that seemed to be fun for kids, she'd source all the components of the craft kit. She'd work with the QA department to make sure the kit was safe for children. She'd work with the purchasing department to make sure the product would arrive on time and at a great margin. She'd write the instructions for the kit, pick the packaging and make samples of the finished craft for the catalog photo.

When Susan developed a toy, she'd work with a manufacturer in Asia to bring the toy to market. She figured out how a flip-flop wallet works, debated the best shape for a table top sandbox and designed a game with a spinning clown. Developing toys required good communication skills, attention to detail, extreme organization, and an awareness of what design compromises might need to be made for either safety or price.

Susan loved her job. She loved the craft kits and the toys. She loved to coax a product from the first vague inkling of an idea all the way to the warehouse, and eventually to a child.

In 2002, HearthSong was purchased by 1-800-Flowers and moved from California to Virgina. Susan wanted to stay in magical northern California. She also wanted to keep turning her crazy ideas into products. And so she decided to start her own company.

She started Idea Duck in late 2002. She had an abundance of toy and craft ideas to develop. She learned to design her toys in Adobe Illustrator. She learned to make wooden prototypes of her toys. Even more than before, Susan was able to turn an interesting idea into an actual product.

She licensed her first toy in early 2003. Since then she's licensed toys, crafts and games. She's worked on game development with LeapFrog. She's even consulted on toy merchandising.

Susan still loves her job. In fact, she loves it even more. If you'd like to work with someone who is enthusiastic, practical and experienced please contact Susan McKinley Ross at Idea Duck.