Case Study: Articulating Nature- Design Evolution & Product Development
The Evolution of EyeConnect Crafts: Scaling Articulated Paper Animals into Nationally Distributed Award Winning Art and Craft Kits.
The Spark: Nature, Not Pink – The story of EyeConnect Crafts began in the woods. As a mother of young boys living near the forest, our days were spent hiking and exploring. My sons were constantly discovering—and naming—box turtles, American toads, and blue-tailed skinks. They desperately wanted to keep these creatures, but as an artist and naturalist, I knew that wild animals, especially protected species like the box turtle, belonged in the wild.
I took the boys to the craft store to find a compromise, but I was met with a void. There were no kits for the “creepy-crawly” things children actually love. Everything was stereotyped, predominantly pink, and lacked any connection to the natural world. So, I decided to build them their own.
Erin Sparler | Spherism Collection – Archival Flip-Through | Digital Video and Original Artwork | 3:21 | 2022 | Concept: A short flip-through documenting the archival storage of original artwork for the Spherism collection, showcasing the foundational perceptual design for the Totem Poppets.
The Theory: Spherism vs. Cubism
The design of what would become our Totem Poppets was born from a body of my work called Spherism.
I envisioned Spherism as the direct opposite of Cubism. While Cubists broke forms into overlapping, rectilinear, and maximalist shapes, I sought a minimalist approach.
I deconstructed animal forms into completely separate, organic shapes—circles, arches, crescents, and yin-yang forms—where no two shapes touched.
Originally drawn with clean black lines on hemp paper, these “Primitives” relied on the cream of the substrate for middle values.
This wasn’t just a stylistic choice; each design was based on life sketches to ensure that when these organic shapes were later jointed, the anatomy remained accurate.
The Innovation: Engineering the Joint
To turn these minimalist drawings into functional kits, I moved the work into Illustrator, recreating each limb, head, and tail as precise vectors.
I engineered 1/16″ holes at specific pivot points that aligned between pieces so that the limbs could be connected while maintaining the animal’s natural range of motion.
After researching various fasteners—from brass eyelets to tools—I settled on mini brads to ensure the kits were accessible and “tool-free” for children.
The first generation of Totem Poppets was laser-cut locally from 100% recycled chipboard, marking my first foray into professional packaging and hang-tag design.
Erin Sparler | Totem Poppet: Box Turtle Animation | Stop-Motion Animation and Digital Media | 0:05 | 2025 | Concept: Orchestrating movement through time-based media to demonstrate the articulation and playability of the Totem Poppet turtle design in a naturalistic garden environment.
Product Spotlight: The “Secret Sauce” to Articulated Animal Designs
While the Totem Poppets are born from carefully crafted design based in the study of articulation inherent in traditional animation, they come to life through a carefully curated hardware solution: the Mini Brad also know as split pins.
Finding a fastener that allowed for a natural range of motion without requiring specialized tools was a critical step in making these kits accessible for all ages.
My journey with these tiny but mighty components involved mastering the full lifecycle of a physical product:
Strategic Sourcing: I researched and sourced 11 different colors of 1/16″ mini brads to ensure every animal—could had perfectly coordinated joints.
Packaging & Presentation: I sourced resealable packaging and designed custom-branded stickers, ensuring the presentation remained consistent with the nature-focused company brand.
Erin Sparler | Ocean Biome Tunnel Book Animation | Digital Media and Stop-Motion | 0:22 | 2025 | Concept: Orchestrating the transition from a 2D fine art book to a dynamic 3D environment through custom stop-motion, precise timing, and integrated sound design.
The Expansion: Education and the 3D Tunnel Book
As the Totem Poppet line grew, so did its application.
I began collaborating with schools and organizations like Commonwealth Charter Academy and Light Box Studio to develop curriculum and programming.
It was during this phase of teaching and play that the first 3D Tunnel Book was born.
I needed a stage for these animals—a way to create a sense of depth and environment for animation. The resulting ocean tunnel book depicts the level or biomes of the ocean and the animals that live there.
Industry Outreach: & National Retail Distribution
Strategic Networking: I attended numerous industry trade shows to connect with the key partners for the packaging, production and testing necessary to produce and sell a professional product in the competitive toy space.
Retail Expansion: These B2B efforts led to our 3D Tunnel Book art and craft kits being picked up by Barnes & Noble and over 60 nature centers, toy stores, zoos, and aquariums across the nation.
National Reach: Our distribution spans from Hawaii to Alaska, placing EyeConnect Crafts products in diverse venues—from zoo and aquarium gift shops to planetariums and observation centers—as well as specialty gift and toy stores and major national retailers.
Industry Recognition & Awards: Our commitment to quality design and educational value earned EyeConnect Crafts significant industry acclaim. We were honored to be selected as finalists by ASTRA (American Specialty Toy Retailing Association) and the MSA (Museum Store Association), recognizing our products as top-tier in the specialty toy and museum gift markets.
Additionally, we were proud to receive a win from Autism Live, a testament to the tactile, accessible, and inclusive nature of our 3D Tunnel Book designs.
