Hape Land

Stories conveying values through Play!

project developed for Hape

Storytelling: quality time together

Roleplay: developing child imagination

Feature rich: toddlers developing skills

Colorful Hape Land toy blocks with farm animal and nature illustrations, set up on a plush carpet with small figures of children, animals, and trees around them, possibly in a child's playroom.

Beyond a simple refresh

We took charge of relaunching a discontinued Hape line, but this wasn’t just a refresh, we completely reimagined it. After analysing the old range’s challenges and current market shifts, we redesigned each set with today’s children and parents in mind: preserving timeless themes while maximising play value, optimising every element and increasing variety and inclusivity.

We made the bond between child and parent a central focus of the line, building it around the illustrated book included in every product, to create a free play experience that can actively include parents.

Designed for today’s kids, and their grown-ups

Our contribution

Magnifying glass icon over a beige circle background.

Research

Strategy

Line drawing of a lightbulb with rays of light emanating from it, set against a circular yellow background.

Concept

A minimalist icon of a pencil drawing a circle

Identity

Outline of a painter's palette with a paintbrush and small circular paint spots, over a large pale yellow circle.

Design

Illustration of two gears inside a peach-colored circle, representing mechanics or engineering concepts.

Development

Simple illustration of a small, outlined cube with a green circular background and motion lines indicating shaking or movement.

Communication

A speech bubble icon overlaid on a solid gray circle.

A colorful illustrated infographic showing steps for creating inclusive storytelling with a focus on children. It features a building block tower with light cardboard, toddler features, and graphics; diverse children with positive values; someone taking a photo or recording; and structure optimization with musical notes.

the process

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the process ~

A Unique Experience

Young boy playing with Hape Land colorful farm animal-themed cardboard cubes and a storybook on a beige carpet in a sunlit room with a large window and a dresser in the background.

Designed around toddlers development

The line is designed as a first playset for toddlers, supporting early vocabulary development as well as both gross and fine motor skills.

Each set includes classic age-appropriate activities, such as:

Nesting
Stacking
Shape sorting
Movable parts
Colour matching

The books enhance the experience with simple, wordless illustrations. Each story is built around the pieces and gives gentle hints to stimulate role play. A peekaboo element appears under the felt in every book, adding a tactile surprise to spark curiosity.

Child's hand pointing at a green foam piece on a colorful Hape Land children's book with illustrations of animals and a girl. Toy figurines of a girl with blonde hair and a white bear sit on a beige carpet.

Child stacking decorative Hape Land cardboard boxes with animal and nature designs on a carpeted floor.

Close-up of child's hand placing a blue block into a Hape Land construction vehicle on a beige carpet.

Child playing with a blue Hape Land police car and police officer figurine on a carpet.

Child playing with the firefighter figurine from Hape Land The Roaring Fire Truck Set.

Child's hand placing a sheep and hen figurine on the Hape Land truck, on a beige carpet, with a colorful illustrated book nearby.

Cohesive and outstanding look

The overall look and feel of the line was completely reworked featuring a more modern and stylish palette, playful yet clear, with colours easily recognisable by kids.

Inspired by the doll figures, we developed a distinctive, modern style that works across all elements, from physical products to more detailed book illustrations, ensuring a cohesive visual language throughout the line. A big effort was put into the diversity representation, creating characters that represent different ethnicities in a simple, relatable way so toddlers can see themselves in the figures.