![\"mph-3d-handhold\"](\"https:\/\/images.vinylpulse.com\/vp_pics\/from_windows_live_writer\/InterviewAndrewBellTalksabouttheAType_1220C\/mph3dhandhold.jpg\" "\\"mph-3d-handhold\\"")
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[We\u2019re happy to bring you part one of an interview with Andrew Bell<\/a> about his design of the A-Type<\/strong> platform figure which will be released shortly from mphlabs<\/a>. The interview includes Andrew\u2019s video introduction of A-Type. Don\u2019t miss Part 2 over at myplasticheart<\/a>.]<\/p>\n Q: Hi Andrew. How did A-Type happen ? Had you planned from the beginning to include the mph heart logo into the design ?<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019ve known Vin from MPH for years, when we first met we were both still working full time and just getting into toys as a fun aside. A few years later, we\u2019re both working for ourselves, and toys are a major part of our careers. He\u2019s always been fun to work with, and we\u2019ve always wanted to work on something together, so the A-Type project was a natural fit. It\u2019s hard to believe, but we planted the seeds of this project almost four years ago. We\u2019ve both been so incredibly busy on our own that it\u2019s been hard to focus on a joint project, luckily we were finally able to get it together!<\/p>\n The inclusion of the logo was always a goal of mine. It\u2019s simple, yet strong, and a globally recognizable shape.<\/p>\n Q: A-Type. What's in a Name? 'A' shaped, 'A'ndrew Type ? Were any other names kicked around ?<\/strong><\/p>\n The name is a little bit of everything really! The figure makes a bit of an A shape, my name starts with an A, but primarily it\u2019s a reference to the heart shape, specifically blood types. We kicked around a few other names, most with a heart theme. They included \u201ccoronary\u201d, \u201cbypass\u201d, \u201cheartsy\u201d, \u201cbpm\u201d, and the close but not quite \u201cType A\u201d. I think we made the right choice!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Q: From the outside looking in, designing a good platform appears to be rather hard. Did your experiences working on platforms designed by others come into play for A-Type ? What were some of the challenges with A-Type<\/strong>? <\/p>\n I shied away from working on platforms for several years because I felt as if they weren\u2019t really going to help me be a better \u201ctoy designer\u201d. When I eventually did a few designs on other people\u2019s forms I came to appreciate them for what they really should be, a starting point. They are a blank canvas. You can just paint right on that canvas, or you can make that canvas your own! You can cut it up, add things to it, turn it upside down. The approach I took when given a platform or a blank toy to customize definitely played into my design for the A-Type. I wanted it to be a solid base, without being too generic, but with a huge number of possibilities.<\/p>\n We faced quite a few challenges, the biggest being trying to realize the vision of the solid seamless heart body shape. We tried all sorts of materials, processes and constructions before we finally got the shape, balance and construction just right.<\/p>\n![\"mph-early_designs\"](\"https:\/\/images.vinylpulse.com\/vp_pics\/from_windows_live_writer\/InterviewAndrewBellTalksabouttheAType_1220C\/mphearly_designs_thumb.jpg\" "\\"mph-early_designs\\"")
A-Type Design Variations<\/p>\n