Ello Creation System

Type	Construction set
Invented by	Richard Manville
Company	Mattel, Inc.
Country	United States
Availability	2002–2004
Slogan	How do you Ello?

Ello Creation System ("Ello") was a construction toy manufactured by the American toy-company Mattel, Inc. between the years 2002-2004. The toy set was created by the American designer Richard Manville. The Ello Creation System was a breakthrough toy created to engage girls in construction play.

Mattel Girls-Division President, Adrienne Fontanella, and Senior VP of Worldwide Girls Design, Ivy Ross, were looking for and exploring new opportunities for girls outside of dolls and traditional doll play-patterns.^{[citation needed]}

In 2001, with the intent to find an opportunity in non-traditional play patterns for girls, Ivy Ross created an in-house think tank (later named Project Platypus).^{[citation needed]} The think tank consisted of a variety of volunteer Mattel employees from inside and outside of the product development department. The think tank's goal was to create a toy that would successfully engage girls in construction play.^{[citation needed]}

Over a series of weeks the think tank divided into a collection of teams and individuals who developed competing concepts for a series of focus group testing and selection by girls and their parents. A concept named Ello created by former Barbie Packaging Creative Director Richard Manville received enthusiastic praise from both girls and parents alike.^{[citation needed]}

Described as a "creation system", the Ello concept (targeted primarily to girls ages 5 to 14) incorporated some traditional elements of craft (including beading and graphic customization), shapes and panels in unique color palettes, a variety of themes, and a flexible intuitive building process. The toys variety and potential combination of parts gave children an opportunity to create characters, jewelry, building structures, decorative accessories, or whatever they could imagine.^{[citation needed]}

Manville began the development of the toy in 2001, working with engineers Jim Mills-Winkler and Armen Danielian to perfect the core construction elements. Designer Stella Jung, inventor/engineer James Molina joined the team in 2002 to develop and expand the line.^{[citation needed]}

The Ello product line won several Oppenheim platinum best toy awards for educational toy excellence in its short three-season life span. However, development of the toy ceased in 2004.^{[citation needed]}

No official explanation exists for the demise of the line.^{[citation needed]}

• Hales, Linda (2003-04-30). "Creative chip off the old blocks encourages girls to build stuff - SFGate". Articles.sfgate.com. Retrieved 2011-10-14.^{[dead link]}
• Salter, Chuck (2002-10-31). "Ivy Ross Is Not Playing Around". Fast Company. Retrieved 2011-10-14.
• "The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio - Platinum 2003". Toyportfolio.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-17. Retrieved 2011-10-14.
• "Record of Ello Creation System Parts by Inventor Richard B. Manville". United States Patent and Trademark Office.

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