From 2004 to 2009, I was the principal designer for GeoToys, designing from the ground up a series of geography teaching toys for children. Each new product took an average of eight months to complete the design process from initial concept to production, including many meetings along the way. I finished and sent to press seven unique puzzles and two sets of flash cards, each with packaging and promotional materials. For each new product, I designed and illustrated maps, typography and packaging, learning much about the technical aspects of die-cuts and pre-press production as well as other new manufacturing processes along the way. The puzzles in particular are meaningful because they filled a hole in the market: there were no other map puzzles for sale in the United States that focused specifically on the continents of the world. To facilitate understanding and motor skills, individual puzzle pieces were cut to the shape of the individual countries. I designed the puzzles to be big (with an average of 300 square inches each) and bright enough to interest a four-year-old while remaining relevant to an older child or adult. Educators, toy experts, and consumers have responded positively to the line of educational puzzles, which is now carried in all 50 states, Canada, and Europe.