Our Story

Our beginnings are at a kitchen table. Cups of coffee, a container of crayons and a sheet of drawing paper sitting beneath our laptops. Our Viggi characters & colors were originally drawn with crayons…no kidding. =) Once the name "Viggi" came out of our mouths, we knew it was right. It came from our love of typography and the possibilities of using 2 gg's in our name.

Viggi’s inventors and founders, Sandra Turner (Vidget Inventor) and Christalyn Snyder Duff (Digit Widgit Inventor), met while they were both studying Industrial Design at Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY. Both shared a passion for helping children with design and were independently creating objects to be used in learning environments. A little while later, the dream of Viggi Kids was born. Creating play environments that help to stimulate and foster children’s learning is the foundation of our designs. We take a "whole child approach" targeted toward not just literacy learning but also inspiring the child's creativity, imagination and self-confidence.

We celebrate the design process and are dedicated to sustainability. We plan to provide our customers with the "story" of how our products "came to life." Through videos, images and interactive graphics, we will share the story of how the product concept started, its development and manufacturing process, and what it took to get to the customer.

Vidgit Classroom Habitat: Inspiring Natural Movement

With all the new technology in today's world, we are hard pressed to find a "sense of wonder and awe" unless it is plugged into a wall. As Jonathan Chapman describes in his book, Emotionally Durable Design; "Modern products seriously lack ... character and allure; they are too smart and precise, removing all possible surprise, mystery and, perhaps above all, charm from the process of engaging with them" (p. 49). Children spend as much, if not more time at school than at home. The classroom plays a critical role in a child's emotional development, yet the objects in the classroom and how they impact learning has not been widely researched. Teachers use many of the same objects originally designed in the 1800's while trying to make changes by using new classroom techniques, which is like using your iPad while driving your horse and buggy.

This thesis explores how design can uncover and inspire a balance between the demand for control and need for nature in the classroom to allow freedom in learning, growth and change; termed "Classroom Habitat." It challenges and argues that schools need to stop trying to adapt new pedagogical approaches to traditional classroom design and look beyond the possible into the unknown to find new solutions. It investigates solutions to providing the "feeling of nature" in the classroom environment. "When students are in harmony with nature, they feel comfortable with themselves. When they feel welcomed by a classroom's ambiance, they enter eager to learn" (Renee, 2004, p. 5).

Sandra Turner designed the form of the Vidget (then called "Fidget")as part of her Industrial Design MFA Thesis Research at Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY. Her Thesis, Classroom Habitat, Inspiring Natural Movement, was centered around finding the balance between control and human nature needs in learning spaces and inspiring the body to move naturally for improved attention, focus and academic performance.

Transforming space and proving flexibility to change space based on the changing classroom needs inspired her to "play" with the form leading to the
3-in-1 features of "fidget" seat, stool and desk - all in one form!

2011: Vidget form comes alive

Ideation Sketches

Clay 3D models allowed Sandra to work out design elements before creating a working prototype.

2012: Thesis Show prototypes - adult size to demonstrate fidgeting and modular 3-in-1 concept. Made of blue foam and glue with many hours of carving and sanding - handcrafted by Sandra Turner

2012: Core77 Product Design Winner

Core77 awards Sandra Turner with Furniture Design Award.

Sandra submitted the Vidget concept to the Core77 Student Product Design Contest. Jurors shared that "Instead of a more traditional table or chair, I like the idea of using this in different ways, especially for children of kindergarten age." – Defne Koz

This award fueled Sandra to keep going and refine the design more. Shown in image below are 2 foam prototypes created to do live testing with students and teachers to work through the ergonomics of the dimensions and rocking motion.

2012: Provisional Patent Approved

Added Sensory Bumps

During one of Sandra's meetings with a Special Education Teacher, she learned that many teachers put velcro underneath tables and chairs and she thought ... mmmmm ... how can we add this tactile input into the Vidget? Sandra decided to cut in side handles and add the bumps up on top of the cutout so that it was intuitive and discreet for students who need the sensory input the most. Shown below is foam prototype with photoshop rendering of bumps to show the concept (before making molds).

Early Prototypes - Marketing & Testing in childcare setting

2014: First Vidget is born!

We met our co-founder and first investor, Dick Kaplan, at an RIT Board of Trustees Meeting. After learning about what we were trying to accomplish with the Vidget, especially the non-stigmatizing of special education students, Dick decided to invest and help Viggi to manufacturer the Vidget.

2015: RCSD buys 436 Vidgets and 166 Digit Widgit Kits

Rochester City School District's Early Childhood Executive Director, Robin Hooper, purchased more than 400 Vidgets for pre-k classrooms. Robin shared with the Rochester Business Journal:

“We have to start thinking more about the kinds of things we create for children and their uses, and are we really catering to their needs,” Hooper said. “With these products that is what they did; they put the focus on children and their needs and tried to create products that really cater to those needs.” Robin Hooper

2015 - 2016: testing & feedback
Official Patent Issued!

We sold about 1,000 Vidgets between end of 2015 through mid 2016 and conducted extensive testing. Through observation, testing measurements and gaining feedback from from Occupational Therapists, Special Education Teachers and General Education Teachers, we made minor modifications to the design.

Dick Kaplan was instrumental with helping us to build our Board of Director's Team: RIT's Venture Fund, Jim Brush, Michael Cooper, Theresa Mazzullo - Excell Partners, and Ron Papa.With the expertise and additional funding, we were able to conduct testing, refine the design and work on the molds for all 5 sizes.