Bringing sound to life: exploring design with Yoto
Published 26th August 2025
Putting children at the centre of design
Yoto’s screen-free audio players, the Yoto Player and Yoto Mini, are built around one key idea: children make the decisions about what they listen to. By removing screens, cameras and ads, these products encourage independent exploration and creative thinking. For teachers, this provides an example of how thoughtful design can shape user behaviour and learning outcomes.
Learning from real-world design principles
The company’s founders, Ben Drury and Filip Denker, drew inspiration from Montessori principles, particularly self-directed play and independence. This approach informed the design of both the Player and the Mini, where simple, intuitive features allow children to explore, experiment and gain confidence. Teachers can use this as a case study to show pupils how empathy and observation shape design decisions.
From ideas to prototypes
The development process behind Yoto’s products demonstrates the value of testing, iteration and listening to users. Early prototypes were tested directly with children, and design decisions, such as the placement of buttons or the orientation of the display, evolved in response to feedback. This provides a tangible example of how iterative design works, making it highly relevant to classroom projects in design and technology.
Inspired by Industry
Yoto’s story forms the basis of the ‘Inspired by Industry’ context. Pupils can explore the design and creation of toys or learning products, experimenting with materials such as wood, polymers, card and expanded foam. The context also opens up opportunities to explore simple electronics or mechanical systems using tools such as Micro:bit or Crumble.
‘Inspired by Industry’ is FREE for all teachers to use. Members of the Design & Technology Association gain access to additional member-only Tasks and Activities for even deeper classroom engagement. Explore the Yoto context here and the member-only content here.
A poster to inspire ideas
To support teachers, a downloadable poster is available below. It can be displayed in classrooms to spark discussion, inspire projects and remind pupils of how real-world design responds to user needs.
