It’s a classic story: what began as a mere hobby expanded into a full-fledged business. Chen’s passion for doll-making started in 2003, beginning with just bits and pieces of old blankets. It all started, of course, from his love of drawing; a passion so great that he wanted to bring his creations to live, and to share them with friends and loved ones. With the help of partners Chew Kai Xin, Eric Looi, and Ong Han Vi, Dooodolls was born in 2004.
这是一个经典故事:开始时只是个仅仅的爱好而扩展到全面的业务。 CHEN的玩偶制作于2003年一张角落头的旧毯子，一切的开始，始于他对画画的热诚，他的热情使他和朋友亲人分享他独一无二的创作。CHEN在合作伙伴的帮助下，DOOODOLLS 在2004年诞生。
Interviewed by: Joanne Kok & Dabiang
Written by Joanne Kok / TuckLoong
Published: 9th June 2007
DE : Design Enterprise
D : Darren
KX : Kai Xin
HV : Han Vi
Venue : Bangsar Village II
DE: How did Dooodolls come about?
DE: DOOODOLL是怎样来的?
D: Before Dooodolls, I have always been fascinated by beautiful things, characters design, and toys. I love sketching characters and making stories out of them in my own sketchbooks, somehow it helps me to relax from a hard days work. So one thing led to another, I started thinking, why not make it come to live? So I picked up sewing techniques from colleagues and my mom and started sewing away. There were trials and errors but I was more excited about the results than the soreness on my fingers throughout the intense manual stitching. And to be able to touch and see my characters come to live was extremely satisfying and still is until today. Not to forget the happy faces I get when I give them as gifts to family and friends. I’m not really born a businessman, so I wasn’t too sure about making a business out of my hobby at first. But with time and support from family and friends, Dooodolls team was formed in 2004. No business comes without risks and challenges, we have our fair shares of ups and downs, but it was all worth it when you see people wanting to have a Dooodolls to themselves.
D:在创造dooodolls之前，我一直很向往美丽的事物，人物设计，玩具等。我平时爱素描，爱设计人物和故事，制作在自己的绘图本上，有助于舒解我天天艰辛的工作。素描，绘图，我便开始思考，为什么不把它带到真实的世界呢? 因此我重温我的缝纫技术，就这样的开始缝纫我的DOOODOLLS世界。然而在制作过程中，难免都会遇重重的挫折和失败，但是当我能够真正的触摸和看见我的DOOODOLLS时，感觉十分满意，缝制的效果所带来的兴奋过于那从手工缝制所导致的激烈酸痛，至今这感觉依然保持着。当我把DOOODOLLS作为礼物送给家人和朋友时，我永远不会忘记他们快乐和满足的表情。我并不是天生的商人，所以我不太清楚如何将自己的兴趣企业化。但随着时间的磨炼和家人、朋友们的支持鼓励下，DOOODOLLS队便于2004年成军。残酷的是，现实归现实，没有任何的生意是没有风险和挑战的，因此我们都决定了一起承担这些风险，然而当你看到顾客们想要拥有属于他们自己的DOOODOLLS时，这一切永远是值得的。
KX: I maybe managing Dooodolls marketing side of things, but I have always had a passion for toys. My previous working experience includes marketing for Mattel and Hasbro. Besides meeting clients n doing the mundane paper works, I collect toys and make my own dolls as well. Once, I was so into my doll stitching that my thumb was swollen a month! But I didn’t mind it at all, I love doing what I do.
KX:虽然我只是管理DOOODOLLS营销方面的东西，但我一直都很热爱的玩具。在我还没加前，我曾经担任过Mattel and Hasbro的市场营销的职位。平时除了见客户和做一平淡的文件，我本身也有收藏玩具和做自己的洋娃娃等。记得有一次，当我缝制的洋娃娃时，不小心的刺伤自己，导致我的拇指青肿一个月。不过，我并不介意的一切，，因为我热爱自己所做的一切。
DE: How has the market responded towards Dooodolls? Who buys them and why do you think people buy them?
DE:DOOODLES 在市场上的反应如何?谁才是你们的真正的顾客群?
D, KX, HV: The local and international market response has been very promising. We currently have 30 local distributors and 1 in USA. Our customers comes from all over the world and are usually between the age of 12 up to 40 plus. Infact, our ‘hottest’ and fastest selling outlet for Dooodolls is at KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport). Foreigners from Japan, US and Europe are a big fan of them and they grab them up like hot cakes! One of the successes with Dooodolls is their inevitable ability to capture people’s heart regardless of their age and gender. People usually walk up to our dolls and go, “So cute! It looks just like so and so!” It’s not unusual to find people smiling and often referring our dolls to people they know. People often buy them as gifts or for the fun of it. Our all time best seller is Cupido as he carries a pretty clear message with him!
D, KX, HV: 本地和国际市场的反应一直都非常乐观。我们目前有30个地区分销商，其中1个在美国。 我们的顾客来自世界各地，他们的年龄通常介乎12至40岁。另外，我们的”热卖点”和“最高销售点”是KLIA(吉隆坡国际机场)。来自日本，美国和欧洲的旅客都是DOOODOLLS的支持者，DOOODOLLS已成为他们心中的热卖物，不多加考虑就买下！DOOODOLLS成功的其中一个因素是要有能力抓住人的心，不论其年龄和性别。一般人走到的娃娃前会说:”那么可爱!看起来像谁谁谁!”这不是我们平常能找到的笑容，往往是指着我们娃娃在笑一个人。人们通常买下的理由是把它当礼物送人。
DE: How many are there in the Dooodolls family so far?
DE:DOOODOLLS到底有多少个成员?
D, KX, HV: We started off with 12 Dooodolls characters, each designed and characterized individually with a horoscope. Just lately, we launched The Henchmen edition, consisting of 5 more new characters in 2 colours each and are made of synthethic leather. We are constantly developing new characters to broaden Dooodolls family and upon doing so, we often go through a few rounds of prototyping the dolls before finalizing the end product.
D, KX, HV: DOOODOLLS有12个成员，每一个设计和特点，每个成员拥有自己的性格和象征的星座。是最近我们加入了5个全新的成员，且推出两款都以synthethic皮革制品的全新尝。我们正在不断构思新特点，以便DOOODOLLS的家庭更大，因此我们经常都会经过轮的讨论敲定最终的产品。
DE: How far has Dooodolls come along and how much further will it go?
DE:能不能告诉大家，DOOODOLLS的过去和未来的发展?
D, KX, HV: It started out as a home-based business with Darren personally making the dolls and distributing them through a few local distributors. But as the demands for our dolls started to grow, we couldn’t keep up to the demands and production, so we commissioned toy factories to hand-make them for us. From there on, we could pay more attention on the details of our designs as well as the materials used including developing more Dooodolls characters.
D, KX, HV: 它起初是一个以家庭为基础的业务，在Darren亲手制作的玩偶，并散发传单给几个地分销商。但由于需求的逐渐的增加，当我们不能跟上需求和生产时，因此我们委
托玩具工厂，以手制生产。从这以后，我们可以更加注重细节的设计以及用料，包开发更多DOOODOLLS成员。
Dooodolls also started out as a 2.5” plush toy cum keychain, along the way, we received many valuable feedbacks from our customers. Many of them commented that our dolls were slightly too big for a keychain and too small for a huggable plush toy. So we started researching the right materials and developed a few prototypes before transforming our 2.5” Dooodolls into 12” plush toys. We launched them in November 2006 and they were a big hit due to its reasonable price and huggable size. We also have cool t-shirts featuring selected Dooodolls characters for both ladies and gents.
Dooodolls 开始时是以一个2.5″长毛绒玩具的钥匙串，一路走来，我们收到许多宝贵意见，无论从顾客以及很多人意见下，觉得我们的玩具钥匙圈太大及毛绒娃娃又小，于是我们开始研究和细心的挑选材料，并制定了几个原型改造前的2.5″Dooodolls成12″长毛绒玩具。去年2006年11月，他们的诞生是一个很大的冲击，原因介于合理价格和形状。随后我们也推出男女生不同的T恤。
Besides making plush toys and t-shirts, we hope to someday expand Dooodolls into animations, comics and children books. We see a potential market in Europe, Taiwan and Japan, so opening our very own flagship store would be the ultimate dream come true!
除此之外我们除了推出长毛绒玩具及T恤，我们希望终有一天DOOODOLLS扩展到动画，画和儿童图书。我们可以看到一个潜在的市场如欧洲，日本，台湾等等，所以希能开间属于我们自己的旗舰店，将是我们的最终梦想!
DE: Were there any down times in such a fun business?
DE:从事你们这样的企业会面对生意滑落的时候吗?
D, KX, HV: Most definitely! Like all businesses, there are bound to be rainy days. We have our fair shares of risks, struggles, competitors and unreasonable buyers. But every challenging situation also helps to push us a little further. In the end of the day, it’s all about one’s passion and determination, and its amazing what they can do to you.
D, KX, HV: 肯定会! 所有其他业务一样，也必定有雨天。我们有各自的风险承担，斗争，竞争者不合理的买家。但每具有挑战性的情况，也有助于推动我们走更长远的路。到最后，份热情和决心就是证明了我们所做的一切。
DE: On a more personal aspect, What is creativity to you?
DE:对你们来说什么是创意?
D: Something that words cannot describe. It’s IN you.
KX: That flexibility at managing your personal life and work
HV: New ideas to improve what we have today.
D: 难以形容，它就是你自己。
KX: 它是灵活性的在管理你自己的生活。
HV: 新的点子在改善我们的生活。
DE: A favorite day would be
DE:最喜欢的一天
D: Everyday is the same to me!
KX: Friday, that’s when I get to catch up with all my friends.
HV: Friday, I can chill at home and play Warcraft!
D: 天天都一样。
KX: 礼拜五，和朋友聚会的一天
HV: 拜五，只有这天能呆在家打电玩。
DE : A country you would like go
DE:最向往的国家?
D: India, to pursue my yoga journey.
KX: Rome, I love it’s sceneries and landscapes.
HV: Japan, Hokkaido, and snowboard all I want!
D: 印度，追求我的瑜伽之旅.
KX: 罗马，我喜欢那边的建筑物和风景。
HV: 日本北海道，和我的滑雪板。
DE : A dream job
DE: 梦想的职业是
D: Full time yoga instructor in my own yoga retreat!
KX: Tai-tai! (Laughs) But I think this dream will never come true! I love toys; so I guess I would still be in the toy industry!
HV: Open a health food chain, I think we need to promote more healthy eating around here!
D: 全职瑜伽教练
KX: 家庭主妇，但是我知道这梦想不会实现，因为我太爱玩具了，我想我还会呆在玩具业。
HV: 开间健康的食物店，我觉得我们这儿需要推广更多的健康饮食！
DE : Word of advice to all inspiring designers out there
DE:能和大家分享些启发性的金玉良言吗?
D: Do what you believe in and always have a clear vision in everything you do.
KX: Don’t stop being who you are.
HV: Good result comes after passion.
D: 做你所相信的，总是要有一个清晰的远见。
KX: 不拘泥于你是谁。
HV: 天下没有白吃的午餐。
DE : Many thanks!
We are currently featuring Dooodolls on our Snapshop. Take your time to drop by into the gallery for a pack of fun.
We’d hope you enjoy our second release of VOICES #DREAMBOX. Do leave us a message below if you like it and have suggestions on how we can improve. And if you have not read our previous issue, you can access to it below.
