Designer Recommended: BARK Director of Toys Derek Rippe’s 6 Favorite Things
Derek Rippe has a very cool job designing toys—for pets. Design by Barbara Cadorna.
Derek Rippe’s job title is so delightful, so cool, that one figures it has to be made up. He is the “Director of Toys” at BARK. In fact, his career has centered around design and making toys. Prior to BARK, he worked at Nickelodeon and led creative development for toys from beloved shows, such as Spongebob, Paw Patrol, and Ninja Turtles. On the side — and on the other end of the spectrum — Rippe also designs cosmetic packaging for Trixie Mattell of RuPaul’s Drag Race fame.
He’s applied many learnings from kids’ toys to dog toys at BARK and has rolled out an entire library of toy characteristics. (He was also shortlisted for Licensing Global's "The Influentials" list in 2022.) Safe to say he’s got some great design recs. Here are some of Rippe’s favorite products he uses in his work.
1. E+M Move Mechanical Pencil
Something new and cool for the pencil obsessives (count us as one!). Image: JetPen.
I picked this pencil up in a general store in San Francisco about 15 years ago, and it’s been my go-to instrument ever since. My team and I are constantly generating new characters and constructions throughout the day, and I probably use it more than any other item. It’s perfect for sketching and scribbling, and I love the way it fits in my hand. A mechanical pencil aficionado since childhood, I also appreciate how durable it is. Especially when I’ve discovered someone’s been gnawing on it.
Purchase it now: $39.50
2. MUJI Passport Memos
Hard to find a better price for a notebook this stylish. Image: Muji.
The two cardinal sins I possess as an illustrator are 1) I still prefer using a standard mouse for digital design work, and 2) I don’t keep a regular sketchbook. Instead, I have dozens of these tiny Muji notebooks squirreled away in various bags and drawers (I even keep one in my bedside table for any late night inspiration). They’re simple, cheap, and highly portable when you need to capture quick ideas. I usually have one in my back pocket for meetings, and they’re perfect for killing time on the subway. At the end of the day, I just snap pictures of any new entries on my iPhone and then develop them further in Illustrator.
Purchase it now: $1.90
3. Bang & Olufsen BEOPLAY HX Headphones
What happens when great sound and great design meet. Image: Bang & Olufsen.
I adore my AirPods, but for longer audio stretches — be it marathon meeting sessions or heads-down drawing time to grisly true crime podcasts — nothing beats these headphones. They’re incomparably comfortable, and the noise-canceling really helps me to concentrate on the work in front of me.
Purchase it now: $499
4. Boy Smells Candle (Fantôme Collection)
What’s better, the candle or the name? Image: Boy Smells.
I think people underestimate how much scent is a key feature in the day to day of a dog product designer. It’s such a crucial part of the canine play experience, and most of our Super Chewer toys contain some sort of added smell for enrichment. Perhaps more related than I realize, I’ve also always found scent to be an essential part of my own creative space. A great candle is not only soothing and centering but can sometimes also be oddly inspiring, not to mention a perfect palate cleanser to a day spent pouring over toys scented like vanilla, beef or strawberry. I’ve yet to meet a Boy Smells candle I didn’t like, though anything from the Fantôme Collection is definitely my jam.
Purchase it now: $130 for three candles
5. O’Hare 2.0 Shopper Tote
The O’Hare Shopper Tote…functional and fashionable. Image: O’Hare.
Like so many companies nowadays, BARK flexes its time between being on-site and working remotely, and I’m often transporting physical samples between our Manhattan office and my Brooklyn apartment. My O’Hare Shopper Tote is perfect for this (I actually have two in varying colors that I swap out for the seasons). It’s roomy enough to fit my laptop, Pantone book, an extra jacket and any number of dog toys. Perhaps what I appreciate most about it, though, is that it’s so stylish that I can bring it anywhere, be it post-work design functions or meeting friends for dinner in the city. It’s also great at muffling dog toy squeaks.
Purchase it now: $395
6. Justin’s Peanut Butter
Peanut butter…the breakfast of champions. Image: Justin’s.
My creative mornings typically begin with toast and coffee while I’m catching up on emails and planning out the day. And while I’m doing that, I give my bullmastiff Dozer peanut butter in his Arcornucopia toy. We test a lot of our products on him, but this is hands down Dozer’s favorite (his love language obviously being treat enrichment). It’s my favorite of our daily bonding rituals, mainly because peanut butter is the only food he and I share. (I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that not all peanut butter is dog-friendly — avoid any brand that contains the additive xylitol!). I actually can’t open a jar unless I’m prepared to go halves with Dozer. He’s extremely persuasive.
Purchase it now: $5.73
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