Question: If you could transport customers into a meeting with Fun and Function staff, what would they be most surprised to find out about the product development process?

Aviva Weiss: I think they would be most surprised by how much thought and compassion goes into every detail of everything we create. It’s not just about what color is better, but truly thinking through the child or individual who’s going to use it and what they need to regulate or achieve their therapy goals. We never settle on “good enough.” The design process is meticulous, compassionate and caring. The people working on it have a real sense of purpose in the mission.

Question: Can you share a story about what specifically inspired one of your products?

Aviva Weiss: Ideas are so interesting because they can come from anywhere. A therapist might be driving to work, see traffic cones, and think of an amazing obstacle course. It could be realizing how soothing the rhythmic motion is when rocking a crying baby, and figuring out how to mimic that in a product. My own daughter gave me an idea for a sensory massage chair. We take every idea seriously, even from a six-year-old.

For me personally, the weighted compression vest was inspired by my own experience of needing a combination of weighted and compression functions that didn’t exist on the market. Anyone is capable of giving us an idea, and we’re open to learning from somebody else’s life experience.

Question: What do failures in business or product development teach you?

Aviva Weiss: We’re “always failing forward.” This could be a product that doesn't resonate, shipments that don't meet our standards (like the chewies we threw out), or a piece of technology I worked on for two years that never made it to market. Failures are hard, but they teach us humility and are very good for knocking out ego. They're healthy in teaching us lessons we can learn from and iterate from. People see success as linear, but life and growth are non-linear. It's about integrating the failures and learning from them, not letting them define the company. I feel like I've learned the most from the things I failed at.

Question: Is it true that you proactively ask your staff for a performance review?

Aviva Weiss: Definitely. I always say that if I didn't have things to fix, there wouldn't be any point to life!

Question: What is the overarching philosophy or "soul" behind Fun and Function products?

Aviva Weiss: I realized that our company distinguishes itself by understanding the intention behind the design, which affects the end-result of regulation, unlike mass-produced items. We are a design company that creates spaces and experiences to allow people with hidden disabilities to regulate. This is tied to the concept of fractal geometry (self-similarity), meaning the same high level of thought and intention we put into a small fidget is also applied to designing a large sensory environment, reinforcing the consistent value and "soul" in all our products.

True accessibility also means regulation is broader than just a sensory room—it extends throughout all spaces like airports and malls and requires thinking about the entire user experience.

Nursing Home Sensory Room