Not many people think about the mind behind their sex toys, but one woman has spent decades thinking of the best design to pleasure strangers all over the world.
Anjani Siddhartha has worked as a designer for the country’s largest sex toy factory for more than 20 years, and she recently opened up about the ins and outs of her job, and how the industry has changed since she first happened upon her role within it.
The Colombian artist moved to California to pursue sculpting and painting, but became a sex toy designer after a friend asked her to take over his artistic position at a factory, not mentioning details such as what exactly she she would be creating.
Meet the designer: Anjani Siddhartha has designed sex toys for Doc Johnson, the largest toy factory in the country, for more than 20 years
Talented: The Colombian artist told Glamour magazine she started working at the company after moving to California to pursue painting and sculpting
‘He called the owner and said, “My friend is very creative and a good artist,” but never told me it was for “adult novelties”!’ she said during an interview with Glamour magazine.
Having always worked on more traditional art before getting the gig, Anjani said she was a bit shocked when she realized she would be designing sex toys at her new job, but quickly took on the challenge.
‘I am always a very sensual person myself, and I’ve always been an artist so this is like, the mix of both worlds: art and sensuality together,’ said the Doc Johnson designer.
Hard work: Ajani said there are two ways of making sex toys, either casting them off of adult performers, or sculpting them from scratch
Things have changed: She said that consumers care more about how sex toys look now than when she entered the industry 20 years ago, when people just cared about functionality
Discussing how the world of sex toys has changed in the last 20 years, Ajani said that design has become more important, as people not only look for functionality now but also for pleasing aesthetic, which has expanded the industry.
‘Before you can make anything, it’s like, “here, you can use this, you can insert this,”’ she said. ‘Now you have to make things look pretty and functional too.’
‘When we started, there were not too many companies either. Now there’s a lot of competition too, and the quality is going up,’ she added.
When asked how she makes the toys look so realistic, Ajani shared that there are two ways of designing them, either casting them off of adult performers, or sculpting them from scratch. She said the first option is easier because the toy takes on the original look of the performer, and she just has to make some cosmetic changes.
A good fit: ‘I am always a very sensual person myself, and I’ve always been an artist so this is like, the mix of both worlds: art and sensuality together,’ said the sex toy designer
Business: Anjani said that she can create as many as 20 toys a month, but most don’t make it through discussion meetings
When it comes to the toys she completely sculpts herself, she attributes their realistic look to her three decades of sculpting experience and her love of her work.
‘Details come naturally,’ she said. ‘I do a lot of them by hand. I work in clay making prototypes of products, and we decide which one we want to work on’.
The designer, who is one of few in the world that creates sex toys by hand in clay, explained that a lot of thought goes into the products’ design, adding that she can create as many as 20 designs a month, but most don’t get done after being discussed in meetings.
A woman of many talents: The sex toy designer is also a martial artist, and says that as a sensual and spiritual being, her career of bringing pleasure to people fulfills her
Although consumers care more about design now, Ajani said that the most important thing to remember when working on sex toys is what they are for: bringing people pleasure.
And as a dedicated martial artist who is into Zen meditation, the Jiu Jitsu champion believes her work fulfills her spirituality, too.
‘To me, there is not [a] conflict between sexuality and spirituality. Using my imagination to create products that bring pleasure to so many people around the world is magic,’ she said.