Rekindling childhood memories for the young at heart

"I don't think that lazy is a negative word," he says. "Rather, life can be so hectic that we need to be lazy sometimes, which is a good way to drive us to move forward."

It took Guo about two months to finish the first draft of the new series this summer and his ideas are largely intuitive.

"If the feeling is right, the toy connects with me and the people who want to have it. Vivicat plays a role in bringing people like me together."

The name of the toy series came from his wife's English name, Vicky, also an animator who graduated from their alma mater. In the new series, Guo designed a toy for her, which has the cat lying on the mat and doing yoga.

These images originated from a cartoon character, which Guo created three years ago. The original cat in the cartoon was a supporting role, who lives in a manicure shop. The cat is proud but has to appeal to the customers every day. After work, it likes lying on the sofa, watching TV or eating snacks.

Guo likes observing and playing with his three cats to get inspiration.

One day about three years ago, Guo lost one of his cats, named Nainai, when he took her to a pet clinic.

"I looked for her for three days and I thought she would never return," he recalls. "But three days later, she showed up in my garden!"

Guo's wife recorded the story with an illustrated book, Where Are You, Nainai?, and published it two years ago.

Born in Beijing to parents who were both aerospace engineers, Guo learned painting at 12, although his parents were not initially supportive of his idea of becoming a professional artist. When he was even younger, he used to spend his free time watching cartoons and reading illustrated books. He also collected toys, such as Transformers and robots.

As the toy market is getting bigger in China, Guo encourages his students to pursue a career as toy designers, since "it's a great way to showcase individuality and imagination".

"I believe that the love for toys, no matter whether children or adults, comes from a desire to preserve and protect our inner child at heart. It's not a short-lived trend," says Guo.