Meet Last Year's Winner

We can't reveal Jenny's design yet because it's still in development at Lovehoney's top-secret toy lab and legal experts are scrutinising our patent application.

In fact, it's so secret that we can't even tell you its name. Well, we could, but then you know what we'd have to do next...

Jenny, a postgraduate student, has decided that her £1,000 winning prize and royalties from sales of the product will all be donated to Brain Tumour UK, the leading charity committed to fighting brain tumours.

Jenny, we salute you. And thank you.

Meet Jenny

What was it like working with Lovehoney to turn your original concept into a real product?

The whole experience has been, to quote Notting Hill, 'Surreal but nice!' It's wonderfully weird to see my design develop from a wacky little idea and some scrappy drawings into a full-grown product. Lovehoney have been brilliant at keeping me updated and talking through the business side of things and everyone I've dealt with has been friendly, helpful and enthusiastic!

What's been the best thing about winning the Lovehoney Design A Sex Toy?

I think the best thing is being able to do more for charity than I would otherwise be able to afford to.  Brain tumour research is poorly funded and doesn't receive as much media attention as other disease research so it was nice to do something to help, even if it was only small! Rather naughtily I actually also quite like the idea that my design will be bringing pleasure to others but I didn't tell you that ;)

What tips would you give someone wanting to enter the competition?

My postgraduate studies which are a world away from the sex toy industry - it goes to show though, someone from any background can win!

The competition guidelines were pretty helpful so my first tip would be to make sure you read those!

It's important to have someone to bounce ideas off. My partner is extremely inventive and I think talking about possibilities with him definitely helped me to be more creative.

Draw on your own experience. To begin with, think about what you and/or past-lovers have enjoyed, focus on what you would like to feel rather than how it could be achieved. When I did my first brainstorm I thought more about what sensations appealed to me than about what was practical.

Once I had an idea of what I wanted I set about trying to design something to meet my criteria. I even made my own mock-up (Blue Peter style) and of course it was terrible but it worked just well enough to convince me the design could work!

Finally, just have a go! I am truly useless at art and have no previous design experience but I figured if it was worth a shot - and it really was!