People of Geotoys: Meet Geotoys Game Designer, Aya Blaney

If you’ve ever played with a Geotoys puzzle or game and wondered who dreams up some of those colorful maps, cards, illustrations, and packages, meet Aya Blaney! Aya is one of the talented designers who helps bring the world of Geotoys to life—and her own story has taken her around quite a bit of the globe. Today she lives on Long Island, New York, but Aya was born and raised in Fukuoka, Japan, on the southern island of Kyushu.

If you want to find Japan on the map, check out our GeoPuzzle World.

Fukuoka might not be as familiar to American travelers as Tokyo or Kyoto, but Aya thinks that’s a missed opportunity! Japan’s fifth-largest city is a gateway to Asia, with influences from China, Korea, and Southeast Asia—and it’s famous for something very important: ramen. Fukuoka is the birthplace of Tonkotsu (Hakata) ramen, and ramen remains Aya’s favorite food. Forget the instant noodles you ate in college: in Japan, different regions have their own broths, noodles, ingredients, and secret recipes. It’s serious (and seriously delicious) business.

Fukuoka highlighted on the map of Japan.

Aya left Japan at 18 and spent her first two years in the U.S. in Hawaii, learning English through an ESL program. She considers Honolulu her “American home” and recommends that visitors explore Waikiki Beach, hikeDiamond Head, visit Pearl Harbor, and drive around Oahu. Better yet? Island-hop to Maui, Kauai, or the Big Island.

Aya has loved making things since she was little, and a high school art class featuring typography helped turn that creativity into a career. Her Japanese roots still show up in her work today: she loves the clean lines and “less is more” approach found in Japanese and Scandinavian design. She also grew up surrounded by anime and manga, and cites Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli among her favorites. Heidi, Girl of the Alps even helped spark her fascination with Western culture and the wider world. (Switzerland is still one of her favorite places!)

Heidi Girl of the Alps, an anime tv show that inspired Aya in her early design days.

That curiosity makes Aya a pretty perfect fit for Geotoys. While designing maps, flags, puzzles, and games, she says she’s learned plenty of new geography herself. Her favorite project is the USA States Memory Matching Game, which she got to create from scratch—from the colorful cards and playful illustrations right down to the package. And while technology has changed a lot during Aya’s career, she still believes the best creative work has something unmistakably human at its heart: “AI is a powerful tool, but something truly personal and unique can only come from the human touch,” remarks Aya.

Sneak peek: Aya designed the Geotoys' USA States Memory Matching Game from scratch.

After 38 years in the U.S., Japan is still an important part of Aya’s world. Her entire family lives there, and she hopes her children will someday have the chance to visit and experience that part of their heritage for themselves. It’s a fitting wish for someone who spends her days helping kids discover just how big, colorful, and interesting their world can be.