Ziggy Mania!
- 19th Sep 2025
- Author: Elliott Langley - Marketing Administrator
If you’ve seen our brand new Planetarium show, One Step Beyond, then you’ll be very familiar with Ziggy, the charismatic stuffed toy who features throughout the story.
We've been inundated with requests for a plush toy of the character, and the good news is that you can now preorder your Ziggy plushie before they arrive on 13 October!
So while we wait for the Ziggys to show up here at the National Space Centre, I thought it was the perfect time to find out where the idea for the character came from, how they were designed, and what the future holds for our new favourite astronaut!
The Origins of Ziggy
To start with, I sat down with some of the team from NSC Creative and talk about Ziggy’s origins.
So, how did Ziggy come about as a character?
Aaron, Creative Director: I don’t think Ziggy was in the original ideation processes. We wrote her into a later draft of the script, after we’d been exploring how astronauts connect with their children through mementos. We looked at what real astronauts take into space and found some really cool examples, such as some action figures and model robot kits. That was the inspiration. We did look at things like plastic toys, but we settled on a plushie, as that would be easier to relate to.
Neil, Real-time Art Supervisor: The script had certain beats and emotions we needed to hit, and Ziggy grew out of those. There were specific things we needed the character to do, from a story point of view. That merged with another idea we had: a character who could go through the dangers of space in a more playful, less graphic way.
Was Ziggy always meant to be a toy astronaut?
Nick, 3D Animator: Pretty much. From the start, we wanted a figure that could represent the human body: fragile, damageable, empathic. Plush fabric worked perfectly, as it makes Ziggy look both lovable and vulnerable. A robot toy wouldn’t have conveyed that as well. Making Ziggy soft, handmade-looking, and a little fragile helped audiences connect emotionally.
Aaron: Yeah, and we wanted to get across that there are very real dangers in space, so having the toy damaged over time was a helpful way to show this.
Creating a Personality for Ziggy
You do put Ziggy through some tough moments. How did that feel?
Nick: [Smiles sinisterly] I loved it.
Neil: [Laughing] We did worry a bit at first. The whole point was to make Ziggy someone you cared about, and then we throw all these dangers at her. But we balanced it, so she reacts like a child: scared at first, but then brave and determined. That keeps it from feeling too scary.
Aaron: We definitely wanted to add a little bit of humour into it. So, in a certain scene she needs to experience weightlessness, which we put a fun spin on… no pun intended! And then with the sickness, we had to find a way to make the actual vomit look like the kind of cotton you’d find in a stuffed toy, so that it was believable but also fun.
Neil: And that was its own challenge, because in the original design, Ziggy’s arms weren’t long enough to reach up and cover her mouth when she’s feeling ill.
Nick: Yeah, we had the same thing with the 2.0s; one of the issues with them was that their arms were too short to pull themselves up onto a ledge. So, we had to tweak the design a bit.
Where did Ziggy’s personality come from once you had the design finished?
Nick: Her personality is very much like a curious five-year-old; clumsy, excitable, constantly exploring. Kids relate to her, and adults want to protect her. I drew on references like characters from My Neighbour Totoro and Toy Story to capture that energy in Ziggy’s movement.
Aaron: Actually, there's a small moment in the show from Nick that I really love. Ziggy’s floating and she's trying to put some of the fluff back in her leg, and then she bumps her head at the top. She puts her hands on her hips and gives the roof the angriest look! It reminded me so much of my own children at that age. If they hurt themselves, they'll tell the thing off that they bumped into or stubbed their toe on.
Thanks to input from focus groups, test audiences and our wonderful Family Advsisory Group, the team were able to drill down into which design was the most popular and why. There were some strong contenders, but Option 4 was the clear winner!
Building Connections
Did you expect families and children to connect so strongly with Ziggy?
Neil: We did, though you can never be 100% sure until you test it. We held some focus groups with families, showing different design options, and their reactions helped guide decisions. Kids especially had really insightful feedback.
Nick: A lot of really good stuff came from those focus sessions. We had a lineup of different sketches for the character and got families to tell us what they thought of each one. Things like, how fragile are they, how cute are they. That data really helped us shape the design but also helped make her as adorable as possible.
Aaron: It also helped to see Ziggy’s effect on other people and watch how they interacted with her. We want people to react to Ziggy in their own way. She went through a lot of versions, things changed a lot. Even the way we refer to Ziggy changed; we’ve been referring to the character as he, she, they, it, but we seem to have settled on her now. But it’s really down to each individual to see Ziggy however they want to.
Did you ever write a backstory for Ziggy?
Aaron: Not really, though we’ve toyed with ideas, like a Christmas special where Ziggy visits the “north poles” of different planets. There might be some more Ziggy adventures in the future, we’re not sure yet.
Neil: She’s still on Mars at the moment, with the rest of the crew.
Aaron: Wait, what about the Polaroids though?
Nick: Yeah, there’s a shot of her at the end where she's reunited with her owner.
Neil: Ah, good point!
From Sketches to the Real World
What was it like seeing Ziggy made into a real toy?
Nick: Amazing. Seeing a physical version of the character was a real joy. I got to hold the prototype, and it was honestly surreal to be holding something we’d designed.
Neil: [Laughing] I felt like a proud parent the first time I saw the prototype toy. I didn't want to give it back.
Did you have a childhood toy you loved that you would take one a mission to space with you?
Nick: Yeah, I had a big lion soft toy when I was little, it went everywhere with me.
Neil: For me, it was a teddy bear. My nan knitted a jumper for it. I think I still have it at my parents’ house.
Aaron: Mine was Dumbo. It’s still in my mum’s attic. And fun fact: during production, Neil and Nick actually borrowed toys from my kids to study how they moved. Sometimes the kids weren’t too happy about lending them out…
Bringing Ziggy to Life
And speaking of toys… seeing Ziggy on the fulldome screen didn’t feel like quite enough for our Retail team! As soon as it became apparent that there was a feeling of "Ziggy mania" going around the National Space Centre, the Retail team got to work on taking Ziggy out of the show and into the real world.
Where did the idea to make Ziggy into a physical product come from?
Becky, Front of House Manager: After the first screening, staff came out saying, “You need a Ziggy in the gift shop!" Even in those early stages, before the show was polished, everyone was attached to Ziggy. Seeing that reaction, we knew children would want to take Ziggy home.
Teresa, Commercial Director: We always aim to extend the visitor experience. People don’t want the same things they could buy elsewhere; they want something unique to the National Space Centre. Ziggy felt like the perfect opportunity.
When you decided to create a Ziggy toy, what was the first step?
Becky: Because Ziggy looks knitted on screen, one supplier stood out straight away: Best Years. We’d worked with them before on astronauts and rockets. They usually make dinosaurs, but they were excited to take Ziggy on.
Teresa: They also met our ethical standards with fair trade and sustainability. All of their toys are made from sustainable materials, so things like organic fabrics and plastic that has been recycled. So it really fits in with our values.
Getting Ziggy Spot On
What did they need from you to get started?
Teresa: They can work from simple drawings, but thanks to Aaron, we had detailed artwork, which made a big difference. The Creative team gave really precise feedback, even down to things like stitching colour! That connection from screen design to product was quite special.
Becky: They also helped get the proportions right. The first prototype came back and the head size wasn’t quite right, so we were able to tweak it for the final design.
It sounds like this project was different from other retail work you’ve done.
Teresa: Definitely. It wasn’t just about putting a product in the shop, it was about telling the full story from concept to finished toy. When the team first held Ziggy, you could see how much it meant. That emotional connection is something we’ll want to repeat in future projects.
A Ziggy For Everyone
Will you both be getting your own Ziggy?
Teresa: Yes! My son is already excited, we’ve pre-ordered one!
Becky: Well, I’ve kept one of the “not quite right” samples on my desk and I’ve grown quite attached to it!
And how has the response been so far?
Teresa: Really positive! Pre-orders have been really strong, and the postcards have been especially popular at just 75p. We’ve created a wide range of Ziggy products at different price points, starting from 75p and going up to £20, with lots of options in between. That mix was really important to us, as we wanted to make sure there’s something for everyone, whether it’s a small keepsake or one of the cuddly toys at the top of the range. We’re thrilled that people are as excited about Ziggy as we are.
Final question: in the show, Ziggy is a comfort toy for one of the characters. Did either of you have something like that growing up?
Becky: Yes, a little brown teddy called Teddy! I’ve had him since I was born and he still sits on my bed even to this day.
Teresa: I didn’t really have a favourite toy as a child, so I think I'll have to get myself a Ziggy now to make up for it!
Anything else you’d like to add?
Teresa: Just that this project has been really rewarding. It’s brought different parts of the Charity together and shown us what’s possible when we connect the Creative team with retail. It’s definitely inspired us to do more like this.
Get Your Ziggy Now!
Thank you so much to Aaron, Neil, Nick, Becky and Teresa for taking the time to talk to me about their journey in bringing Ziggy to life!
Our Ziggy plush toys will be landing in our gift shop on 13 October. Preorder yours now.
Our collection of Ziggy themed items, including badges and polaroid postcards, are now available to purchase from our gift shop.
