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How Lego Became the Apple of Toys
Article

How Lego Became the Apple of Toys

Fast Company, 2015

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Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Engaging
  • Inspiring

Recommendation

How does an 80-year-old company – whose portfolio groups around one basic toy design – manage to rank among the leaders in a market that is subject to radical transformations? Journalist Jonathan Ringen explores behind the scenes at Lego to learn the secrets of the company’s inventiveness and sustained growth. Ringen outlines the company’s remarkable evolution, describes the inner workings of Lego’s R&D team, and traces the company’s path from bricks to clicks. getAbstract recommends this article to designers, innovators and Lego fans worldwide.

 

Summary

Danish carpenter and wooden toy maker Ole Kirk Christiansen – who founded Lego in 1934 – didn’t invent the stackable brick, but he did discover, through trial and error, the precise “clutch power” that made the pieces stick together. Since then, Lego’s designers have experimented, innovated and played their way to making the company one of the largest toy manufacturers in the world.

Experimentation continues to underpin Lego’s success. Today, Lego’s success draws on a deep, research-based understanding of how children play. When the company was on the ropes...

About the Author

Jonathan Ringen is a regular contributor to Rolling Stone, Men’s Health, Details and Billboard.


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