How Lego’s obsession with detail has captivated fans for 92 years

In 2024, few companies have been able to replicate Lego’s success. Lego’s toys cross generations, from adult hobbyists re-engaging with their favorite toys to the next generation.

Since its humble beginnings in 1932 as nothing more than a carpenter’s passion project, Lego toys have become an indispensable part of childhood. Name the theme and there’s probably a set to go with it, whether it’s architecture, anime, racing or jazz music.

Over the decades, Lego could well have been replaced by more addictive and engaging electronic devices. But that has not been the case – if anything, things could not be going better for the family-run Danish company. It topped the toy market with record sales in 2023, with a 2% turnover growth, reaching DKK 66 billion (US$9.7 billion), while the industry as a whole declined by 7%.

So what is Lego’s secret recipe for keeping children (and more recently adults) hooked on the colorful bricks?

Assets takes an exclusive look behind the scenes of Lego’s product development and learns how the cult brand remains relevant.

One of Lego’s long-standing themes – space – exemplifies what makes its approach unique and helps it stand the test of time. Space was one of the company’s three official categories in which it developed toys since the 1970s (the others being ‘castle’ and ‘city’). It was meant to represent the mysteries of the future, much like castles did for the past. The popularity of space among children has continued over the years as it the imagination of children as a realm of endless possibilities.

“Building Lego is a passion in itself,” said Julia Goldin, Chief Product and Marketing Officer at Lego, Assets in the interview.

Listening to the children, for the children

Lego realized early on that the only way to understand what children want is to hear directly from them. Goldin says the company made this conscious decision about ten years ago, and it has helped the company transform the way it makes toys.

“What makes a Lego set unique is, first and foremost, really understanding the audience,” Goldin said. “It’s not just about understanding what might be of interest to them, but also what dynamic the experience should have.”

The quality of Lego bricks is another factor that sets them apart, as the building blocks can be passed down from generation to generation, says Frédérique Tutt, global toy industry consultant at market research firm Circana. Unlike mindless games, parents believe their children can learn something good from Lego toys, be it technical skills or using their creativity.

“When parents buy Lego for their child, they think it will help them develop their brain,” said Tutt Assets. “She [Lego] try to develop products for everyone.”

Turning an idea into reality

As a long-time toymaker, Lego has developed a well-oiled machine that helps it constantly generate new ideas. The company hosts a “Boost Week” once a year – think of it as a quick brainstorming session typically associated with start-ups that sparks new concepts. The designers develop new ideas or continue to work on existing ones, giving them creative freedom outside of their daily schedules. There is no checklist of what needs to be accomplished, although the goal is to see what can be implemented into a potential Lego set, says Daniel Meehan, one of the brick maker’s creative directors.

The next step is to figure out how “codable” the models are. This includes looking for elements that tell stories and facilitate play, such as Lego astronauts or purple collectible crystals.

The company not only uses the ideas of its toy developers, but also hears directly from its audience.

“We also test the things extensively with children,” said Meehan.

The company brings together kids from all over the world, from Germany to China, to find out what they want more. That process produced one of the crucial elements we see in Lego’s space sets today, said Meehan, who is leading the company’s recent space campaign.

During one of the space do-it-yourself tests, one of the children flew around in a wheeled vehicle and collected aliens – neither of which was part of the set’s original design.

“We are very practical, we are adults … but in the eyes of the children it was a perfect spacecraft. But there was one complaint: he [the kid] said we need more aliens. And we actually put more aliens in the box because of that one kid,” Meehan said.

Adding aliens to Lego sets, as in a Lego space stationadds more layers to the otherwise simple set and also marks a common thread that connects sets from other categories. For example, Lego aliens can also be found in the space lab and rover sets. The little green creatures were intentionally designed to look similar to give Lego builders a signal, says Meehan Assets.

The quality and complexity of Lego can make its products more expensive—sometimes more expensive than the latest iPhone. This is especially true for products that have been withdrawn from the market, making them rare. The novelty of the products has made them a collector’s dream and even the subject of Robberies worth $100,000 in the USA The company says it offers sets in different price ranges so that no one feels overwhelmed. The simplest products can Costs in the single-digit dollar rangeas well as its 7,500-piece Millennium Falcon The set could cost around $960.

For the love of detail

Lego’s attention to quality and detail is not a new phenomenon. The company’s founder, Ole Kirk Kristiansen, has made it his own. to his sonwho once tried to speed up a job by applying two coats instead of three and was reprimanded for doing so.

The attention to detail applies not only to the company’s space creations or toy development process, but also to the business. Goldin, for example, attends meetings that review the company’s current performance while also discussing plans for the next few years.

The Danish company’s heritage as a toy manufacturer is strongly linked to how it makes play accessible to all ages, interests and experience levels. The space theme, Meehan explains, can appeal to three types of audience: storytellers, who are usually children fascinated by the subject; enthusiasts who are interested in the field; and others who are generally interested in all things space, including its artistic side.

“Another strength is that their elaborate pieces appeal to young children as well as teenagers and adults. So they grow with them,” said Tutt.

The granular approach also applies to Lego’s pricing and design, as well as to the marketing of sets for its emerging Fan base for adultsso there is a toy for everyone. But one thing is certain: regardless of the motives, the company tries not to neglect details, because that is what gives Lego toys their character.

Goldin says Lego fans “really notice” the small added elements because they “add a lot of excitement.”

“It’s much more than a toy because it’s a very intense experience,” she said.