“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things.”
-Steve Jobs
The gameplay of these toys starts by making questions and attempting to answer those questions.
Lego
- Concepts: Modularity, Intuitiveness, Compatibility
- Nature: Solids cubes
- For children 3 and above
- Material: ABS, polycarbonate (PC)
- Benefits: Stability
- Opportunities: Weight, space constrains the design
- Usage: Intuitive – the positive end into the negative end. More predictable outcomes because of its rules of the game.
- Limits: Less manipulation allowed compared to Meccano
- Usage of similar concepts into life-sized situations at EverBlock
- How is interest sustained?
- Collaboration with Future Lab and Hackathons
- Innovating play experience
- Crowdsourcing site for Lego ideas
- Increased reliance on its own IP (Lego Racers, Ninjago, The Lego Movie) which is more effective at targeting Lego Fans, and associating with other merchandises (E.g. Clone Wars, WOW, and Harry Potter) which targets a smaller group
- Failure
- Incompatible parts such as Karla collection and Duplo
- Being too focused on small groups’ needs thus designing large bricks for babies when these cannot be expanded into something more flexible
The Lego Movie 
Lego The Knight Bus from Harry Potter
Articles
How Lego became the Apple of Toys
EverBlock Systems
- Concept: Modularity, Simplicity
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EverBlock Systems was formed to make it easy for companies and people everywhere to build large sized objects using a series of universal building blocks. We manufacture, sell, and rent EverBlock® globally and are building a world-wide network of agents, renters, and distributors.
- Sustainable green building. Simplicity of Design.
- Uses:
- Temporary event structures
- Decor, pillars, entryway’s and stylish objects
- Event furniture such as bars, benches, tables, etc
- Pony walls, backdrops and room dividers
- Hard tent sidewall
- Interior tent walls and tent dividers
- Exhibits and displays
- Risers, platforms, podiums, and steps
- Illuminated objects
- Opportunities
- Look and feel, association with children’s toys
- Flexibility
- Transportation
Meccano
- Concepts: Modularity, Flexibility, Compatibility
- Nature: Planes to be formed into solids in a “wireframe” structure
- Material: Metal (Likely steel), coated with paint
- Parts: Reusable metal strips, plates, angle girders, wheels, axles and gears, and high-quality plastic parts
- Connection: Nuts, bolts, and set screws/grub screws
- For children above 10.
- Difficulties: Too many types of unique parts
- How is interest was lost?
- No linking outfits between the 11 outfits produced, no incentive for buyers to come back for more. Even the colours do not match.
- Upsizing with “A” (Accessories) to move on to the next set without duplicating parts. Eg Buying Outfit 2A after buying Outfit 2.
- General modelling incompetence
- Present day; most parts are made of plastics.
- Marketing centered: Responses by Meccano fans shows that they prefer the basic “normal” sets to the modern outfits
Meccano Outfit 0: One outfit, many possibilities: 1954_manual_outfit_0
Articles
Application of similar concepts in life-sized situations
I like how you looked at the sustainability aspect. As in any actives, unless interesting things are regularly introduced, people will get bored… This is something that you have to take into consideration.
Noted!