Oficina dos Baixinhos

A LEGO anunciou hoje uma nova linha, a LEGO Forma. Basicamente é um pequeno conjunto que com recurso a peças technic e folhas de plástico impresso constrói-se um pequeno peixe articulado que pode ter vários aspectos.

O conceito é original e interessante mas no entanto a parte mais interessante neste anúncio é a forma como a LEGO vai lançar este tema. Vale a pena ler o press release para perceber melhor.

The LEGO Group embraces open innovation as it looks to test the new

LEGO® FORMA product and build other play experiences via pilots.

September 27, Billund – Rather than concealing its new innovations inside its Creative Play Lab, the LEGO Group today announced a new strategic approach that will help foster open innovation and test ideas and concept experiences through pilot projects, the first being LEGO® FORMA on Indiegogo.
A series of pilots are being planned to run in various locations and formats over the coming year to float new ideas, crowdsource others, and receive real-time feedback from consumers to evaluate whether concepts should be developed and scaled. 

Over time, this more transparent approach to product development is hoped to de-risk and accelerate innovation by validating and iterating new ideas, helping to fast-track the time that new products go to market and not least to pave way for unique product launches that sit outside normal procedures and reach new audiences.

Tom Donaldson, Vice President of LEGO Creative Play Lab, says: “Continuing to push our innovation approach means nurturing ideas that we don’t always know the outcome of, encouraging risk-taking and finding new exiting ways to launch products that are a bit different compared to what you would normally see from the LEGO Group. Pilots such as LEGO FORMA with Indiegogo open up an engaged and creative community that we can take inspiration from, and vice versa.”

The first of these pilots is a collaboration with Indiegogo Enterprise, where an entirely new product, LEGO FORMA, will be tested among a 10 million strong community of early adopters, entrepreneurs, makers and creatives on Indiegogo’s online platform.

The fertile ground of Indiegogo Enterprise will be used to provide real-time insights and real-world validation of LEGO FORMA, which is a model based on the LEGO® Technic building system designed for adults looking for creative activities. Inspired by nature, LEGO FORMA aspires to be a new theme where you can customise with different ‘skins’ – foil sheets - to create artistic interpretations of plants and animals. 

Kari Vinther, Senior Marketing Manager and Head of Creative Play Lab Pilots Says: “LEGO FORMA is more of a creative project than a toy, and more about display than play. The young adults we speak to tell us they still feel the urge to be creative and enjoy the physical experience of making stuff – but life seems to get in the way. We want to help them rediscover the joy of building that children possess and unleash their imaginations for a couple of hours. We can’t wait to hear what people think and look forward to sharing some of the decisions that will be made along the journey based on consumer input.” 

The product launches with one model of a fish with a variety of skins available, so it can change colour, species and even take on entirely new forms, unleashing the creativity of the maker. The model takes a couple of hours to complete and helps adults reconnect with their innate urge to be creative and encourages us all to prioritise recreational time.

Created as a limited short-run batch only, the pilot is primarily designed to learn whether there is an appetite and market for the product, more so than driving revenue.

Natasha Raja, VP of Marketing at Indiegogo adds: "Our platform brings some of the most efficient techniques used for startup research and open innovation to companies like the LEGO Group, who through our collaboration will be able to iterate and validate product offerings in real-time, with real users and real transactions.

Visit the page here: https://www.indiegogo.com/at/forma.

LEGO® FORMA Fun facts:

• 16 concept skins were explored before selecting the four final skins
• The model and different skins have been tested among adult consumer focus groups, fans from the LEGO Ambassador Network and LEGO employees outside the project team
• The LEGO FORMA project team consists of four people. Kari, Anne, Harald & Mikkel
• The extended project team consists of 25+ people
• Harald, the designer of the model, is left handed which is reflected in the way you turn the handle
• This is the first time the LEGO Group works with a crowdfunding platform
• Creative Play Lab works from four different locations: Billund, Singapore, London and Los Angeles
• 91% of adults say play is good for their own wellbeing*
• 86% of adults say play helps them de-stress and unwind*
• 87% of adults say construction toys such as the LEGO bricks help them be creative*
• 76% of adults say construction toys such as the LEGO bricks appeal more to them than other forms of play*

Portanto e basicamente a LEGO vai utilizar formas de crowdfunding para medir o pulso dos clientes em relação a novos projectos. Coisa que provavelmente até poderia ter evitado alguns investimentos menos bons nas duas últimas décadas.

Estou muito curioso com este novo formato, já que a LEGO poderá ser mais ousada sem o risco de grandes perdas. Agora resta esperar para ver!