Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Do you prefer your LEGO with or without instructions?


I love LEGO.  I played with them as a child and have been lucky enough to play with them again with two generations of nephews.  But I am strictly a free form user.  I like to use my imagination to build houses and furnish them.  That's why my grandfather thought I might become an architect someday. :-)

But , after a loss in 1998, LEGO made a licensing deal with Star Wars and switched to producing branded sets rather than plain bricks.  The move saved the company by bringing in an entirely new group of users - those who prefer to follow directions. (Bhattarai, 2020)

People who like instructions find following them relaxing.  Interestingly they have the exact opposite effect on me.  Where they see the opportunity to find perfection, I see the opportunity to make a mistake. 

It all comes down to personality type.  Myers-Briggs has identified four preferences based on the way that we see and interact with the world.  I am an ENTJ.  So what does that mean in LEGO terms?  As an "N" I like to use my imagination and create new things.  And as an off the charts "J" I am a perfectionist who hates to make mistakes.

But it is interesting to note that I am part of a very small group.  Most people are "S's" not "N's".  That means that they like what is known and familar, what's real.  And they like instructions.

Since 70% of Americans are "S's." Kits are definitely the way to go.  But I hope they keep making raw bricks for the "N's" too. ;-)


Bhattarai, A. (2020, January 16)  Lego sets its sights on a growing market: Stressed-out adults.  washingtonpost.com.  Retrieved February 3, 2020, from  https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/01/16/legos-toys-for-stressed-adults/

1 comment:

Nickolas Smith said...

I'm in infj I like to build sets as they're instructions require however I will either add to an existing structure or dismantle it and reuse the parts for other structures but I always build a set initially it adds a lot of insight to techniques that I can use to make the creations that I create it's dirty provocative and interesting and even functional in some ways that Lego didn't even think of for a few years I started a project to build Gotham City out of Legos and it was the area of two doorways laid side by side de the project I started when I was about 34 working there proving perfecting just laying out the streets was a challenge but it helps calm the chaos that was going on in my life and allowed me to focus better when I was away from the project I was able to organize my thoughts when I was emersed in creating Lego Gotham I feel like it allowed my subconscious to truly flex and problem solve some of the things I couldent with my conscious mins despite my efforts sadly every brick and minifigure citizen and the mini Batman that I had are all gone because some problems you just can't solve but moved on past that and I look forward to taking up a similar project when I have the space to make a large Lego something I'm 40 now and I don't think I'll ever stop playing with Legos I'd like to know your thought of questions if any send them to red-_-robin@outlook.com