Design lessons from a Bonsai tree
My (adult) daughters gave me a Lego Bonsai tree this year for Father’s Day. A few weeks before, I’d had a bit of a geek-out reaction when I saw it in the store for the first time… something like, “Oh wow, that is so cool!”
Imagine a high-pitched Leonard screech from the “Big Bang Theory”. Not my proudest moment… but it did score me a Lego set :).
When I was a kid, I loved Lego’s… but this was the first time in years that I actually sat down and “played” with them. I put “played” in quotes because this thing is no joke. It has 878 pieces and is more of a 3D puzzle than the blue and yellow building blocks I had as a kid… more of a do-it-yourself sculpture than a toy.
While I am not a Lego aficionado and am unlikely to restart my younger-self’s Lego collecting, I was very impressed with what Lego has done here:
The leaves and branches of the tree are adjustable in three dimensions which means you can change the look of the tree without swapping pieces. One of the beauties of a real bonsai is the experience of pruning it and caring for it. You can’t do that with a plastic tree; but Lego built in a similar interaction through the adjustable leaves and branches.
In the instructions, they included notes and comments about how they sourced pieces from other sets, what they were originally used for, and why they did or did not work in those sets. This gives a sense of transparency and behind-the-scenes insight into how the product was designed.
The attention to detail is amazing. As I was building the tree, I marveled at what a creative (and obsessive) person must have designed this set. The tree sits in a Lego pot that sits on top of a Lego stand. The “gravel” around the tree are small Lego pieces just poured around the tree. (I have to admit, my first thought was, “Seriously, I just pour them in?”)
I appreciate good design and attention to detail. While I cannot speak to their other products, if they are anything like this little bonsai tree, I can see why Lego has such a devoted following after all these years.
My tree sits on my desk, reminding me of my kids and of what good, simple design looks like. Maybe in the spring, I’ll swap out the green leaves for the pink and white leaves that were included. (Yeah, they included two different sets of leaves!)
Most of these considerations are minor in terms of cost and even in implementation; but they make a huge impact on the enjoyment and commitment of the end-customer. Something to think about in all of our design decisions.
#design #GoodDesign #Lego #bonsai #simplicity #intentional