For many, playing with colorful plastic bricks is a childhood memory that lasts a lifetime. Yet, decades of engineering, testing, and production have evolved LEGO from its hand-crafted wooden design into the iconic eye-catching brand many are familiar with today.
The target audience for LEGO was originally intended to be children, with the toy company aiming to create an enjoyable activity that fostered their creativity and imagination.
“I’ve been building LEGO sets since I was in kindergarten or first grade, but honestly, it was whenever I gained fine motor skills,” said Alexandra Charnas, a junior at Notre Dame High School and an avid LEGO user. “As a kid, I loved playing with the LEGO minifigures and having police chases with my dad.”
Users like Charnas’ enjoyment of legos was fueled by a major change in product design. In 1958, LEGO patented their interlocking style of plastic pieces which marked a shift in their product quality. The blocks were easier to stack, stronger, more stable, and offered various building combinations to users.
Today, LEGO has maintained its classic interlocking design but has expanded its LEGO sets to cater to all audiences around the world.
“Legos are obviously fun for kids, but they are also fun for many teenagers and adults. They have made so many sets that there is really something for everyone,” said Mira Arora, a freshman at Carlmont.
For older users beyond the original LEGO audience, LEGO has produced complex sets that include thousands of pieces. The sets range from decorative flowers and artwork, to historical landmarks like the Eiffel Tower.
“LEGO understands that kids have grown up with them and wants to bring them back as younger adults by appealing to nostalgia. We are finding a lot of older people above 65 coming in and rediscovering their childhoods, keeping themselves sharp, and beginning to understand 3D puzzles,” said Danny Song, a Brick Specialist at LEGO.
Among the over 20,000 unique LEGO sets created, many include special edition collections or sets that have been inspired by popular franchises.
“Collaborating has been huge for LEGO. We have partnerships with Batman, Formula 1, Marvel, and Star Wars is a big one too,” Song said.
With more sets to offer to a wider audience came rapid growth in revenue and production.
According to Grace White, the LEGO Store manager for Hillsdale Shopping Center and Westfield Valley Fair mall, LEGO pays attention to producing the highest quality and most accurate sets.
“On the corporate side, LEGO has a whole lot of master builders focused on design and innovation,” White said. “They do a lot of test groups before the products or new lines get launched.”
In 2024 alone, LEGO tested and released 840 new sets and saw a 13% growth in revenue from 2023. This year, its revenue is expected to rise even more based on past revenue trends.
Building on this success, LEGO has many goals for the future. Within the next year, LEGO plans on transitioning more of its products into renewable and recyclable materials.
“LEGO is really paying attention to manufacturing ethically and environmentally,” White said. “We are going to be using our bricks from more recycled materials by 2026.”
In addition, LEGO hopes to release more engineering-based sets, according to White.
“At some point, we would like to get back to robotics and sets with movement,” White said.
