When I was younger I didn't play with Barbies, have tea parties, pretend I was a princess, or do anything that a stereotypical little girl did. In fact, I was a big tomboy. I always wore boys' shoes in all black and only wore dark colored clothing. Well, that has drastically changed but my love for my favorite past time, playing with Legos, hasn't changed. My first tub of Legos was like opening a brand new world. Pieces upon pieces of little plastic shapes in red, blue, yellow, and green stumbling onto my floor. At that time I didn't know that playing with my Legos was a way of design. I built houses, square shaped piggy banks, people, castles, new worlds of imagination. I think the properties of Legos are a great way to built creativity. Although most Legos lack a circular shape, there is so much to build as long as one has imagination. There was nothing that I couldn't build out of Legos. When I was ten years old I won tickets to Legoland. I think that was when I finally grasped the world of design. Everything in the amusement park amazed me. It was ALL built out of Legos. The shapes and colors that I constantly saw were being used to make rides, statues, cars, and so much more. Legos weren't just toys at the amusement park, they were being used for everyday life. I bought an Indiana Jones Lego set that day. The unique Lego pieces in that set allowed me to expand on my imagination. The realization of design being everywhere began to grow inside of me and only evolved. I began to see the world in terms of designing. No longer were signs on the streets just directions, instead I saw the design aspects behind the creation. A bright yellow sign to catch the driver's eyes. A simple pictorial image to capture a message quickly and effectively.
Legos still remain a big impact on my life today. It inspires me to build, think out of the box, and always see things in other ways. I am not the only one inspired by Legos though. Architects, fashion designers, graphic designers, and more are using Legos in many of their creations.
Designers such as Jean Charles De Castelbajac and Marc Jacobs have created many Lego inspired designs. This video showcases an animated Lego runway show created by Jean Charles De Castelbajac.
Dee and Ricky, a company owned by brothers, Demetrius and Ricardo Jackson focuses on Lego designs. The brothers are known for creating the Lego heart often seen being worn by Kanye West. They also supplied the Lego accessories seen at the spring runway show for Marc Jacobs. Their company started because a friend of Marc Jacobs saw their Lego creations at a party and wanted to know where they got them. You can visit their website here.
Legoland has also created a side theme park. The Legoland water park just opened this summer and like the amusement park, EVERYTHING, is made from Legos.
Lastly, I'll leave you guys with these really creative Lego posters. Each poster only emphasizes how one can use Legos in design. These posters really describe my childhood. They encourage the use of imagination
