AS PART OF THE SELECTION PROCESS, AKQA requested ME TO COMPLETE AN INFORMAL BRIEF. THAT BRIEF WAS ENTIRELY FICTIONAL AND WAS USED SOLELY FOR PRESENTATION PURPOSES.
The Challenge:
Beloved childhood brand, Lego, is facing a fundamental business challenge. Their business, largely dominated by physical products sold throughout physical distribution channels, is facing significant threats. Children are spend increasing proportions of time on tablets and mobile devices, threatening Lego's relevancy and interaction time with children (and their purchasing parents).
Lego will be launching a new product line named "Hogsmeade", in collaboration with the Harry Potter Series. Lego has keenly expressed their desire for this to be supported by a digitally-led initiative, and are open to the creation of a mobile application, platform, or other suggestions that will drive Lego forward.
The goal is to reposition Lego as a top-of-mind children's toy while driving tangible business results.
Lego are also keen and open to ideas on how we can leverage the power of a social community beyond community management to drive their business.
THE IDEA
I came up with the idea to create a 'magic' wand that allows kids to interact with the Lego bricks. Through this wand, they can open secret doors, unlock caskets, move things simply bringing it near to these objects, like a magic key thanks to RFID technology, .
Kids could also easily control and program their wands by an app, connected via audio jack.
THE 'MAGIC' WAND
Kids loves wands.
The idea is to create two special bricks for the RFID chip and for the inputs receiver by the audio jack connector. Apart from this new blocks, kids can use their imagination and the millions of other LEGO's bricks to build their own wand, with endless variations.
INSPIRATION
The idea came out after watching this project made by PV Productions.
Their whole system works with a small lever and a spring controlled by servo motor. Basically, a switch which could be programmed to do all kind of things.
That could be easily imagined in any LEGO Boxset. Unlocking doors, opening boxes, controlling object behaviours... a whole world managed by them.
"Alohomora!": the magic mobile app
One single app to learn, build, connect, get inspired and share the magic world.
The core of this idea is an app that allows kids to 'program' their wands as they want in a simple and funny way. At the same time, the app should be the open door to share their experience with their friends.
PROGRAMME & PLAY THROUGH THE MAGIC SPELLS
A playful and clever mechanism to let the kids set their wands to interact with the different type of bricks is to use the voice recognition technologies on the phones.
Basically, using Siri or Google Now, they can learn a special spell that unlock a specific coomand for a specific brick.
INTRODUCING 'MAGIC' IN THE REAL WORLD
Every spell is correlated to a specific command that is automatically transferred towards the RFID system to be reprogrammed. Once the wand is connected to the phone the app updates the RFID with the new program.
SHARE AND JOIN THE COMMUNITY
It is easy to picture that this app may also give the access to a community of wand makers. Imagination of kids is infinite so this could be reflected in their creations: a community of wizards, witches and muggles enthusiasts.
