LEGO Futura
LEGO Futura ApS was LEGO's department for product development which was set up in Billund in 1965. Futura created prototypes for new LEGO concepts, parts and themes.
History
LEGO Futura was formed in Billund, Denmark in 1965. The development department was established to focus on designing LEGO products and testing them with children, due to a desire for product differentiation in the LEGO brand at the time. Futura operated independently from the rest of the LEGO Group, and was directly controlled by then-CEO Godtfred Kirk Christiansen. The department was initially managed by Erik Tapdrup, Christiansen's assistant. Tapdrup later became Futura's development director.[1]
In 1969 a new workshop was set up at Futura that allowed for the creation of prototype pieces for testing before mass-production. In 1974 a second Futura development department was opened in Copenhagen.[1]
By 1999 Futura had opened additional offices in Boston, London, Milan, and Tokyo.[2]
Notable innovations
As Futura was the official product development department, their list of innovations is just as long as the history of the LEGO Group from the founding of LEGO Futura. To highlight some innovations that moved the legacy of LEGO forward:
LEGO Trains
The first LEGO Train sets launched in 1966, just a year after LEGO Futura was set up, together with a 4.5-volt motor to drive the train. The Train subtheme has been an integral part of LEGO ever since, and was especially well integrated into the Town theme. Motors themselves were launched in 1965, the same year LEGO Futura was set up, so it's unclear if motors were a part of LEGO Futura's initial product development too.
Public mentions
The name "Futura" was rarely brought up with the public as the public usually only saw the end products and weren't involved in the product development, but sometimes the LEGO Group mentioned Futura in promotions and behind-the-scenes previews.
The 1999 visual encyclopedia The Ultimate LEGO Book mentions LEGO Futura in reference to the development of the LEGO Rock Raiders theme and video game[2]
Other associations
LEGO Futura was closely associated with SPU Darwin, a short-lived digital innovation group within the LEGO Group.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Focus on product development". LEGO History. lego.com. Archived from the original on 24 August 2023.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Pickering, David; Turpin, Nick; Jenner, Caryn (eds.) (1999). "The Design Concept". The Ultimate LEGO Book. DK Publishing. pp. 30–31. ISBN 0-7894-4691-X.
