Subject:
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Re: Color Change background
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.color
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Date:
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Fri, 14 May 2004 18:35:04 GMT
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Viewed:
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2727 times
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Hi Jake,
I was right! I was betting that although the color change was going to have
a negative effect on those who've been collecting for years (like me) I was
still trying to see things from a different perspective. I tried to put
myself in the company's shoes. Of course, TLG plans to be around for many
more decades to come, and these changes were made with that in mind.
This is good news. Even better news will be a longer Universal list. I
mean MUCH LONGER. Any more tweaks of already existing colors will really
bum me out. A LONG Universal list will give me hope that the core apsects
of my hobby will be set and unchanging for the next seventy years and
beyond. However, some work needs to be done now to ensure that this
Universal List is adhered to by all of TLG's manufacturing plants. As
you're no doubt aware, there are some problems with this regarding the
Knight Bus. A Universal List won't be much good if the plants are all
producing varying shades of the same color (we're just never satisfied, are
we?!). I hope that wheels are turning to correct this problem as we type.
Regarding the Universal List, I want to see the colors below on that list
SOON:
Dark Red
Sand Red
Dark Blue
Sand Blue
Light Blue
Light Orange
Sand Orange
Light Yellow/Banana
Magenta
Sand Magenta
Light Brown
Light Pink
Dark Pink
Lime Green
Sand Green
Teal
Purple
Sand Purple
ALL the trans-colors as well!
I'm sure I'm forgetting some!
I spent almost $200 at the PAB store in Carlsbad last week on many of these
colors, and I'd hate to think that some of them will be "retired" as well!
Sincerely,
David Simmons
BTW, are we ever going to see a trans-orange that is not flourescent? I'd
really love to see a deep, rich trans-orange color so that all the Town cars
can have proper turnsignals.
"Jake McKee" <jacob.mckee@america.lego.com> wrote in message
news:Hxns68.I5q@lugnet.com...
> First off, I apologize for bringing this issue up again, but a promise is • a
> promise. I said I would deliver more background info on the color change, • and
> here it is. In an effort to reduce the almost certain flood of responses • to this
> post, please understand that I am only posting the story, and won't be • debating
> the color change merits. My goal here is to simple share the real story of • how
> the color change to be. Sorry for taking so long to get this out to you. • In an
> effort to be 100% accurate, I wanted to fact check like mad before • posting. I
> know that some people won't believe this is the "real" story, but if you • have a
> stack of Bibles, I'm ready to swear on them.
>
> Now, on with the story! First a little background.
>
> The Design Lab is an internal group at the LEGO Company who is responsible • for
> overseeing the "system" aspects of everything the LEGO Company does. • They're the
> ones that maintain the element library, element history, "own" the element
> design process (working with others in the company), own and guide the • growth of
> the element library (ensuring the element selection doesn't get out of • control
> like the late 90s), own the color palette, and many other tasks. • Basically, they
> work to ensure that the system works long term, and is the most robust, • consumer
> (kids and adults) friendly it can possibly be.
>
> Around the beginning of 2000, we found ourselves with a color palette that • was
> growing far too quickly, and far too organically. There wasn't enough • vision put
> into how we were expanding and adding new colors. The decision was made to • apply
> the same type of thinking we now use in approaching the long term element • design
> process to the color palette. The desired outcome was to create a color • palette
> that would work effectively for years to come, and that could scale easily • and
> correctly. We didn't want to end up with the same out-of-control color • situation
> as we did with elements in the late 90s - that was a hard lesson to learn, • but
> we learned it well.
>
> This initiative led to a revised color palette. This new color palette • included
> some deletions of low-use colors, additions of new colors, and some tweaks • to
> the existing colors. The goal in all these changes was completely and • totally
> focused on creating the absolute best set of LEGO colors possible.
>
> There has been a great deal of assumptions posted about the reasons we • made the
> changes. Everything from trying to copy MEGABloks, to trying to save money • on
> recycling parts. I know it seems hard to believe (unless you really think • about
> the long-term history and attitude of this company), but it really is as • simple
> as trying to create a sustainable and consistent color palette for the • future.
>
> As one part of the process of defining this new, long-term color palette, • we
> tested the new color palette with children in the US and Germany. I won't • get
> into the details of how we actually tested, as I don't have those details. • But
> suffice to say, the tests came back overwhelmingly positive.
>
> A planned roll-out plan of these new colors was planned and implemented • for all
> products produced starting January 2004. The thinking was that it was much
> better to simply make a quick switch to the new colors, assuming • (correctly,
> from what little we've heard from non-AFOL sources; incorrectly from what • we've
> heard from the AFOLs) that the change would go fairly unnoticed. Changes • are
> made regularly to the bricks, to make them better in some way. Improved
> clutching power, easier part separation, and many other things I don't • begin to
> claim to understand are regularly tweaked to help improve the elements. • With the
> LEGO Company's desire to keep their decades-long reputation for quality, • we're
> constantly working to improve things that almost all the time, consumers • won't
> even notice. I know a statement like this will open a can of worms. The • point
> I'm making is just that we are constantly improving little small things • trying
> to make the overall system even better.
>
> Of course, one thing that Design Lab was unaware of at the time of
> implementation was the incredible impact on the AFOLs. It's hard to • remember,
> but when this "color palette cleanup" process was first initiated, LEGO • Direct
> was one person - Brad Justus. The LEGO Community Development team was more • than
> 3 years away from being formed. My role was both the Community Liaison • (30%) and
> Web Producer (90%) - an amount that adds up to more than 100%!
>
> Unfortunately, I simply wasn't able to carry the AFOL message to the • Design Lab
> in time. For that I apologize. I know I've let you down, and because of • it, a
> good number of people no longer trust me and/or the company.
>
> Right or wrong, agree or disagree (yes, I know that you all believe it was • the
> wrong decision and disagree with it), please understand that we fully
> acknowledge and apologize for our poor implementation. I know, I know - • many of
> you believe that the change should never have been made.
>
> Because I've been working closely with Design Lab (together with my LCD • Team
> colleagues) to help carry your message of frustration and concern, they • now
> understand your concerns probably better than any group in the company. • Again, I
> apologize for having not done a better job, earlier, in getting the AFOLs
> introduced to this group.
>
> Many, especially those in the 1000steine community, have voiced their • concerns
> with my/our efforts to help find a bridge between old and new. Some feel, • as was
> posted on LUGNET, that efforts like the colors bags are "tranquilizers". • That
> was not at all the intention. Since we still believe in the changes (not • the
> implementation, mind you), and the costs would simply be incredible • prohibitive
> at this point (we lost a bit of money last year...), we've tried to do our • best
> to help deliver to you as much as we can to help this transition. Is that • trying
> to "keep you quiet"? Not to me. to me, it's trying to respond to your • needs.
> Those things include:
>
> * Admitting that we made a mistake in our implementation
> * Defining in writing, what colors have been locked i.e. defined as • "universal",
> thus being "untouchable" (will have a full list once it's ready in a few
> weeks)
> * Agreeing to consult core consumers (AFOLs and child enthusiasts - Club • kids)
> when making future core changes.
> * Working on solutions to provide either old bricks or new bricks to help • ease
> the transition.
>
> I don't begin to think that we'll never make another mistake again. After • all,
> the company is made up of humans, and humans make mistakes. What I do hope • you
> know, or agree is that we will do a better job of trying to ensure this • type of
> situation doesn't happen again.
>
> I hope this helps clear things up.
>
> Jake¬
> ---¬
> Jake McKee¬
> Community Liaison¬
> LEGO Community Development
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