Lego it Go (Sorry Frozen Fans)
Appy to See You
Have you ever stumbled across a Lego Wall? I had not either. And no, I was not gearing up for a trip to Legoland.
Solstice Mobile is an enterprise innovation and mobility solutions firm, delivering engaging strategies and products to many notable organizations around the world, including Redbox & Sprint.
Founded in Chicago, they are part of a growing trend of companies nurturing the Silicon Lake landscape.
I was at their office to snap images from a recent installation.
A fleeting open space of glass and light, the welcome area is inviting and warm. To complete this first impression, Solstice saw opportunity behind the receptionist desk. After researching printing companies, the firm chose Cushing to showcase their logo with 3-dimensional signage. It came together in 1/2″ and 3/4″ acrylic, painted in pantone colors.
I know, less technical talk – you want Legos and we’re here to deliver.
As staff floated by browsing tablets, I started a self-guided tour. Turning the corner, I was engulfed in a flurry of color that took me back to being a kid.
Upward Mobility
Solstice was growing and that meant bringing on more employees, who were becoming quite the tight-knit group (possibly because they were literally sitting on top of each other), scattered among three separate suites.
It was time for an upgrade; in this case building out new office space five times the size of the original!
The transition had to maintain the spirit of a hungry, young company while keeping ideas flowing. The marketing team sensed it was the right time for teambuilding:
How do we bring together our employees to embrace this space and maintain an innovative culture?
Legos. Lots and lots of Legos.
Another Brick in the Wall
Employees were greeted with a ‘Brick Yourself’ challenge. No matter the company role, employee start date or taste in toys, the request was clear:
Connect with your inner child and construct a colorful representation of yourself.
Yes, using the same building blocks from kindergarten.
Legos tend to represent that first foray into designing, engineering and left/right brain capabilities. For some, it also represents moments in life where there are no wrong answers and innovation is encouraged.
Solstice Mobile has 150 employees.
Each one of them participated.
A Leg Up
Imagine spending your lunchtime browsing the Water Tower Lego store. To formulate their pitch, the marketing team took a field trip. Carefully selecting the perfect pieces, these savvy marketers made their case. Please forgive the cliché, but during that meeting, I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall!
The project was approved.
So a trip back to the store? Not exactly. To accommodate this number of people, they hit the web. Amazon, Ebay, Lego.com – it was a virtual hunt for thousands of Legos.
Lego My Ego
The rainbow of rubble quickly came together as an ultimate teambuilding exercise. Inspired structures highlighted employee interests, aspirations and most importantly, uncovered a side not everyone has a chance to see.
The outpouring of creativity was so successful; a number of structures had to be reduced in size to accommodate the wall!
The array of shapes and color continues to be a conversation starter.
What’s next? Lego self-portraits on an internal Smart Office app.
Once downloaded, end users can browse each employee’s Lego image, a short profile and the individual story behind their Lego masterpiece!
Has your company experimented with an out-of-the-box teambuilding excercise? Just want to share your feedback?
Drop them in the comments below; we’d love to hear from you!