Citations › Citation ID: 119

C119. BOOK: Daniel Konstanski, The Secret Life of LEGO Bricks: The Inside Story of a Design Icon (Unbound, 2022), p. 184-185.

During those first years, the combinations of beams and other elements were mostly decorative. Frameworks of LEGO Technic bricks would form a model’s interior, with beams contributing to certain functions and exterior details, along with tubes and plates. However, as the family of beams grew, its uses began to change. Initially, the shift was most prominent in a class of models that almost hadn’t existed before: small LEGO Technic vehicles. Due to the spacing required to pin LEGO Technic bricks together, small products had never been possible before. As the number of beams and half beams increased, their tight tolerances allowed for stable, small depictions of all kinds of vehicles, from motorcycles to aeroplanes, and more. Now, with smaller sets, children could experiment and see if they liked the LEGO Technic theme before moving onto higher-priced sets.

The introduction of a full range of Technic beams made it possible to design much smaller Technic models and reach younger builder.