Just Imagine with Nancy Tsai 💭
Memories and experiences make us who we are. This is how we learn how to be. Just imagine how incredible it would be if your work touched just one life. Then imagine how it would feel if, potentially, it could speak to an entire generation. That’s the kind of influence and reward our play experience designers enjoy. Nancy Tsai is one of the unique talents that thrive on this.
“There’s that saying, isn’t there, ‘if you love your job, you don’t have to work a single day in your life’. I used to think it was a rather romantic way of looking at life. But, no, not here it’s not, it is absolutely true. I still remember when I received the job offer from Creative Play Lab, they asked "Would you like to come play with us?". We focus on prototyping play experiences. Our work probably won’t come to market for another two to five years. But it’s enough to know what this is really all about is building childhood memories. We have an impact in a positive way during some of a child’s most important formative years.
“We’re encouraged to choose the project we feel most passionate about. And they just let the team run with it. It’s much, much more self-driven than my previous work experiences. It’s an approach that allows you to work the way that brings out the best in you. I can’t say what I’m working on because it’s not out on the market yet. My proudest achievement is what we've achieved together with my teammates, we laugh a lot together and the fun shows in our designs. When I saw the childrens' reactions during testing, seeing them laughing and having fun. This is what makes my job worthwhile.
“There are just so many extremely talented and passionate Designers. I am learning new things from them every day. And just seeing their work laying around the office inspires me so much.
“As colleagues, we push each other. In the best possible way. We’re constantly asking for and giving feedback. This raises everyone’s game and makes you want to push yourself more. The other obvious major source for development is the sheer variety of projects. We’re a massive business and we get to work right across it.
“That being said, we’re definitely big on the little things. The details. This makes all the difference. What we get to play with goes beyond the LEGO® bricks too. One example that springs to mind is for LEGO® Mario™ and LEGO® Luigi™. One of my tasks was to think about the conversations they’d have. Or if they’d high five each other at the end of a game. Details.
“We’re pretty much the innovation hub for the future of the business. So a curious mind is probably the most valuable thing anyone could bring. Everything else flows from this. It’s the spark. For me it’s travel. As a Designer the best inspirations and ideas come from my own life experience and re-interpreting them from my own perspective. Being curious when you travel helps you notice all the little details that give reality to your design.
“I also love that our collaborative approach extends to our customers too. We set up a whole day kids test session in LEGO House, on the street right across from our office, and grabbed random families to see if they’d be willing to come do a test with us. It was such a great experience for everyone. As we showed them our creations, they gave us ideas and feedback. They showed us how they’d play. In this way, we really created new play along with them. What could be better than that?
Just Imagine shaping the future of creativity.
Now make it real.
Join the LEGO® team today