Creating tools for the imagination. 🪄 Meet Creative Tech Wizard, Sami.
New technologies are helping us find ever-more creative ways to reimagine play. Sami is one of the people driving these innovations. Together, we’re enriching the LEGO® experience for a new generation.
"As an electronic engineer, I’m more into the physical components that drive our tech innovations. Things like sensors, lights, vibrations - anything and everything you can use to make play more interactive. Children are surrounded by technology, these days, and blending this into their experience means I get to have a lot of fun.”
Sami and his team are constantly on the lookout for emerging technologies, with the goal of transforming them into something children can enjoy. The magic happens at a cutting-edge workshop in the heart of London. Here, Sami and his colleagues have access to a variety of high-tech tools.
“Our job involves a lot of tech ‘scouting’. We try to find novel ways to use the latest tech to create play. It’s about spotting what’s brewing now, like new types of tactile sensations on smartphones or innovative lighting effects.”
“The environment I work in is very fast, agile and hands-on. Ideas can go from concept to prototype in a flash. We basically have a 3D printer, soldering irons, and a lot of tools to help us get things in the hands of children very quickly, so we can understand if it’s fun or if it’s confusing for them; what excites them and what falls flat.”
Despite the playful nature of the work, there’s a serious side to what Sami does.
“A lot of the stuff I do is confidential, so I can’t talk about it. These are our top-secret big-ticket innovations for the future. Things take time to come to market. There’s a lot of investment and research and I get to work on some groundbreaking projects. For me, it’s an absolute dream.”
“I’ve always had a knack for taking things apart. Every toy I got, probably from age seven onwards, they all ended up in pieces. I wanted to understand what made them tick. I guess this is what drove my career in the directions of electronics and engineering. But I’ve always wanted to make toys, so it was probably inevitable that I’d end up working at the LEGO Group sooner or later.”
Being at the meeting point where technology and play converge, feels like a perfect fit for Sami. But, as he tells us, there’s a lot more to it.
"It feels great to know I’m helping to shape how children are going to play in the future. But I’m part of something much bigger. Getting to collaborate with teams spread across the globe is how it all happens and makes everything even more fun. I work with colleagues in Billund, Denmark, as well as teams in Singapore, Los Angeles, and London.”
“The diversity of thought is really powerful. We’ve got people from everywhere and we all bring different perspectives. It’s really nice to have that shared sense of creativity.”
At the core of everything Sami does is a deep belief in the power of play.
“For me, designing toys isn’t just about making cool gadgets - it’s about giving hungry minds the tools to stimulate their imaginations. Children are the future, so I want to give them experiences that will help them build one that’s more creative. It’s about allowing them to escape from reality and engage their minds in ways that are both fun and educational.”
“It’s about having the freedom to explore - which is a big deal for me too. It helps me do what I do. If I see something new, I have the freedom to say, ‘Hey, I’ve got an idea. Let’s test it’. Pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. That’s what everything is about.”
Just imagine your LEGO® career.