For the majority of the world's creative types, there's a childlike curiosity which drives them to continually explore the "what ifs" around them – what if something could be bigger, faster, or lighter? That idealistic imagination has caused some modern creatives to reexamine the literal building blocks from their youth and use LEGOS to design and construct an array of cool, contemporary creations.

LEGO estimates over 400 million people worldwide own, build, and rebuild with the beloved childhood toy, but it's the adult artists that are taking the blocks to a bigger scale. This year has seen two major animation projects, from the widely received LEGO movie (www.thelegomovie.com/) - that enchanted both parents and children alike – to the recent and somewhat unexpected LEGO and Simpsons television collaboration, that critics say, "felt like the old days." LEGO is clearly here to stay, not just as a child's toy, but as a source of entertainment for those of all ages.

But the fun with LEGOS isn't restricted to the screen, in October of 2011, street artist MEGX converted a bridge in Wuppertal, Germany into a giant LEGO structure, using colored panels that create the illusion of being the underside of LEGO bricks.

Various other creations have combined modern technology and practical uses for the classic building blocks, everything from iPhone & iPod docs, to computer cases, and customized lamps.

Even parents have become more innovative with all the excess LEGOS lying around, incorporating the individual pieces to help their youngsters with spelling, math equations, and the even elaborate, individualized chess boards to make the classic board game more enjoyable and easier to learn. There has been some backlash towards the company though, especially after a vintage 1981 LEGO ad resurfaced. Some feel that in recent years, LEGO has been perpetuating gender bias with its toys. The vintage ad shows that 30 years ago, LEGO's were much more neutral than their contemporary counterparts but this hasn't stopped enough people from buying their products to make any sort of dent in the business.

However, there's one company that's using LEGOS to help them rethink the way they see the future of the American auto industry. Two years ago, Tim Herrick – the Global Chief Engineer at General Motors – saw a problem, the data GM was studying was in 2D but their problems needed 3D solutions. GM needed a way to take the information from the computer screen and make it malleable.

So, Tim along with a former colleague came up with the idea to use LEGOS for "problem resolution tracking."  Let's say an SUV's suspension malfunctions during durability testing. GM still files a standard paper report but in addition, they add those findings to the LEGO board – using specific colors to signify various areas of the vehicle and the actual size of the LEGO is used to represent the severity of the problem.

However, the unseen added benefit to GM using LEGOS as problem solving tools is that the nostalgic childhood playfulness keeps the engineers and designers asking that important creative question over and over again, what if we can building things bigger, faster, or lighter?

Author Bio
The article is written by Dominic Blackwell Cooper from Fueled, an award winning mobile app design and development house based in New York and London.