Behind the scenes with the LEGO Group’s Head of Design and WWF Denmark on inspiring kids to take care of the planet through play

This week, the LEGO Group launched its new Planet Promise Design Guidelines to support LEGO® designers as they develop exciting new storylines that feature socially and environmentally responsible practices across LEGO play experiences.

Speaking about joining forces on the advice, one of the Group’s Heads of Design, Louise Bontoft and WWF Denmark’s Director of Engagement, Tobias Emme Høgsberg, discuss what the collaboration can mean for the future of LEGO products, storytelling and the planet.

Let’s start with the big picture. What are the Planet Promise Design Guidelines?

Louise: We have a team of over 600 passionate design colleagues who work every day to inspire children. These new guidelines give them advice and inspiration on how to design socially and environmentally responsible storylines for new LEGO sets and experiences. They’re built around eight core principles focused on nature, energy, and resource use.

Why did WWF Denmark and the LEGO Group collaborate on the Planet Promise Design Guidelines?

Tobias: WWF Denmark has partnered with the LEGO Group for over 10 years. We’ve worked together to create play experiences that seek to inspire care for nature alongside Louise and her team. Through their play and experiences, the LEGO Group has a big opportunity to inspire kids to think creatively about what the world could look like – making this an important collaboration for the benefit of the next generation.

Why have you introduced these guidelines now?

Louise: We’ve been helping kids make sense of the world around them for generations, so this is a natural development. Play is an incredibly powerful tool for engaging children, and we know children are deeply aware of the environmental challenges we face.

We also know that 94% of parents think play helps children explore and learn about sustainability, so we have an important role to play in making it fun and engaging. That’s why you’ve seen elements like recycling trucks, wind turbines, and EV charging points featured in our products for many years – going back to at least 1987.

Why does WWF believe it’s so important to inform children and youth about biodiversity, climate, and the issues the design principles cover?

Tobias: Play and storytelling are powerful tools to inspire respect for the ecosystems we live in and the resources we use.

WWF works towards a nature positive world and in relation to kids, this means encouraging play and stories that show restoring forests, protecting animals, and cleaning up oceans as well as teaching kids that they can be heroes for the planet and make choices that help nature grow.

The more we provide children the tools to appreciate and understand nature’s value, the better equipped they become to make sense of the world around them.

How do these new guidelines change the way designers approach their work?

Louise: Of course we’ve shown sustainable practices in our sets for many years, but these guidelines formalise that approach. Designers want to do the right thing, and they care deeply about the world kids are growing up in.

The guidelines empower them to make an impact, without limiting creativity – it ranges from phasing out the use of single use food containers, to showing a wild range of flora and fauna in open spaces and including second-hand stores or flea markets in sets.

What stood out most in your collaboration with WWF Denmark during this process?

Louise: We began by looking at nearly 200 existing LEGO products with WWF Denmark and their international experts. Their overall assessment of our current portfolio was positive, and the team’s expertise and feedback were then instrumental in helping us define where we could improve, and ensure the guidance we gave designers is robust, accessible and globally relevant.

Were there any unexpected challenges or learnings throughout the process of working on the guidelines?

Tobias: Definitely! Some principles are difficult to illustrate in LEGO sets and cultural and practical differences around the world can also pose some challenges. For instance in relation to details as small as the colours of recycling bins which vary across different countries, or how animals and ecosystems are represented around the world – using the right colours, signs and details in the guidelines was important.

What role do you think cross-sector partnerships play in shaping the future of social and environmental responsibility?

Louise: By bringing together two unique sets of experience, our knowledge of play and design, and WWF Denmark’s deep understanding of nature and the environment, we have been able to create something that’s both playful and impactful. We hope these guidelines help designers create play experiences that allow children to imagine a more sustainable world and feel empowered to build it.

Tobias: Cross-sector collaboration is essential. Initiatives like the Planet Promise Design Guidelines help create environments where children can explore ideas, make sense of the world around them and think creatively. As they grow up with an appreciation for biodiversity and the value of living in harmony with nature, they’re better equipped to imagine possibilities and contribute to a more environmentally responsible future.

The Planet Promise Design Guidelines marks the latest step in the LEGO Group’s commitment to build a healthier planet, for future generations. There is no single solution to the challenges of sustainability, which is why the company is exploring a range of initiatives to reduce its environmental footprint and make its products from more renewable and recycled materials. To date, the LEGO Group has tested over 600 different materials for its bricks and elements.

More information about the LEGO Group’s sustainability progress can be found here.

About the LEGO Group and WWF Denmark
Since 2014, the LEGO Group has been part of the WWF Climate Savers Program. Together with WWF Denmark, the LEGO Group set ambitious targets to ensure more environmentally responsible means of producing LEGO® play experiences.

About the LEGO Group
The LEGO Group’s mission is to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow through the power of play. The LEGO System in Play, with its foundation in LEGO bricks, allows children and fans to build and rebuild anything they can imagine.

The LEGO Group was founded in Billund, Denmark in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen, its name derived from the two Danish words LEg GOdt, which mean “Play Well”.

Today, the LEGO Group remains a family-owned company headquartered in Billund. Its products are now sold in more than 120 countries worldwide. For more information: www.LEGO.com

About WWF
WWF is an independent conservation organisation with over 30 million followers and a global network active in nearly 100 countries. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which people live in harmony with nature by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. Learn more about WWF at www.wwf.org and www.wwf.dk.