LEGO statement regarding paper instructions
Posted by CapnRex101,
LEGO published a now-removed survey on the Insiders Rewards Centre a couple of days ago, casting doubt on whether paper instructions will continue to be used in sets. The response from fans was overwhelmingly negative, as expected.
Thankfully, we have today received a statement to confirm that is not the case:
We would like to reassure fans that we have no plans to stop using physical building instructions in our products.
We conducted this survey to understand more about our adult fans’ preferences regarding our products and building experience, something we do regularly across a range of topics.
We would like to thank our LEGO Insiders members who took the time to respond to the survey - your feedback is important to us and helps us make our LEGO experiences even better.
Although I still wonder whether that will remain the case forever, this is certainly good news for the time being. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.
224 likes
131 comments on this article
Welp, panic over!... For now...
I've been trying to rebuild 30343 with online instructions and it's been excruciating. I can't imagine doing that with a set of any reasonable size
I can't imagine it happening for a long time at least. There's just waaaaay too much backlash against it. I noticed recent Mario sets included paper instructions, presumably also a result of all the anger about the theme being released without any.
Not surprised at all that the fan response was utterly negative. What does surprise me was that LEGO themselves thought it would be anything but.
Maybe they have seen the massive reaction of lego fans in favor of physical instructions and got a little bit scared...?
VICTORY!
No trees were invited to the survey.
Suspected as much. Absolutely baffling that this was a public survey on the website instead of a nice quiet market research session with NDAs like you'd normally want to do for stuff like this.
*Only digital BIs* You shall not pass!
WOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOoOO!
Thanks to everyone who voted against getting rid of instructions!
We were just checking, no worries! Unless, maybe you'd want it... just kidding! Or maybe, think about the CO2 greenwashing we could brag about? PSYCH! Got you again!
Yes, paper instructions take place, but as my interest in bricks is evolving and my kid is growing, some sets wil be parted out, but then one day, in 10, 20 years, I might want to reassemble some of then by nostalgia, or maybe sell some.
Nobody can guarantee digital instructions will still be available by this time, but if you storage it well you can trust paper.
I still think putting instructions into every copy of Star Wars battlepacks isn't necessary, and that those longform instructions of smaller sets could just be put on the Builders App when children truly have issues with 3-5 parts per step.
Somewhere, Treebeard is very displeased.
I alternate between using .pdf and physical instructions and would perhaps not welcome, but still understand, a transition away from physical instructions, at least as a standard. Albeit I might just prefer the latter, the ridiculous amounts of paper used for the physical ones every year do, in all honesty, seem a bit much when you think about it.
What about a solution where you could purchase a set with or without physical instruction booklets, and pay a little bit more for the former?
I’m glad this isn’t going ahead. Removing paper instructions from Lego sets would make them even more elitist than they already are.
was that quickest survey get points, before it was removed?
This moment must be what it felt like when the Soviets decided to remove their missiles from Cuba in '62.
A set without a nice instruction booklet would not be the same in my opinion. I think Lego would get rid if they could but obviously they’ve misjudged this. With prices as high as they are and Lego’s monopoly on the market, alienating customers further might be a tipping point
Lego make an effort every few years to ditch paper instructions (for cost reasons, not "environmental" when they have an oil-based product).
Making the instructions as bland as possible, certain themes forcing a digital experience, etc.
What I like about Lego is that it gives me a break from looking at screens. Digital instructions destroy that, and Lego should make a marketing push about how Lego is an alternative to digital, not try to integrate everywhere.
Hmm, maybe more building steps per page might help their paper use...
Seriously, they could work on that. Gundam kits convey more complex information in less space. Dial that down a bit for younger kids, you're good to go.
There's a happy place between 'one page per piece' and 'Haynes manual'...
We're talking about paper for an oil-based product.
As long as the paper is from sustainable sources, the growth of trees helps suck up all the pollution. A reduction in the need for trees will see less grown and more industrial areas will be placed on top of those forests.
I quite like building with instructions on my iPad. Takes up less space on the table, there is no glare off the shiny paper and I don't have to press the spine to keep the booklet open. I keep the booklets for most sets in case I ever decide to sell, and storing them is just annoying. The ones I don't keep, I have to go to the trouble of ripping the staples out so I can recycle the paper.
Frankly I don't care for the physical instructions as long as they are easily accessible over the net. I use Brickset's own instruction link all the time. For instructions of older sets I use Brick Factory.
If they are concerned about the environment they should just use recycled paper (if they don’t already, I’m not sure)
I mean the best step they could take to reduce paper usage is to reduce box size as much as possible. Thinking about sustainability, I imagine reducing box size would generally be equivalent to getting rid of instructions, especially over a large range of their products.
Or like @Raven_848 said, use recycled paper.
I tried to take the survey yesterday but couldn't find it. I guess it was already down. Missed out on the 50 points, next time they have something on a controversial topic I'll make sure to take the survey right away, LOL!
What people don't realise that when you replace paper with digital you still need energy to keep the servers with digital information running and that includes climate control of the rooms where the servers are based. The more digital information has to be stored the more energy you need 24 hours a day and 7 daya a week, And I'm ignoring the enery people use on their own devices to acces the digital informatiom.
W Lego fans \-.-/
We do want paper instructions, it is a fundamental part of the LEGO building game experience.
@Raven_848 said:
"If they are concerned about the environment they should just use recycled paper (if they don’t already, I’m not sure)"
Well for the set packaging they probably do that since... Always? Those new paper bags are snow white though so it's mostly greenwashing. Bleaching paper and cutting down trees for the paper is not exactly the definition of "environment friendlyness".
I don't think the surveys showed that much. A lot of the questions were something like "Would you use digital instructions and why is your answer 'yes'?".
They probably observed the negative response of the fan media like for example brickset.
@xoddam said:
"The ones I don't keep, I have to go to the trouble of ripping the staples out so I can recycle the paper. "
Why would you do that? You do know that paper can be recycled with the staples left in, do you?
Likewise with the little see-through windows you sometimes get on envelopes. Many people think these would be plastic, but apparently they are made from cellulose these days.
And breathe...
If I had the option to pay less I would glaldy use my ipad.
Instructions take up a lot of space and are very bloated these days.
Great success!
One day I’m sure the bug-eaters will win, since they lack the ingenuity to imagine an Earth with advanced civilization living upon it. We can only hope those people learn to reason, and perhaps take trips out of their cities to see how empty this huge planet of ours actually is.
The Earth can sustain us and all the paper we could ever dream of making. Long live instructions. They’ve taken them from my power tools and appliances already. Don’t let them be taken from our hobbies.
@darthmar said:
"What people don't realise that when you replace paper with digital you still need energy to keep the servers with digital information running and that includes climate control of the rooms where the servers are based. The more digital information has to be stored the more energy you need 24 hours a day and 7 daya a week, And I'm ignoring the enery people use on their own devices to acces the digital informatiom."
And you don't know if that service is still going to be there 30-40 years from now.
If they make smaller/thinner instructions books I would be gratefull.
But that might cause lego to lose some kids as customers
Maybe lego can do a pilot by selling a few sets on their website with:
no, smaller/less easy and normal instructions
I would like the option of no instructions and no box for online purchases. It would be good for the planet and can save us money, too.
I for sure wouldn't be choosing it for all sets, as the instructions and boxes are really precious to me for many sets, but I'd chose that for great deals on basic/3:1/and some other sets.
Rare 2024 LEGO W
Woohoo, some good news!!
Happy to wake up to some good news!
Put down the pitchforks and torches, our work here is done.
@SpiderFan44 said:
"Yes, paper instructions take place, but as my interest in bricks is evolving and my kid is growing, some sets wil be parted out, but then one day, in 10, 20 years, I might want to reassemble some of then by nostalgia, or maybe sell some.
Nobody can guarantee digital instructions will still be available by this time, but if you storage it well you can trust paper."
I understand your point regarding nostalgia and your kids... but why would you not download the pdf instructions for all your sets and keep those as well? It's very easy to store a few hundred pdf documents and that way you have backups in case something gets damaged or ripped.
Just waiting for the inevitable 15% increase on set prices for 'NOW with sustainably sourced paper instruction booklet' announcement from LEGO.
@omnius said:
" @darthmar said:
"What people don't realise that when you replace paper with digital you still need energy to keep the servers with digital information running and that includes climate control of the rooms where the servers are based. The more digital information has to be stored the more energy you need 24 hours a day and 7 daya a week, And I'm ignoring the enery people use on their own devices to acces the digital informatiom."
And you don't know if that service is still going to be there 30-40 years from now."
And anything can happen to paper instructions. Plus, all that storage on servers is already happening since instructions are available online. And PDF files are easy to store. And some websites beside LEGO also keep instructions.
I use paper instructions because they're available in the box, but I've decided a few years ago to recycle most of them. I've kept just a few since then. I've built a lot with digital instructions and in some ways, I prefer them.
I smell PR BS in this statement, but I'm glad our message got through to them loud and clear. I'm very surprised that they issued a statement so fast.
@Joce1275 said:
" @SpiderFan44 said:
"Yes, paper instructions take place, but as my interest in bricks is evolving and my kid is growing, some sets wil be parted out, but then one day, in 10, 20 years, I might want to reassemble some of then by nostalgia, or maybe sell some.
Nobody can guarantee digital instructions will still be available by this time, but if you storage it well you can trust paper."
I understand your point regarding nostalgia and your kids... but why would you not download the pdf instructions for all your sets and keep those as well? It's very easy to store a few hundred pdf documents and that way you have backups in case something gets damaged or ripped."
It’s probably a bad idea to assume long-term access to any digital file is a given. How long is any individual cloud storage solution or physical storage medium going to last? How easy is it to extract or read files on, say, floppy disks nowadays?
It’s not exactly a pressing concern, I know, but I’d wager Lego bricks will retain their basic functionality a bit longer than any digital technology that aids our interaction with it. Especially when we consider that The Lego Group itself has a poor track record with reserving its digital components. Try unleashing the full potential of a Lego Hidden Side set now, for example.
I feel like such a bad person. I do not want to give up my printed instructions! But I use digital ones to actually build, because I do not want to damage the instructions…
@Mister_Jonny said:
" @Joce1275 said:
" @SpiderFan44 said:
"Yes, paper instructions take place, but as my interest in bricks is evolving and my kid is growing, some sets wil be parted out, but then one day, in 10, 20 years, I might want to reassemble some of then by nostalgia, or maybe sell some.
Nobody can guarantee digital instructions will still be available by this time, but if you storage it well you can trust paper."
I understand your point regarding nostalgia and your kids... but why would you not download the pdf instructions for all your sets and keep those as well? It's very easy to store a few hundred pdf documents and that way you have backups in case something gets damaged or ripped."
It’s probably a bad idea to assume long-term access to any digital file is a given. How long is any individual cloud storage solution or physical storage medium going to last? How easy is it to extract or read files on, say, floppy disks nowadays?
It’s not exactly a pressing concern, I know, but I’d wager Lego bricks will retain their basic functionality a bit longer than any digital technology that aids our interaction with it. Especially when we consider that The Lego Group itself has a poor track record with reserving its digital components. Try unleashing the full potential of a Lego Hidden Side set now, for example.
"
There's a huge difference between an app and PDF files every one can easily store on their own external hard drive.... Those instructions will be available whatever happens in the next 300 years because they are stored in the same format as billions of other documents.
It's times like this that I'm proud to be part of such a great community!
It's also heartening to see The LEGO Group listening to its fans and reacting so quickly.
If there would not be paper instructions I would not buy any set over ~300 pieces anymore.
@8lackmagic said:
"It's times like this that I'm proud to be part of such a great community!
It's also heartening to see The LEGO Group listening to its fans and reacting so quickly."
They only "listen" at select opportunities. There will soon be another quiet, but no less baffling, change.
@eiffel006 said:
" @Mister_Jonny said:
" @Joce1275 said:
" @SpiderFan44 said:
"Yes, paper instructions take place, but as my interest in bricks is evolving and my kid is growing, some sets wil be parted out, but then one day, in 10, 20 years, I might want to reassemble some of then by nostalgia, or maybe sell some.
Nobody can guarantee digital instructions will still be available by this time, but if you storage it well you can trust paper."
I understand your point regarding nostalgia and your kids... but why would you not download the pdf instructions for all your sets and keep those as well? It's very easy to store a few hundred pdf documents and that way you have backups in case something gets damaged or ripped."
It’s probably a bad idea to assume long-term access to any digital file is a given. How long is any individual cloud storage solution or physical storage medium going to last? How easy is it to extract or read files on, say, floppy disks nowadays?
It’s not exactly a pressing concern, I know, but I’d wager Lego bricks will retain their basic functionality a bit longer than any digital technology that aids our interaction with it. Especially when we consider that The Lego Group itself has a poor track record with reserving its digital components. Try unleashing the full potential of a Lego Hidden Side set now, for example.
"
There's a huge difference between an app and PDF files every one can easily store on their own external hard drive.... Those instructions will be available whatever happens in the next 300 years because they are stored in the same format as billions of other documents."
Absolutely agreed! And as I said above, these pdfs can be backups... I still have a good chunk of paper instructions but I also have electronics backups of loads of things... receipts, manuals, Lego instructions, ebooks, 45+ years of vacation pictures... backed up at work, at home and on external drives. I might lose some of it, but I likely won't lose all of it!!
I mean, the issue lies on how they use the paper instructions properly. I say bring the survey with that line of thinking.
I havent used paper instructions for about 4 years now, so now I Just have hundreds taking up space for no reason. I wont be upset when I open a box and dont get a bent dog eared chunk of paper I have no use for.
"We conducted this survey to understand more about our adult fans’ preferences regarding our products and building experience, something we do regularly across a range of topics."
"I don't believe you." - Ron Burgundy
I just want to pitch to everyone here to be conscious of preference bias. Just because you, specifically, do not like paper instructions doesn't mean that everyone else has to have the same preference. If it's more efficient for you to recycle your instructions or convert everything to PDF, great, that works. People who may want their paper instructions include:
- Children, particularly neurodivergent ones, who aren't terminally online and prefer the tactile experience of paper
- Traditionalists who prefer to work from a book
- People who don't own tablets. (I don't. And the rare times where I've worked from PDF instructions on my phone were painful, including when I made the combined Art Darth Vader build.)
- Collectors who consider the instructions part of the set.
Lastly noting that I do resell my Lego over time, particularly when I buy a set just for the minifigures. Having the instructions available for the buyer really helps the sale.
Again, if you prefer PDF to paper, great. It's not for everyone and shouldn't be demanded.
@ShilohCyan said:
"I've been trying to rebuild 30343 with online instructions and it's been excruciating. I can't imagine doing that with a set of any reasonable size "
Interesting. I'd think the pdf would be just as good as paper for sets like that, if not preferable, since it's possible to zoom in and see each step much more clearly on a screen.
If they REALLY wanted our opinions, they would have been more inclusive with "I don't like this" and "Don't do this" and "It will sharply reduce my purchases" options rather than this sloppy Push Poll that seemed hellbent for leather on "we're gonna do this anyway, tell us what you find LEAST intolerable."
I think we can expect paper instructions to be gone in 5-10 years. I think the best route for LEGO to go is make physical instruction booklets a purchasable extra. Yes, it'll end up being just another way for them to squeeze money out of fans, but it's the most environmentally respectful & cost-effective (for LEGO) option. You're not mass-producing booklets to everyone buying a set, with some customers not even using it & opting to use the LEGO Builder app. But, for people that want it, the option is there.
As someone who's built LEGOs for nearly 20 years, I honestly quite enjoy the digital instructions, especially the functionality of building together with others. It's allowed people in my life who previously didn't enjoy building LEGO to happily share the experience with me. I'd urge anyone against digital instructions with a partner or kids to at least try the "Build Together" function in the LEGO Builder app. It's a different, non-linear building experience, but it's equally fun for everyone involved.
@peterlmorris said:
"One day I’m sure the bug-eaters will win, since they lack the ingenuity to imagine an Earth with advanced civilization living upon it. We can only hope those people learn to reason, and perhaps take trips out of their cities to see how empty this huge planet of ours actually is.
The Earth can sustain us and all the paper we could ever dream of making. Long live instructions. They’ve taken them from my power tools and appliances already. Don’t let them be taken from our hobbies. "
What
This is a great idea! It provides the option & incentive to those that don't need the instruction booklet, but for the consumer that still wants the booklet (subsequently, a consumer that doesn't like change), the price isn't affected.
@The_Cellarer said:
"Somewhere, Treebeard is very displeased."
"The trees, they're moving!" "They have business with the orcs." "What about that bunch heading in a different direction?" "Their business is in a land called Denmark."
I wonder how many of the responses included people writing straight-up abusive comments in the survey.
much ado about nothing - as ever. one idiot sets a "news" without research and everyone runs around like a startled chicken.
stupid times.
I would rather pay mor $ and get the instructions than pay less $ for a set with online instructions only
@Rare_White_Ape said:
"I wonder how many of the responses included people writing straight-up abusive comments in the survey."
There was no response box in the survey, from what I heard, which was a big part of the criticism over the survey coming across as a push poll.
@ResIpsaLoquitur said:
"- People who don't own tablets. (I don't. And the rare times where I've worked from PDF instructions on my phone were painful, including when I made the combined Art Darth Vader build.)
- Collectors who consider the instructions part of the set.."
Doing the Darth Vader combined art was painful even on my 13" iPad. My screen turns off for inactivity to save power, and for Lego art which is very detailed, it was particularly annoying.
OK, I could turn off the screen saver, but the battery wouldn't last very long particularly for a long build like that set.
Glad to see a quick turn around on the statement. One of the joys my family and myself get is unplugging for the build. It's nice to not look at a screen and do something tactile. Paper instructions forever.
@Rare_White_Ape said:
"I wonder how many of the responses included people writing straight-up abusive comments in the survey."
There was nowhere to leave comments on the survey, but I am sure LEGO received some messages via customer service and I am very confident they will have read the comments here on Brickset and elsewhere.
Well it was a terrible survey. If they would have given any context whatsoever, it might not have caused so much backlash. For a multi-billion dollar company, seems like they could put more effort into these sorts of things. SMH
It wasn't you that had an aneurism.
Good news, thanks!!
The questions on the survey were poorly worded anyway, and there was nowhere to make direct comments. They asked mainly if -I- would buy sets without instructions for myself. Honestly, I would. But the problem is I am not (should not be) Lego's primary customer, my kids are. And I'm not handing my 7 year old an expensive, internet-connected device.
Oh well, at least we got 50 Insiders points out of it.
@CapnRex101 said:
"There was nowhere to leave comments on the survey, but I am sure LEGO received some messages via customer service and I am very confident they will have read the comments here on Brickset and elsewhere."
Thanks for the tip. As someone who likes to help, and have a say, I found it disappointing that they took down the survey so soon. I left a helpful message with Customer Service, covering these points:
- I depend on paper instructions. I would consider a lack of paper instructions as a reason to return a set. I was disappointed when a Nintendo set did not have them.
- More pieces per stage could save paper; maybe gauge it for 1.5-2 minutes per stage rather than 1 minute per stage.
- Better use of each page could be a policy for authoring instructions.
- I appreciate the pdf instructions in addition to paper instructions. It sells me more sets by allowing me to see the contents of each set; I buy for the parts, not just for the model and I often buy multiples of one set.
- Paper instructions are a good way to reduce screen time for adults and also for children. I wish all Technic Control+ sets could use the train remote handset(s) and get rid of the phone. (note Pybricks should not be necessary)
@xoddam said:
"I quite like building with instructions on my iPad. Takes up less space on the table, there is no glare off the shiny paper and I don't have to press the spine to keep the booklet open. I keep the booklets for most sets in case I ever decide to sell, and storing them is just annoying. The ones I don't keep, I have to go to the trouble of ripping the staples out so I can recycle the paper. "
But you can still get glare off of a screen, so moot point...
I will stand by not wanting to build off of a screen. The whole point of this hobby for me is to relax and avoid screens.
Just print them real small on the inside of the box.
@ToysFromTheAttic said:
"Oh well, at least we got 50 Insiders points out of it."
Those of us who were able to get the survey, anyway. I didn't have any trouble, but apparently neither following the link here nor going to Lego.com separately and looking in the Insiders section worked for a lot of people.
The system works!
@TheOtherMike said:
" @ToysFromTheAttic said:
"Oh well, at least we got 50 Insiders points out of it."
Those of us who were able to get the survey, anyway. I didn't have any trouble, but apparently neither following the link here nor going to Lego.com separately and looking in the Insiders section worked for a lot of people."
I had some issues initially, too, but the miracle of refreshing the page a couple of times did the trick. I slay browsers.
On one hand I like the idea of the boxes becoming lighter (and possibly smaller) as a result of not including a physical manual, on the other hand I enjoy the fully analog experience of Lego and flipping over a physical manual to build, I'd rather that not go away.
If lego cared about reducing production materials, they would shrink boxes. That would also save on shipping. But they won't as that would impact profits too much.
@followsclosely said:
"If lego cared about reducing production materials, they would shrink boxes. That would also save on shipping. But they won't as that would impact profits too much."
I'm probably wrong, but I had the impression in the past couple of years that boxes were getting smaller. I like to take the bags out and then put them back in order in the box so the bags I'll next be building is on top. I had troubles doing that with 75394, for example. The situation might not be perfect, but it's clearly better than it was when they released 8091.
I'm so glad to know that!
@lupia13 said:
"I think we can expect paper instructions to be gone in 5-10 years. I think the best route for LEGO to go is make physical instruction booklets a purchasable extra. Yes, it'll end up being just another way for them to squeeze money out of fans, but it's the most environmentally respectful & cost-effective (for LEGO) option. You're not mass-producing booklets to everyone buying a set, with some customers not even using it & opting to use the LEGO Builder app. But, for people that want it, the option is there.
As someone who's built LEGOs for nearly 20 years, I honestly quite enjoy the digital instructions, especially the functionality of building together with others. It's allowed people in my life who previously didn't enjoy building LEGO to happily share the experience with me. I'd urge anyone against digital instructions with a partner or kids to at least try the "Build Together" function in the LEGO Builder app. It's a different, non-linear building experience, but it's equally fun for everyone involved."
I'd rather to see digital world to be gone in the near future.
@eiffel006 said:
" @Mister_Jonny said:
" @Joce1275 said:
" @SpiderFan44 said:
"Yes, paper instructions take place, but as my interest in bricks is evolving and my kid is growing, some sets wil be parted out, but then one day, in 10, 20 years, I might want to reassemble some of then by nostalgia, or maybe sell some.
Nobody can guarantee digital instructions will still be available by this time, but if you storage it well you can trust paper."
I understand your point regarding nostalgia and your kids... but why would you not download the pdf instructions for all your sets and keep those as well? It's very easy to store a few hundred pdf documents and that way you have backups in case something gets damaged or ripped."
It’s probably a bad idea to assume long-term access to any digital file is a given. How long is any individual cloud storage solution or physical storage medium going to last? How easy is it to extract or read files on, say, floppy disks nowadays?
It’s not exactly a pressing concern, I know, but I’d wager Lego bricks will retain their basic functionality a bit longer than any digital technology that aids our interaction with it. Especially when we consider that The Lego Group itself has a poor track record with reserving its digital components. Try unleashing the full potential of a Lego Hidden Side set now, for example.
"
There's a huge difference between an app and PDF files every one can easily store on their own external hard drive.... Those instructions will be available whatever happens in the next 300 years because they are stored in the same format as billions of other documents."
File formats can become deprecated and lose software support over time, and thus programs that can read them can become harder to find. Same goes for hardware. In 300 years? There is absolutely no guarantee information created now, but never maintained through evolving technology, will be accessible at all in that time frame.
I don't even read Brickset on a computer/phone/tablet. I print out the articles and discussion. Shoot, someone just added another comment. Ctrl-P
@Joce1275 said:
" @eiffel006 said:
" @Mister_Jonny said:
" @Joce1275 said:
" @SpiderFan44 said:
"Yes, paper instructions take place, but as my interest in bricks is evolving and my kid is growing, some sets wil be parted out, but then one day, in 10, 20 years, I might want to reassemble some of then by nostalgia, or maybe sell some.
Nobody can guarantee digital instructions will still be available by this time, but if you storage it well you can trust paper."
I understand your point regarding nostalgia and your kids... but why would you not download the pdf instructions for all your sets and keep those as well? It's very easy to store a few hundred pdf documents and that way you have backups in case something gets damaged or ripped."
It’s probably a bad idea to assume long-term access to any digital file is a given. How long is any individual cloud storage solution or physical storage medium going to last? How easy is it to extract or read files on, say, floppy disks nowadays?
It’s not exactly a pressing concern, I know, but I’d wager Lego bricks will retain their basic functionality a bit longer than any digital technology that aids our interaction with it. Especially when we consider that The Lego Group itself has a poor track record with reserving its digital components. Try unleashing the full potential of a Lego Hidden Side set now, for example.
"
There's a huge difference between an app and PDF files every one can easily store on their own external hard drive.... Those instructions will be available whatever happens in the next 300 years because they are stored in the same format as billions of other documents."
Absolutely agreed! And as I said above, these pdfs can be backups... I still have a good chunk of paper instructions but I also have electronics backups of loads of things... receipts, manuals, Lego instructions, ebooks, 45+ years of vacation pictures... backed up at work, at home and on external drives. I might lose some of it, but I likely won't lose all of it!!"
Or you could just, you know, use a website like BrickInstructions, which has a database of every LEGO instruction sheet ever made? Those will probably still exist in 20 years, and would be even easier to maintain if all manuals were digital. Not to say that I want paper instructions to disappear, but preservation is the least of our concerns.
Damn, if Lego fans can't even handle such a small change, my earlier suggestion to also virtualize the bricks seems totally doomed :-(
No six figure salary plus a brand new Ferrari for me, and we'll keep stepping on those darn bricks....
How about including a less detailed set of paper instructions with the sets (saving paper and weight) but if the user finds they need a piece by piece level of detail to build the set, then have super detailed instructions available online.
I do like having the physical instructions booklet so I understand that point of view. At the same time, I imagine the environmental impact of paper instructions is greater than that of people using digital instructions - and I like having a planet we can live on. We've managed to move to paperless bank statements and utility bills so I'm sure we'd cope. I've got second-hand sets that didn't have the booklet so I've had to use a download and it wasn't awful. And there are advantages to digital - animations, 3D visualisations, zooming etc. Maybe they could be optional and the sets a couple of quid cheaper without?
As long as they will keep doing this until ~2063 I'm good.
Dear LEGO, just add two bricks per step and save 50% of the paper. Win win for the natural ressources and smart LEGO fans.
@eiffel006 said:
" @followsclosely said:
"If lego cared about reducing production materials, they would shrink boxes. That would also save on shipping. But they won't as that would impact profits too much."
I'm probably wrong, but I had the impression in the past couple of years that boxes were getting smaller. I like to take the bags out and then put them back in order in the box so the bags I'll next be building is on top. I had troubles doing that with 75394, for example. The situation might not be perfect, but it's clearly better than it was when they released 8091."
bof... at the moment, latest modular building's boxes are bigger than old ones...
eg: i can save every single module in the box without destroy anything since "Assembly Square", while in the older ones I have to do... and it's the same with "Home Alone" set...
so, yes, boxes are too big!
@elangab said:
"As long as they will keep doing this until ~2063 I'm good."
I'm sure I won't live that long, so... Sure, 2063 works for me!
:)
@eiffel006 said:
" @omnius said:
" @darthmar said:
"What people don't realise that when you replace paper with digital you still need energy to keep the servers with digital information running and that includes climate control of the rooms where the servers are based. The more digital information has to be stored the more energy you need 24 hours a day and 7 daya a week, And I'm ignoring the enery people use on their own devices to acces the digital informatiom."
And you don't know if that service is still going to be there 30-40 years from now."
And anything can happen to paper instructions. Plus, all that storage on servers is already happening since instructions are available online. And PDF files are easy to store. And some websites beside LEGO also keep instructions.
I use paper instructions because they're available in the box, but I've decided a few years ago to recycle most of them. I've kept just a few since then. I've built a lot with digital instructions and in some ways, I prefer them."
Except those paper instructions are in my care and I'm not relying on an external service or digital storage that's more likely to fail than well-kept paper.
Bad, Lego.
Naughty Lego.
Ooh, she's evil, and must be punished for setting alight the false digital instruction beacon survey.
Yes, she must be spanked. In fact, we all need a good spanking.
@b2_O said:
"Welp, panic over!... For now..."
Exactly, its like the Titanic has just hit the iceberg and at the moment and brush it off as if it was nothing/just a scrape yet the sinking is just enevitible giving it enough time. This statement feels like +ive however at the same time behind the corporate jargen "we are thinking of phasing out instructions in future, just not yet because we have major oversights, although its just a matter of time before everything goes virtual and then you have no controll/own anything and it be a premium subscription service, eventually sell on future curency virtual bricks/instructions". Lol either Lego learned thier lesson or its just a tester or a facade put up to soften the impact and be in public perception as a thought. Maybe Lego like with doing away with physical instructions do the same playbook of "If at first you do not suceed, try, try and try again" basically pester people into accepting change like how stuff become normalised/or 'of the time'. 1 thing for sure Lego was playing with fire.
*Insert 'Stressed Homelander meme'*
@StyleCounselor said:
"Bad, Lego.
Naughty Lego.
Ooh, she's evil, and must be punished for setting alight the false digital instruction beacon survey.
Yes, she must be spanked. In fact, we all need a good spanking. "
Curious about what happens after the spanking....Get on with it!
If they want to cut down on paper and ink, maybe stop printing instructions that have an entire page for a single step that adds a single piece? Anything other than 4+ (and maybe even that) can handle more.
@Garth_Brown said:
"VICTORY!"
For now... the audacity
The devils gotten INSIDE of Lego. And ever since that guy from what was it topps card who came up with exclusive/overpricing/market shorting/Mr Gold exclusitivity/mystery Lego/monopolising it is ruining the company, still Lego *sort of* learned that the 10,000 Mr golds was another half-baked idea that backfired on them and was net -ive (apart from the few that probably found them/enjoyed the madness).
It does make you wonder about the complexity of instructions like many others have stated. I know kids today are a different breed than they were in my day, but I think they can handle a few extra bricks per step. Looking back at the late 80s/early 90s instructions and makes you wonder how many kids were able to build anything compared to today. But screens have destroyed people's brains and attention spans. I have a few 9 year old kids in the family that can't even get through a standard LEGO set now because they lose interest too quickly. LEGO needs to do interactive youtube video instructions instead of doing away with paper. Kids need someone talking to them constantly and some other distractions to get through anything. Reading? what's that?
As for digital concerns, people mentioning 300 years from now. Why would we even begin to think that far into the future? I thought the world was ending sooner than that anyway. Just enjoy the brick while you have it and maybe build a shelter out of your pieces.
@WizardOfOss said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
"Bad, Lego.
Naughty Lego.
Ooh, she's evil, and must be punished for setting alight the false digital instruction beacon survey.
Yes, she must be spanked. In fact, we all need a good spanking. "
Curious about what happens after the spanking....Get on with it!"
No. It's too perilous!!
@StyleCounselor said:
" @WizardOfOss said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
"Bad, Lego.
Naughty Lego.
Ooh, she's evil, and must be punished for setting alight the false digital instruction beacon survey.
Yes, she must be spanked. In fact, we all need a good spanking. "
Curious about what happens after the spanking....Get on with it!"
No. It's too perilous!!"
Look, it's my duty as an AFOL to sample as much peril as I can.
@BlackFalconBirdman said:
"I would like the option of no instructions and no box for online purchases. It would be good for the planet and can save us money, too.
I for sure wouldn't be choosing it for all sets, as the instructions and boxes are really precious to me for many sets, but I'd chose that for great deals on basic/3:1/and some other sets."
How would you get the pieces if there's no box?
How are you gonna build a set then if you don't have a tablet, computer, or smartphone?
@WizardOfOss said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
" @WizardOfOss said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
"Bad, Lego.
Naughty Lego.
Ooh, she's evil, and must be punished for setting alight the false digital instruction beacon survey.
Yes, she must be spanked. In fact, we all need a good spanking. "
Curious about what happens after the spanking....Get on with it!"
No. It's too perilous!!"
Look, it's my duty as an AFOL to sample as much peril as I can."
No, no, no. Far too much peril for you to handle.
@StyleCounselor said:
" @WizardOfOss said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
" @WizardOfOss said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
"Bad, Lego.
Naughty Lego.
Ooh, she's evil, and must be punished for setting alight the false digital instruction beacon survey.
Yes, she must be spanked. In fact, we all need a good spanking. "
Curious about what happens after the spanking....Get on with it!"
No. It's too perilous!!"
Look, it's my duty as an AFOL to sample as much peril as I can."
No, no, no. Far too much peril for you to handle. "
Oh, let me have just a little bit of peril?
I will never understand why LEGO would want to remove an integral part of the building experience.
While I agree that overly juniorized instruction manuals contribute to paper wastage, I somehow appreciate LEGO’s efforts to create a bonding build experience among family members by including multiple booklets for larger sets.
Going digital isn’t always the answer to sustainability. And sustainability should never be used as a convenient excuse to cut the company’s operating costs.
@Joce1275 said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
" @WizardOfOss said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
" @WizardOfOss said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
"Bad, Lego.
Naughty Lego.
Ooh, she's evil, and must be punished for setting alight the false digital instruction beacon survey.
Yes, she must be spanked. In fact, we all need a good spanking. "
Curious about what happens after the spanking....Get on with it!"
No. It's too perilous!!"
Look, it's my duty as an AFOL to sample as much peril as I can."
No, no, no. Far too much peril for you to handle. "
Oh, let me have just a little bit of peril?"
No, it's too perilous! I won't let you!
@TheOtherMike said:
" @Joce1275 said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
" @WizardOfOss said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
" @WizardOfOss said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
"Bad, Lego.
Naughty Lego.
Ooh, she's evil, and must be punished for setting alight the false digital instruction beacon survey.
Yes, she must be spanked. In fact, we all need a good spanking. "
Curious about what happens after the spanking....Get on with it!"
No. It's too perilous!!"
Look, it's my duty as an AFOL to sample as much peril as I can."
No, no, no. Far too much peril for you to handle. "
Oh, let me have just a little bit of peril?"
No, it's too perilous! I won't let you!"
This concludes the Adventures of Other Mike the Chaste.
On to Comment Number 118, which has a good little bit in it about Lego instructions.
Good news. Too bad they didn't do a survey BEFORE removing all artwork from instructions too. Nobody wants all themes to be a rendered model on a white background only. Even the paper based bags have some artwork lol.
@lupia13 said:
"I think we can expect paper instructions to be gone in 5-10 years. I think the best route for LEGO to go is make physical instruction booklets a purchasable extra. Yes, it'll end up being just another way for them to squeeze money out of fans, but it's the most environmentally respectful & cost-effective (for LEGO) option. You're not mass-producing booklets to everyone buying a set, with some customers not even using it & opting to use the LEGO Builder app. But, for people that want it, the option is there.
As someone who's built LEGOs for nearly 20 years, I honestly quite enjoy the digital instructions, especially the functionality of building together with others. It's allowed people in my life who previously didn't enjoy building LEGO to happily share the experience with me. I'd urge anyone against digital instructions with a partner or kids to at least try the "Build Together" function in the LEGO Builder app. It's a different, non-linear building experience, but it's equally fun for everyone involved."
Why should we be punished financially for something they’ve had in sets for decades? Judging from the comments here on the previous topic, they’d still be printing a lot of instructions, even considering the rather small sample size of this site. Nice subtle insult with the “people who don’t like change” crap. Did you not read any comments under the survey post? We, the people who want paper instructions, first & foremost want them because we don’t want to look at a screen while we build.
I have to wonder why the digital folks want the options gone? Because LEGO led with the “we want to savw the planet” shield? Because if you want to use digital...great, it’s already there. To the many who prefer to LEGO without a screen, we have that option already there too.
@StyleCounselor said:
" @WizardOfOss said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
" @WizardOfOss said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
"Bad, Lego.
Naughty Lego.
Ooh, she's evil, and must be punished for setting alight the false digital instruction beacon survey.
Yes, she must be spanked. In fact, we all need a good spanking. "
Curious about what happens after the spanking....Get on with it!"
No. It's too perilous!!"
Look, it's my duty as an AFOL to sample as much peril as I can."
No, no, no. Far too much peril for you to handle. "
Can.......I have some of this peril too? All this talk of it has me intrigued.
@lupia13 said:
"I think we can expect paper instructions to be gone in 5-10 years. I think the best route for LEGO to go is make physical instruction booklets a purchasable extra. Yes, it'll end up being just another way for them to squeeze money out of fans, but it's the most environmentally respectful & cost-effective (for LEGO) option. You're not mass-producing booklets to everyone buying a set, with some customers not even using it & opting to use the LEGO Builder app. But, for people that want it, the option is there.
As someone who's built LEGOs for nearly 20 years, I honestly quite enjoy the digital instructions, especially the functionality of building together with others. It's allowed people in my life who previously didn't enjoy building LEGO to happily share the experience with me. I'd urge anyone against digital instructions with a partner or kids to at least try the "Build Together" function in the LEGO Builder app. It's a different, non-linear building experience, but it's equally fun for everyone involved."
It wouldn't surprise me if returns went up, even boxes opened then returned as instructions were missing. Or sales drop. If they don't produce enough instructions, then set sales might get hit if you cannot buy the set and the booklet together.
good news!
Building is one my favorite ways to distance myself from screens when I need digital detox so having to use a PDF would be a nightmare. Glad the community spoke up.
@Raven_848 said:
"If they are concerned about the environment they should just use recycled paper (if they don’t already, I’m not sure)"
Lego's instructions are printed on paper certified by the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council), which certifies that the paper products are more environmentally friendly than other competitors on the market. Some FSC material is virgin paper, but it comes from forests that are managed according to FSC practices.
On the subject of sustainable paper products, please note that the FSC (whose logo is a deciduous tree with a check mark) is not the same as the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), (whose logo is an evergreen tree). The SFI is a greenwashing organization whose main purpose for existing is to confuse consumers and "certify" forests that meet vague or meaningless standards.
Interesting side note: The PFI (Perilous Forest Initiative) is classified as a terror organization and was begun in response to a stolen Fel Beast.
@scifiantihero said:
"If I had the option to pay less I would glaldy use my ipad.
Instructions take up a lot of space and are very bloated these days."
I wouldn't count on any cost savings making its way to customers.
There are pros and cons.
Removing the need to store physical instructions would be great for those with limited space or a vast collection. You are substituting physical space for digital storage space, but that's generally the direction the world has been moving in for some time.
Conversely, some folks greatly value the option to "unplug" and interact with LEGO without the need to have a device/screen involved.
Also, customers would be reliant on LEGO to make instructions available in perpetuity which involves cost and resources as well.
@SpiderFan44 said:
"Yes, paper instructions take place, but as my interest in bricks is evolving and my kid is growing, some sets wil be parted out, but then one day, in 10, 20 years, I might want to reassemble some of then by nostalgia, or maybe sell some.
Nobody can guarantee digital instructions will still be available by this time, but if you storage it well you can trust paper."
Exactly! Oh how I wish there would still have been instructions in the big box I got back from my dad's place, 25 years later, in which there was all my childhood Space & Pirates sets, completely parted out, sure, but still complete to rebuild. That'd have been so nice.
@Draykov said:
" @scifiantihero said:
"If I had the option to pay less I would glaldy use my ipad.
Instructions take up a lot of space and are very bloated these days."
I wouldn't count on any cost savings making its way to customers.
There are pros and cons.
Removing the need to store physical instructions would be great for those with limited space or a vast collection. You are substituting physical space for digital storage space, but that's generally the direction the world has been moving in for some time.
Conversely, some folks greatly value the option to "unplug" and interact with LEGO without the need to have a device/screen involved.
Also, customers would be reliant on LEGO to make instructions available in perpetuity which involves cost and resources as well. "
If someone has limited space then they can already throw away / recycle instructions as they are available online. It wouldn't remove the need to store them, it would remove the option of storing them.
@yellowcastle said:
"Interesting side note: The PFI (Perilous Forest Initiative) is classified as a terror organization and was begun in response to a stolen Fel Beast."
According to Lego, it was merely misplaced amongst 150 other pretty sweet alternative sets.
@BlackFalconBirdman said:
"I would like the option of no instructions and no box for online purchases. It would be good for the planet and can save us money, too.
I for sure wouldn't be choosing it for all sets, as the instructions and boxes are really precious to me for many sets, but I'd chose that for great deals on basic/3:1/and some other sets."
Then you want the other brands of bricks :)
I'm happy they are sticking with paper instructions, because honestly the idea of them not being included in a building toy is very bizarre to me. I know we live in the age of the internet so to speak, but not everyone has access, or if they do it may not be reliable all the time. I'm sure there are ways for LEGO to make instructions more environmentally friendly if they aren't already.
@ResIpsaLoquitur said:
"I just want to pitch to everyone here to be conscious of preference bias. Just because you, specifically, do not like paper instructions doesn't mean that everyone else has to have the same preference. If it's more efficient for you to recycle your instructions or convert everything to PDF, great, that works. People who may want their paper instructions include:
- Children, particularly neurodivergent ones, who aren't terminally online and prefer the tactile experience of paper
- Traditionalists who prefer to work from a book
- People who don't own tablets. (I don't. And the rare times where I've worked from PDF instructions on my phone were painful, including when I made the combined Art Darth Vader build.)
- Collectors who consider the instructions part of the set.
Lastly noting that I do resell my Lego over time, particularly when I buy a set just for the minifigures. Having the instructions available for the buyer really helps the sale.
Again, if you prefer PDF to paper, great. It's not for everyone and shouldn't be demanded."
100% Agree. Sick & tired of the "Greenies" forcing their "Life Preferences" on Me, Us & the World!!!! What "we/the US" saves or conserves is 1000 times undone by the rest of the World!!!!
I have tremendous respect for (nearly) all the opinions voiced here. I love the paper instructions as long as I have another option for building. I say that as a neurodivergent adult. When forced to do so, the reflections drive me crazy. Also, the fingerprints that inevitably show up drive me crazy. When the LEGO app first launched, it was pretty awful so I started downloading the pdfs and I find them and the LEGO app versions to be great especially when I need to zoom in really close to make sure I’m using the correct piece. You can’t do that with paper copies. If they made paper instructions with an anti-reflective coating ??, I’d probably use them more for some sets. On the other hand, the choice to use a digital version, or instructions so big, they had to be spiral bound and / or took up more than half the available building space, I’d choose digital every time. Btw, I’ve been building LEGO on and off for nearly 5 decades.