In case you have been “googling” today, you will notice Google’s logo design looks like Lego. It’s because today is the 50th anniversary of this very educational toy company. While Lego has been around since 1932, this year marks the 50th year of its patent application.

Invented by toy maker Ole Kirk Christiansen in the early 30’s, it has become one of the most prominent icons of our time. Today, about 36,000 Lego parts are produced every minute; seven sets are sold per second worldwide; and about 5 billion hours are spent creating these toys annually.

More than anything, Lego is a premier design institution where small business owners can draw inspiration from. One of the important lessons you can get is the power of co-designing with your key customers. Known today as crowdsourcing or user-centered innovation, the toy company has been implementing this process long before the term was coined. BNET explains why it is an effective method:

People will do many things for a business for free, simply because they think it’s fun. Products and companies can become hobbies unto themselves, and many consumers will derive satisfaction from feeling like an insider at a company they’re passionate about. In return, you should give them recognition, exclusive perks, the opportunity to interact with senior company managers, or free products.

That’s just one of the many insights you can get from this toy maker. Let’s hope it will continue to innovate and influence design process not only among toys but in many industries as possible.

via Mashable