Could Lego's latest range help reduce stress and anxiety?

Overwhelmed by the ins and outs of Theresa May’s proposed Brexit deal? Worried about the upcoming ecological threat that the planet faces? Lego might have a solution.

The Danish brick-builders have revealed a new product range which aims to reduce anxiety and stress. The adult-orientated Forma set has been developed by Lego Ideas, a platform geared towards open source innovation.

Described by Lego as “a premium experience for adults looking for a simple, fun way to disconnect from their screens and reconnect with their creative side,” the first set has smashed its financial target on the crowdfunding site, IndieGoGo. The Forma Lego set combines nearly 300 elements to create a customisable fish that, if put together correctly, generate “life-like movement inspired by nature.”

If it makes it to an actual release, anyone hoping to distract themselves from the unending horrors of life in the digital age can while away an hour or four assembling a koi carp. It is, Lego says, “a thoughtful creative challenge that’s relaxing yet creatively stimulating.”

Discussing the grown-up look of the range with Fast Company, Lego’s Tom Donaldson, says: “We felt that while many in the adult audience love our existing range, perhaps there was an aesthetic that might appeal to a different audience, and we felt that fluid, organic forms were something very different that was worth testing the appeal of.”

The first Forma set is provisionally set to ship to backers in January 2019.