Here's a series of photos to document the out-of-box experience of the boxed set of 800 Pixelblocks I bought for $24 today at the art store.

(1, 2) Opening the box (3) Individually-bagged sets of color blocks and 24-page idea booklet (4) I re-bagged the sets of blocks in small Ziploc-type bags (5) 15x loupe close-up of two blocks slide joined flush (6) Blocks slide joined offset (7) Blocks stacked (8) At the back end of every block's open core is a microscopic patent number and color code--handy! (9) Reviewed the assembly schematic for the baby chick figure (10) Partially assembled figure layers (11) Finished figure ... assembly time: 30 minutes (12) Small parts warning symbol on the box ... not for children under 3!

Pixelblocks have a play experience much like LEGO bricks, but there is the added focus on designing with deliberate thought to color palettes. Because these blocks are uniform in size and much smaller than a typical LEGO brick, they are easier to store and transport in large numbers. I think the true innovation here is that the creators brought toy to market that is more versatile than LEGOs but are different enough in every way to avoid being sued.

This week, I'm going to play with the web interface to create plans for a Digital Stained Glass.

- mike lee - langley park, md