【Art & Design English-49】America's Largest Puzzle Art Factory (美國最大的拼圖藝術工廠)

America's Largest Puzzle Art Factory A $10 puzzle can keep you busy for 10 to 15 hours. Nagendra Raina: It's yoga for your mind. Narrator: And all 3 million puzzles in this factory could mean 45 million hours of staying busy. And that return on investment is why there's been a resurgence in puzzling among younger generations and people stuck at home during the pandemic. Nagendra: Category of jigsaw puzzles has grown at a rate of about 25% over the last five years. And Buffalo Games has shouldered 80% of those growth dollars. Narrator: That's Nagendra, the CEO of Buffalo Games, the largest puzzle maker in North America. Nagendra: We sell in over 30,000 locations across the US and Canada, and we're selling to Walmart, Target, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kroger, and others. Narrator: But this whole process only got harder during the pandemic. Because puzzling wasn't considered an essential service, the New York state mandate closed this factory in March, and Nagendra had to furlough some manufacturing personnel. Nagendra: We were shut down for two excruciating months. Given our agility, given that we are a nimble business, we were able to modify some of our supply chain, and we started getting product from overseas. Narrator: But the team was able to continue designing puzzles from home. So when the Buffalo factory was given the green light to start manufacturing again... Nagendra: We were humming from day one. Narrator: Today, due to the coronavirus, Buffalo Games is facing the largest demand spike it's ever seen. The company went from selling 1 million to 2 million puzzles a month. So how do they make sure no tiny piece falls through the cracks? Well, it all starts with the puzzle design. Buffalo Games has six full-time designers. Some of the puzzles start as sketches in-house, which are then digitized. For other puzzles, designers build upon famous works of art, like this one from artist Charles Wysocki. Here's the artist's original image. Rebecca Carden: So, if you move across, you can see some of the things that we've added. We've added this anchor. We've added a beautiful sailing ship in the background. We're definitely not trying to change the original intent that Wysocki had for his piece. What we're trying to do is create a more engaging puzzling experience and to give those puzzlers those incremental victories. Narrator: Once they've got a design, the team will print it out and overlay a cut pattern on top. John Bell: To see how the image is gonna break into individual pieces. Narrator: They're looking to make sure there's no, say, giant unsolvable sections of blue. John: You don't want to have an important element of the image cut off at the wrong spot. Narrator: And it's not an easy task. John: A 1,000-piece puzzle, all 1,000 of those pieces would be unique. Our teams will look at each of those cuts just to make sure that it's got the right, the width and the angles to really give you that satisfying snap. You can actually pick up our puzzle, and the pieces will hold together when you complete it. Narrator: This team created 500 new puzzle designs in a matter of months to meet the demand during the pandemic. Nagendra: And that's about two to three times of what we would have done in a normal year. Narrator: Once a puzzle design is approved, it heads to manufacturing. Here, everything from 250-piece classic images to 2,000-piece "Star Wars" characters is cut up. The biggest puzzles can take about 30 hours to make, from an uncut image all the way to a finished puzzle. First, that uncut puzzle image comes in from the printing company in Canada. David Rice: This is about a week's worth of puzzle board. Narrator: That puzzle image is glued to a cardboard backing so it's sturdy. David: The mounted images are put aside until the glue is fully cured, usually a few days, before they're forwarded on to the cutting presses. Narrator: Then it's time for the puzzle images to be cut. David: This is one of our cutting workstations. We take our puzzle mount images that are ready to be cut; they'll feed through the other side of the machine, and get cut into 1,000 pieces. We trim away the scrap automatically. Narrator: That scrap is launched from this machine into a recycling bin. What's left are thousands of puzzle pieces. They get blown apart and dropped into an awaiting box underneath. That box is folded together on the other side of the factory. David: This cutter cuts boxboard into box planks, the main component of the puzzle boxes. Narrator: So, how does Buffalo Games make sure no piece gets lost? David: Each puzzle, after it's cut, goes through an automatic inspection system. Cameras are placed on the discharge of the cutting press to make sure every single piece has been cut clean and is available for packaging. This is the finished puzzle on the discharge of the cutting press. Narrator: All of those puzzle boxes are sealed up, stacked, and packaged together. David: This machine is our automatic case packer. Automatically sorts the different images into the corrugated case, getting it ready for shipment. Narrator: Then they're sent across the street to the warehouse to await delivery. David: This is about 400,000 puzzles in the facility. That's a couple of weeks' worth of shipments. These are put in our warehouse and then packed out to our customers. Health screen all people visiting and entering the facility. We had to make modifications to our production schedules. I also had to redesign a few work centers to maximize social distancing throughout the workplace. Narrator: Even with all the pivots, Buffalo Games couldn't work fast enough to meet the demand of millennials and pandemic puzzlers. David: With the increase in demand this year, we've been running the factory the full year, both before and after COVID, at 100% capacity. Nagendra: We wish we had the product, because we think the actual demand would have been about tenfold. Narrator: And even with a two-month shutdown, Nagendra says the company will still double its sales for 2020. Nagendra: As a result of COVID, we believe there's been a massive influx of new customers into the category. I'm talking about families that may have puzzled 10 years ago, but there are people that have never puzzled in their lives. But I think there's going to be a robust demand for these products for a long time to come.
References (optional) The first jigsaw puzzle was created around 1760 by John Spilsbury, a London-based cartographer and engraver . He designed it as an educational tool, mounting a map on wood and cutting it along the borders of countries to help children learn geography, according to The Yorkshire Jigsaw Store . These early puzzles, initially called "dissected maps," quickly gained popularity as an educational aid, with Spilsbury expanding his designs to include other parts of the world.  Links What is Art For? Discussion Questions (Art) How great is your interest in art? What’s the best art gallery you’ve been to? Do you like modern art? What do you think of installation art? Do you ever think a lot of art is not really art? Do you have a favorite artist? What kind of art do you like – paintings, sculpture, ceramics, etc.? What is art? Does art change the way you think or feel? Do you think anyone can be an artist, or do you need a special talent? Do you think all children should study art at school? Do you think children should learn the history of art? Do you think a painting can really be worth a million (or more) dollars? Do you think today’s artists are as good as those from hundreds of years ago? What was the last painting/poster/piece of art you bought? Why did you buy it? Describe the pieces of artwork in your house. What kind of art is your country famous for? What kind of life do you think an artist’s is? Do you have any artistic talents? How would the world be different without artists? Discussion Questions (Design) How would you define design? How do you know if something is designed well? Do you think design is important? Why? Have you ever designed anything? What are some well-designed products? What are some poorly designed products? Are there any designers you admire? Have you done any interior design in your home? What are some examples of good design that you appreciate? Why? How does design influence our daily experiences and interactions with products and environments? Can you think of any iconic designs or designers that have made a significant impact on society? What are some key principles or elements of design? How does cultural and historical context influence design aesthetics? Can you describe a design project or process that you have been involved in or observed? How does user experience (UX) design contribute to the functionality and usability of products and services? What role does sustainability play in design? Share examples of environmentally conscious design practices. How can design be used to solve social and humanitarian challenges? What are some current trends in design that you find interesting? How does technology influence the field of design? Discuss the impact of digital tools and software. Can you think of any examples of design that have sparked controversy or provoked discussions? How can design be inclusive and accessible to people with diverse abilities and backgrounds? Can you share any examples of designs that evoke specific emotions or create a particular atmosphere? How does design differ across various disciplines, such as graphic design, industrial design, or interior design? What are some ethical considerations in design? Discuss the responsibility of designers towards users and society. Can you think of any design failures or instances where poor design affected the user experience? What lessons can be learned from them? How can design thinking be applied beyond traditional design fields to problem-solving and innovation? What skills and qualities do you think are essential for a successful career in design? How has technology influenced the field of graphic design in recent years? Can you think of any examples of design that successfully blend form and function? Explain why they are effective. How does cultural diversity influence design aesthetics and the portrayal of different cultures in design? What are some key considerations in designing user interfaces for mobile applications? Can you describe a design project that aims to address sustainability or environmental issues? How does typography contribute to the overall design and message of printed materials? What are some effective ways to gather user feedback during the design process? How can color psychology be utilized in design to evoke specific emotions or convey certain messages? Can you think of any examples where design played a crucial role in shaping a company’s brand identity? What are the main differences between designing for print media and designing for digital media? How can design be used to improve accessibility for individuals with disabilities? Can you describe a design trend that you find intriguing? Why do you think it has gained popularity? How does packaging design influence consumer perception and purchasing decisions? What ethical considerations should designers keep in mind when creating advertisements or marketing materials? How has social media influenced the field of design and the way designers showcase their work? Can you think of any innovative design solutions that have improved people’s lives in developing countries? What are some challenges in designing for virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) experiences? How does design impact the gaming industry, particularly in terms of user interface and user experience? Can you describe a famous architectural design that has become an iconic landmark? What makes it significant? How do cultural symbols and icons influence design choices, especially in international contexts? Discussion Questions (Art Culture) How often do you go to art museums? Do you consider yourself to be artistic? What do you think about modern art paintings? How many forms of art can you name? What is your favorite form of art? Is graffiti art? Why or why not? What is the most famous statue in your country? Who is your favorite artist? Why do you like them so much? Do you think that art is important to society? Why? Have you ever tried drawing, painting, sculpting, or something else artistic? What is the most famous painting in your country? What is traditional art like in your culture? What country do you think is the most creative? Why is art so expensive? Do you think it should be more, or less, expensive? Do you have any artistic friends? What kinds of art do they create?