Laying the Bricks: How your Favorite LEGO sets came to be?

We all know that Lego is a very popular and beloved activity among players and collectors across generations. It is known for its innovative design and promotes creativity which allows everyone to engage themselves and make things. 

From designing minifigures to sets, Lego designers come up with unique and creative concepts. With a staggering array of over 41 captivating themes as per the LEGO official website, LEGO offers a range of possibilities, catering to all ages from toddlers to adults. As LEGO sets target individuals from toddlers to adults, their design concepts have a range of difficulty which captures creativity at every stage. 

Just to give you an idea to the sheer amount of LEGO there are, we have to mention a few, such as the innovative Architecture Series which displays the world’s fantastic landmarks and buildings, The Harry Potter collection which brings to life places like the Grand Staircase and Hagrid’s Hut, Icons like the Jazz Club with its lively and musical vibe, Batman and the DC Universe sets to create a world of superheroes, and The Epic Saga of Star Wars to bring the exciting world of outer space into your living room, LEGO’s diverse range of themes ensures that there’s a perfect set to spark the imagination of everyone, allowing anyone to play well.

An extensive design process

Creating Lego sets is a very slow and steady process, it requires keen attention to every minute detail. Each set’s design and production needs a careful evaluation of the number of blocks and the construction of the structure. Designers invest a lot of time and effort into perfecting each set, ensuring a comprehensive and detailed outcome.

New LEGO sets are released every month. Depending on how many sets they’re making, designers are assigned to each Lego set. There are generally around 4 designers. But sometimes this number goes up to 10 or 12 designers. This way, they always have new and exciting designs to keep Lego fans interested. 

Collaborative Work

The first step in creating a LEGO set begins with a rough sketch on paper, outlining sizes and the general shape. Once this foundation is set, the next phase involves translating the sketch into an actual model using LEGO blocks. This is where the building process takes place. 

The majority of the work involved in creating LEGO sets is hands-on and physical. At the LEGO headquarters, there’s a special place known as the “library,” which any LEGO fan would love to see once in their lifetime. Inside this library, you can find every single LEGO brick that exists to date! 

Designers visit this place and carefully pick out the bricks they need, filling up cardboard boxes with their selections. If they’re satisfied with how the bricks come together in terms of appearance and look, they disjoin the bricks and then they then move on to the next step. 

They upload the design to computer software, preserving their creative vision digitally. This process ensures that each LEGO set is crafted with attention to detail and a passion for quality.

Safety Comes First

The next crucial step involves ensuring the safety and enjoyment of the individuals. LEGO invites kids from the local community to participate in testing the sets. These children play with the sets and share helpful suggestions to make the sets more enjoyable and user-friendly. This feedback is taken seriously and implemented. It’s important to note that all testing details are confidential, ensuring that the final product is both safe and exciting for fans eagerly awaiting the new release all around the world.

Following comprehensive quality and safety checks, the final phase involves verifying the intellectual property partnership, often with companies like Disney and Nintendo. Once this partnership is confirmed, the design enters the last stages of the process. 

The designer receives two boxes. The first box contains the LEGO set for the designer, serving as a final check. The second box is the designer portfolio, which states the journey and creative process behind the set’s concept, offering an overview of the design’s journey.

Challenges Faced by LEGO

Lego caters to a diverse range of age groups, from those starting out young like toddlers to adults well into the prime of their lives. However, there’s a common misconception among customers that a set designed for a 12-year-old can be played by a 5-year-old too. This poses a significant challenge for Lego designers. They continually have to balance complexity and also develop sets to ensure age-appropriate playability. 

Let’s Have a Look at Some of the Iconic Sets Designed by LEGO:

1. King’s Castle

King’s Castle was designed for the age group of 8 to 12. It consists of 664 blocks along with minifigures like Knights, Guards, Horses, Archers, Ax men and more. The price of this set is $400 in the secondary market. 

2. Disney Castle

The most famous media company of all time, Disney, is not just famous for films but theme parks too, so in collaboration with Lego has produced a Disney Castle set. The set was designed for the age group of 16 and up. The set consists of 4080 bricks to design the fairyland which is hard to get away from.

3. Lego Millennium Falcon 

Being one of the largest sets in history, the Lego Millennium Falcon consists of 7541 bricks. The theme is based on the most iconic ship in Star Wars and the set has a seating area, an engineering station with rotating seats, an engine room with hyperdrive and two escape pod hatches. 

The set has minifigs such as Han Solo, Chewbacca, C-3PO, Princess Leia, Rey and Finn. 

4. NES Super Mario 

The NES Super Mario set consists of 2646 bricks designed for the age group of 18 and above. The set is a 1980-style television set. It includes a cartridge, TV, NES Console and one controller. With such an artistic game Lego has kept its original design adding a touch of surprises. 

5. Hogwarts Castle 

This Harry Potter Lego set consists of 6000 bricks with 30 characters in the set. The set includes details like stained glass window effects, towers, secret passageways and a moving staircase. The set also includes Hagrid’s Hut and the Whomping Willow. 

6. Star Wars AT-TE Walker 

This set is the debut of the Phase II Commander Cody minifigure. It includes 1000 pieces and is a little challenging to build. The AT-TE Walker Model is 18 inches in height, 14 inches in length and 2 inches in width. 

7. Optimus Prime 

Optimus Prime is a blue and red scheme set that contains 1508 blocks being the first Hasbro- licensed set. The design of this set reveals outstanding attention to detail which can transform from robot to truck. This Lego set contains two detachable blasters that can be put on the robot’s arms and positioned in a variety of ways which is unique and satisfying. 

8. Home Alone 

This Lego kit based on the iconic 1990 film “Home Alone” recreates several of the movie’s scenes. The set includes 3955 bricks from the movie, including slides from which Kevin slides down into the living room. And the trapdoor on the kitchen floor into which robbers fall when they try to catch him. This set is both entertaining to play and beautiful to display. 

9. Tree House

The Tree House set was designed through the Lego Ideas Program. This program allows Lego enthusiasts to share their ideas which LEGO produces and sells. The set contains 3036 pieces with a tree trunk in between, 4 minifigures as well as a variety of animals and accessories. 

10. Jazz Club

Jazz Club is an addition to the Lego Modular series which brings the spotlight to the Jazz scene. The set contains 2899 blocks and 8 minifigures with art-inspired details and also sparkling neon lights to set the perfect ambiance. It also has a pizzeria, a tailor’s store, a rooftop greenhouse and minifigures dressed in appropriate attire. 

Lego Collection Among Collectors

Lego sets have gained immense popularity among collectors due to their rarity and uniqueness. Each of the sets starting with Harry Potter’s Hogwarts Castle, Star Wars’s Death Star or Disney’s Disney Castle Ultimate Adventure Castle Collections are some of the most popular sets that collectors are going after. These sets bring a sense of nostalgia among adult collectors. 

Apart from being sources of inspiration and education, these sets also serve as stress relievers. In addition, collecting Legos can be quite profitable, making it a successful venture for many enthusiasts. 

What makes the journey of LEGO sets even more interesting is the process of making each set. From the initial design to the stages of making the set requires precision for assembling and dedication. Understanding the details of the craftsmanship that goes into producing a single set can truly deepen one’s appreciation for the artistry involved. The ability to transform tiny plastic bricks and models of various landmarks, spaceships, and fantasy worlds is a testament to human creativity and engineering prowess. 

Thus Lego is not just about joining bricks but it is an art that is passed from human to human. This makes Lego the most valuable toy brand in the world.