In today's 10K Club Interview, we will focus on triple 10k badge holder Liam, in our community known as LEGOParadise. Liam has a lot of interesting hobbies, which also complement his interest in LEGO Bricks. Behind his latest model Working Mini Golf Course, which Liam elevated to the next level with its functionality, there are hours of work, testing, and prototypes. Playability was an important driver of this project and it paid off. Help us congratulate him and learn more about his creation.
ABOUT YOURSELF
- Who are you?
Liam Spall
- Where are you from?
I’m from Essex, UK.
- How old are you?
I’m 21 years old.
- What do you study or do for a living?
I work as an IT engineer at an airport.
- What hobbies do you have?
I have a very wide variety of hobbies and interests! Of course, I love building LEGO, and I combine this with my interests in filming and photography to share my creations with the world. I enjoy drawing and graphic design, and I’m also interested in games development, 3D modeling, and programming. I love traveling and exploring different countries and places because this provides a lot of inspiration to me!
- Do you have a personal LEGO portfolio website that you can share with us?
I upload all of my creations to my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7IM6pkiwrOmNYGTGG6GUaw
- Have you created any LEGO MOCs (my own creations) that you’re particularly proud of? What is it, why are you proud of it and do you have a photo of it?
I’m currently building one of my dream MOCs; an entire castle kingdom complete with a gigantic medieval city featuring lots of functional mechanisms. For example, there’s a jousting tournament with horses that ride around, a docked ship that gently rocks from side to side as if it’s floating on waves, a blacksmith’s shop with a waterwheel-powered trip hammer, and even a band of musicians who move around as they play their instruments! It’s still a work in progress, but I’d say this is the MOC I’m most proud of.
- How and when did your interest in LEGO come about?
I’ve been into LEGO for most of my life, since receiving my very first set (4164) as a child. I’ve continued collecting sets and building MOCs to the present day, where I share my creations with the world on my YouTube channel.
- What is LEGO for you? What does it mean for you? How does it fit in your life? E.g. build, display, meetups, play the games or 'just' watch the cartoons.
LEGO is a way for me to express my creativity and challenge myself to think outside the box. The infinite potential to create whatever you want has always fascinated me, and nothing beats the fun of inventing a new building technique or mechanism!
- What is your favourite LEGO theme (current or past)? Why? And has any theme inspired your building style or preference in any particular way?
My favourite current theme is Creator Expert with all of the modular buildings, which include such a high level of detail within their design. I have picked up a lot of useful techniques from this theme, and I aim to match the same level of detail in my own creations.
- What is your favourite official LEGO set? Why?
My favourite set is 71741 NINJAGO City Gardens. The incredible selection of parts, ingenious building techniques, and unique design make it really stand out.
- What is your favourite LEGO element? Why?
50018 Mini Accessory, NO. 11. This element is actually a multipack of 14 different bars, connectors, nozzles, and mechanical arms. It’s always a treat seeing these included in a set because they unlock a whole bunch of new possibilities for small constructions and studs-not-on-top building techniques!
- Is there a LEGO designer (official LEGO designer or fan designer) who you are inspired by and look up to? Who and why?
I’d like to highlight three talented fan designers that inspire me:
Vince Toulouse (https://www.flickr.com/photos/vince_toulouse/) creates extraordinary art-deco style spaceships and vehicles, using specialized LEGO elements and unusual colors in unbelievably imaginative ways.
Ralf Langer (https://www.instagram.com/ranghaal/) designs incredible structures and landscapes featuring hyper-realistic textures and ingenious building techniques.
Jonas Kramm (https://www.instagram.com/jonaskramm/) builds fantastic models in a variety of styles and themes, all of which include eye-catching colors and clever parts usages.
- Is there one or more particular LEGO-related websites (not official LEGO websites) that you visit often and/or are inspired by?
I visit Brickset for the latest LEGO news, The Brothers Brick for awesome MOCs, and New Elementary to learn about the latest elements and parts!
I also follow several LEGO-based YouTubers including JK Brickworks, Robin Hood Bricks, and Dr. McBrick.
ABOUT YOUR PROJECT
- Where did your interest in this particular model come from?
It’s always fun playing mini golf - with the variety of unique obstacles, layouts and landscapes that make up each course – this seemed like a perfect fit for a LEGO Ideas project!
In addition, I wanted to take this concept to the next level by making it fully playable, so you could actually control the minifigures and play through each level of the course.
- How long was the process of making the project did, and what did you have to research as well. What kind of prep, research and design phases did you go through to produce your creation?
For my research, I thought about the mini golf courses I had visited in real life to get inspiration for the types of obstacles and hazards to include. I decided it was important to include a balance of basic barriers and ramps, as well as more exciting things like a moving staircase and spinning windmill.
Next, I began to play testing prototype designs to determine the number of hits required to score on each hole and then built additional control mechanisms in each area that the golf ball consistently landed on. This allowed me to rank each hole in order of difficulty and create a natural learning curve as you play the game.
- What special challenges did you face creating the model? What was the most difficult part to recreate?
The biggest challenge was fitting everything inside a 32x32 stud baseplate. Since each of the holes is modular, I experimented with several different arrangements before I ended up with a layout that flowed well and had enough space to fully conceal all of the mechanical components within.
- If you could talk to yourself before you started on this project, what would you tell him/her? What do you know now that you wish you knew then?
At first, I wasn’t sure how all of the elements would come together to create the final model, but now I know that I just needed to keep going and try new things, and it would all work out perfectly well in the end!
- How long did it take to complete the model? Did you finish it fairly quickly, or did it take a long time? And how did the build time compare to the time you spent promoting your Product Idea to reach 10,000 supporters?
It took about two weeks to build and design the final model from start to finish, along with another several days of filming and photographing it to promote it for LEGO Ideas.
- How did it feel when you reached the magic 10,000 votes and how long did it take?
It was amazing! It took just over a month to reach 10K supporters, during which I received so many great comments and feedback. This is my most popular Ideas project so far, and I am incredibly grateful for everyone who has supported it!
- Approximately how many LEGO bricks did you use to create your model?
The Working Mini Golf Course is built out of 1253 bricks.
- What is your favourite building technique or part/section that you’ve incorporated into your Product Idea?
I particularly like the wooden log style borders surrounding each section of the course, as they perfectly encapsulate the path as it twists and turns throughout each level of the terrain.
I also think the windmill mechanism is a really cool design; using a Technic rubber band to connect the blades at the top allows space for the golf ball to be hit through the bottom of the windmill.
ABOUT LEGO IDEAS
- Do you have any useful advice about creating a successful LEGO Ideas project?
Focus on creating something really unique that hasn’t been done before. Think of an activity or object that you enjoy, and then see how that can be translated into LEGO! I think having some kind of functionality in your model is also important, as it simply makes it more exciting and enhances the value of the potential LEGO set because you get to actually interact with the model after you have built it!
- What (if any) methods did you use to advertise and attract support to your Product Idea?
I posted a video of my Working Mini Golf Course on YouTube, which caught the attention of several news sites and blogs. My project was also featured in the Ideas showcase in issue #80 of Blocks magazine.
- What is your favourite LEGO Ideas Product Idea (besides your own of course)? Are there any Product Ideas you think have been overlooked?
I really like jazlecraz’s ‘Great Ball Contraption Showcase’ (https://ideas.lego.com/projects/220eee86-b5e8-4556-9cb8-65836207fcaf) It’s a really creative idea with perfect execution and a combination of fun themes.
- What is it about the platform that attracts you? What tips would you give to anyone who is thinking about uploading an idea?
I think it’s an amazing platform because it gives anyone the chance to see their idea turned into a real set, which is a dream come true for many fans of LEGO! There are so many unique projects on LEGO Ideas, and it’s really inspiring to see all of the talented builders sharing their passion. If you are thinking of uploading an idea, go for it!
- Do you have plans to submit any other Product Ideas in the future? If yes, can you give us a hint of what that might be?
Yes! I have many more concepts that I want to realize as LEGO Ideas projects in the future, and my next one will be sports-themed!
By
Kamila9