Simple. Elegant. EMERGENCY! Break the glass! Congratulations to Bálint (István) Szegő aka SzegoBalint16, on this fantastic LEGO innovation. Can't find your brick separator? Look no further - The LEGO Emergency Box is here to help! Would you like one?
ABOUT YOURSELF
- Who are you?
My name is Bálint (István) Szegő.
- Where are you from?
I am from Sajószentpéter, Hungary.
- How old are you?
I am 16 years-old.
- What do you study or do for a living?
I am a student in a Secondary Grammar School.
- What hobbies do you have?
My main hobby is LEGO building, but I am also interested in music. I also like to hang out with my friends.
- Do you have a personal LEGO portfolio website that you can share with us?
Yes, I have a YouTube channel and an Instagram profile.
- 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?
Yes, I have. Once I built a Rome and Juliet MOC for a school project. I built the Balcony Scene. The reason I am proud of it is that everyone liked the detailed building in my class, and I got graded a 5 for it!
- How and when did your interest in LEGO come about?
My first LEGO set was a LEGO Duplo 3771 when I was about 2 or 3 years old. After that, I got my first LEGO set with system bricks, which was a LEGO 6166 Brick Box, and since then, I have always asked for LEGO for every occasion.
- 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.
It means a hobby for me. I like to collect LEGO sets, minifigures etc. I like to display them in my room. I also like to build with LEGO bricks.
- 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 current favourite LEGO theme is Star Wars, but I also like Atlantis, and Power Miners.
- What is your favourite official LEGO set ever? Why?
My all-time favourite LEGO set is the LEGO Star Wars 7676 Republic Gunship. Unfortunately, I don’t have that set, but it is on my bucket list. I like the Clone Wars TV show, and I like the building techniques, the figures, and also the stickers. I think it is a piece of art.
- What is your favourite LEGO element? Why?
Surprisingly my favourite LEGO element is the 2x4 brick. I like this piece because it is a very simple and common element, but it can be used in a lot of ways.
- Is there a LEGO designer (official LEGO designer or fan designer) who you are inspired by and look up to? Who and why?
Yes, his name is Péter Dankó. I like the way he builds his MOCs.
- Is there one or more particular LEGO-related websites (not official LEGO websites) that you visit often and/or are inspired by?
Yes, I often use Bricklink.
ABOUT YOUR PROJECT
- Where did your interest in this particular model come from?
Once I was building one of my MOCs, and I needed a brick separator, but unluckily I couldn’t find any of mine. So, that was the moment when I found out, how cool it would be to have an Emergency Box with a Brick Separator.
- 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?
Firstly, I had to look around to make sure it doesn’t already exist. After that, I made one prototype which was bigger than the final result. So, I had to make the right size version, which is the final result.
- What special challenges did you face creating the model? What was the most difficult part to recreate?
I would say the breakable “glass” because it had to be clear enough to see what is inside.
- If you could talk to yourself before you started on this project, what would you tell him? What do you know now that you wish you knew then?
I would say: "check the text on the glass twice!"The reason why I would say this is that when I uploaded my project, I made a typo error on the glass because I wrote ‘brake’ instead of ‘break’.
- 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?
Creating the model took considerably less time than promoting my idea.
- How did it feel when you reached the magic 10,000 votes and how long did it take?
It took 457 days. I was very excited in the last few days, but after it stepped over 10000 votes, it gave me a beautiful feeling. It is unbelievable, and I feel so thankful, for everyone who supported my project.
- Approximately how many LEGO bricks did you use to create your model?
It consists of 101 bricks, plus the two hangers.
- What is your favourite building technique or part/section that you’ve incorporated into your Product Idea?
I like the way how the hammer turned out because it is a very stable structure.
- If you built your model digitally, what software did you use to build and render your model?
I used the Stud.io by Bricklink.
- If you used custom stickers or prints for your design, how did you create them or where did you get them?
Digitally I used the Studio PartDesigner. But when I built my model physically, I got the stickers from Forwart Sticker.
ABOUT LEGO IDEAS
- Do you have any useful advice about creating a successful LEGO Ideas project?
I would say be creative and try to make your Idea unique.
- What (if any) methods did you use to advertise and attract support to your Product Idea?
I used Instagram, Facebook groups, and my YouTube channel.
- What is your favourite LEGO Ideas Product Idea (besides your own of course)? Are there any Product Ideas you think have been overlooked?
In my opinion, The Polar Express by Minibrick Productions would be a great set.
- What is it about the platform that attracts you? What tips would you give to anyone who is thinking about uploading an idea?
It always inspires me when I see other creators’ ideas.
- 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 am planning to build models for LEGO Ideas. I don’t have an exact idea, but I have plans.
