Let's start this week with the popular multiplayer game - Among us. VaderFan2187 created his very first product idea - a detailed replica of a map called The Skeld. What a great start for him!
ABOUT YOURSELF
- Who are you?
VaderFan2187
- Where are you from?
I am from New Zealand.
- What hobbies do you have?
During my free time, I enjoy playing the piano, reading, and creating LEGO projects.
- Do you have a personal LEGO portfolio website that you can share with us?
Yes! You can find my LEGO content at instagram.com/vaderfan_2187
- Have you created any LEGO MOCs (my own creations) that you’re particularly proud of? What is it, why are you proud it and do you have a photo of it?
Honestly, the Among Us project is one of the projects that I’m proudest of. I don’t make many MOCs, but making the Among Us map and being able to recreate all the cool projects of the in-game map into LEGO form was an absolute blast.
- How and when did your interest for LEGO products come about?
I’ve always been a fan of LEGO since I was young, but I started collecting more seriously after reading the Lord of the Rings books, watching the Star Wars movies, and collecting the respective sets.
- 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.
For me, I enjoy comparing LEGO sets over the years, collecting sets that stand out to me, and interacting with the LEGO community online!
- 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 favorite LEGO themes are Star Wars, Marvel, and Lord of the Rings, simply because I enjoy the movies/books that the sets are based on. I also really like the Creator Expert and Ideas themes, as I feel they expand the types of sets we can expect from LEGO. Finally, one past LEGO theme that has a special place in my heart is LEGO Atlantis, as I really enjoyed the Atlantis sets when I was younger.
- What is your favourite official LEGO set? Why?
My favorite set would probably be 75159 Death Star, I remember saving up for it for over a year, and being finally able to own and build it was an awesome experience! It’s now proudly displayed at home.
- What is your favourite LEGO element? Why?
I don’t think I have any particular LEGO element that is my favorite, although I do like pieces that allow you to build with studs on the side.
- Is there a LEGO designer (official LEGO designer or fan designer) who you are inspired by and look up to? Who and why?
Some LEGO designers I admire are Nathan Sawaya, Mark Stafford, and Jamie Berard.
- Is there one or more particular LEGO related websites (not official LEGO websites) that you visit often and/or are inspired by?
I post my LEGO content on Instagram, watch a lot of LEGO reviews on YouTube, and go to brickset.com for set information.
ABOUT YOUR PROJECT
- Where did your interest in this particular model come from?
I became interested in creating a LEGO Among Us project because I’ve always wanted to create a LEGO Ideas project, and Among Us was the perfect opportunity. I discovered the game through YouTube, and started playing with several friends. Over time, I realized the cool design of the layout would be perfect for translating into LEGO form, and decided to replicate the main Skeld map.
- 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?
Creating the main project took about 2 weeks from start to finish, including constructing the model in LEGO Digital Designer, rendering it, and creating images to post on the Ideas website. I had several high-resolution photos of the full in-game map that I could refer to so that I could copy the details without needing to keep re-opening the game. Afterward, I added various updates during the campaigning process, including the dropship, a redesign of the Storage room, and pets.
- What special challenges or frustrations did you face creating the model? What was the most difficult part to recreate?
It was a relatively smooth process from start to finish, but deciding on the scale of the model was one challenge at the start – I wanted to make it minifigure scale but was worried the final model would exceed the 3000 piece limit. The most difficult part to recreate was probably the Cafeteria – with its octagonal design – or Storage, as I had to design a working trash ejection feature underneath the floor.
- 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?
I would tell myself to make the Storage room bigger and design the shape of the corridors more accurately from the beginning. These were two points that drew criticism in the comments when I released the project until I corrected them further down the road. Other than that, I enjoyed the entire process.
- 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 was a relatively quick process – it took about 2 weeks to finalize the initial model. However, promoting the project took a few months, with non-stop campaigning on Instagram, but was a unique, unforgettable experience! At one point, I was even contacted by the PopSugar website as they wanted to feature my Among Us project! https://www.popsugar.com/family/among-us-lego-ideas-set-47996799
- How did it feel when you reached the magic 10,000 votes and how long did it take?
It was pretty surreal – I honestly didn’t expect the project to get the momentum it received. Getting to 10k is an incredible milestone, and for it to be my first Ideas project is even more mindblowing for me.
- Approximately how many LEGO bricks did you use to create your model?
I used about 3000 pieces, which fits just under the part limit.
- What is your favourite building technique or part/section that you’ve incorporated into your Product Idea?
I built the entire model on a slightly raised platform, which allowed me to incorporate features underneath the ground: the cannons in Weapons, the light bricks in Shields, and the garbage chute in Storage, among others.
- If you built your model digitally, what software did you use to build and render your model?
I used LEGO Digital Designer to build it and Bluerender to render it.
- If you used custom stickers or prints for your design, how did you create them or where did you get them?
Due to the Among Us’ characters’ simple design, I didn’t need prints for the minifigures. The only special design I used was an Among Us logo for the minifigure stand that I found online.
ABOUT LEGO IDEAS
- Do you have any useful advice about creating a successful LEGO Ideas project?
Make a unique project, preferably based on something popular/relevant at the time. Also, don’t be afraid/ashamed to campaign for your project – it’s your idea and you should be proud of it!
- What (if any) methods did you use to advertise and attract support to your Product Idea?
I advertised the project as the second slide in my LEGO Instagram posts and added a swipe-up feature on my story so viewers could go directly to support it. Due to the project’s momentum, it was featured on the LEGO Ideas front page which helped a lot to fuel further support. As previously mentioned, I also had the opportunity to see the project featured on PopSugar’s website!
- What is your favourite LEGO Ideas Product Idea (besides your own of course)? Are there any Product Ideas you think have been overlooked?
My favorite LEGO Ideas set would be the Grand Piano, as I spend several hours playing the piano every day and I think that set is a perfect way to combine two of my hobbies. Some other LEGO Product Ideas I like include the Violin, currently in review, as I think that set is the perfect companion to the Piano. I hope LEGO continues to make more musical instruments!
- What is it about the platform that attracts you? What tips would you give to anyone who is thinking about uploading an idea?
I like how it allows LEGO to reach out to the fans and turn the fans’ ideas into potential sets. It’s a great process that lets fan creativity become actual physical products in stores, which is a marvelous achievement for any fan designer.
- Do you have plans to submit any other Product Ideas in the future? If yes, can you give us a hint what that might be?
I do! I currently have a project based on the Ship of Theseus, which you can support at this link: https://ideas.lego.com/projects/06f68a0d-c474-4a9a-9243-03bb987b8a7a
By
Kamila9