The latest 10K Club Interview comes with some rocking soundtrack! Meet Alex, a.k.a. Adwind, and their Desktop Rock'N'Roll project. Inspired by their love for music and culture of the 50s era! Show your support, and find out more below.
ABOUT YOURSELF
- Who are you?
Hi, I'm Alex Storozhuk
- Where are you from?
Originally from Ukraine, currently leaving in Poland
- How old are you?
I'm 32
- What do you study or do for a living?
I have a medical degree, I used to lead classes at a university for foreign students. I'm working as a truck dispatcher now, also learning a new language and thinking of nostrification of my diploma. That's for now :)
- What hobbies do you have?
Except the obvious one, which is Lego of course, I also love travelling, design, good animation movies, I'm a guitar player, so music is another passion of mine!
- Do you have a personal LEGO portfolio website that you can share with us?
Feel free to check my works on Instagram :)
https://www.instagram.com/lego.adwind/
- 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 really happy with how my Small Shrimping Boat project turned out. Even though it's digital build only, I am super happy with it, as I think it has a really nice spirit and overall look!
- How, and when, did your interest in LEGO products come about?
Back in the 90s, when I was only about 4 years old, I think this was my godmother and father who gave me a little pirate set № 6237. 13 parts and 2 minifigures were just enough to spark my interest. I probably won't be wrong if I say LEGO was the absolute favorite toy of every kid among my friends.
- What does the LEGO hobby mean to you? How does it fit into your life? E.g. build, display, meetups, play the games or 'just' watch the cartoons.
It started as a hobby but fast-forward to present days, I can say it outgrew the concept of "hobby" as it really is more than just that and merged into numerous life aspects while still being FUN. In our family we build, play, learn and teach, create and collect, make friends and acquaintances. I think Lego is also a thread that connects us - adults with younger selves, something that was always there during our lives and remains the same "good old pal".
- What is your favorite LEGO theme (current or past)? Why? And has any theme inspired your building style or preference in any particular way?
I really enjoy Creator Expert (Icons) and Ideas
- What is your favorite official LEGO set ever? Why?
Almost impossible to pick one for me! I think the Old Fishing Store was way ahead of it's time, so let's say "Anton" wins this time :)
- What is your favorite LEGO element? Why?
Part number 3386 is just a game changer. Super useful!
- Is there a LEGO designer (official LEGO designer or fan designer) who you are inspired by and look up to? Who and why?
I follow a lot of talented designers, and it always blows my mind how creative some folks are. If we're talking about architecture, then Exesandbox and Maxim Baybakov have amazing sense of style. Mexx Rustamov - is the best in real world objects! Mike Psiaki's sets are always outstanding to me. JKBrickworks kinetic sculptures are out of this world!
- Is there one or more particular LEGO websites (not official LEGO websites) that you visit often and/or are inspired by?
I usually just hang out in LEGO circles of Instagram and our LUG discord server.
ABOUT YOUR PROJECT
- Where did your interest in this particular model come from?
I love Rock N Roll since teenage years. I'm not quite sure where it came from, since obviously I was pretty far in terms of both time and distancing of its origin. To me, music of that era works just like magic and whenever I turn it on it instantly switches my mind onto the positive set. Of course, I realize medias and people tend to romanticize that era, but I still love the vibe, somewhat simpler times, beautiful designs, pastels and chrome colors. Who knows, maybe it's just a peaceful place inside my mind where "everything is awesome"? Anyway, I love it and so do my passengers! ;)
- How long did the process of making the project take, and what did you have to research? What kind of prep, research and design phases did you go through to produce your creation?
I would say it took me probably 1,5 months to create the model, but then probably about the same amount of time to prepare renders and presentation in general.
This sort of builds was completely new to me, as I never tried building real life objects before. And there are definitely some nuances to keep in mind when building stuff like this. Before this project I used to build minifigure scale MOCs mostly, so design elements and structure durability requirements were significantly different this time.
One of my main goals with this project was not just to build a Jukebox, but instead try to represent the 50s era spirit and Rock N Roll vibe with the bricks as much as possible. So the jukebox itself was chosen rather as a symbol of that era than the main character, although obviously it is a jukebox :) But that was the idea behind this concept, and frankly at first in my head it was way more massive with a lot of things going on inside, but I had to stay reasonable it terms of size, so a lot of iconic stuff had to leave the interior of my jukebox in the process of design.
Another goal was to make this thing interactive. As I said, I wanted to create a mini-50s world inside, so it has to have an opening feature, and it needs to be fun! JKBrickworks' awesome jewelry box inspired this mechanism, and then it was updated with the stage that comes up the moment you pull the dance floor knob. The mechanical part is of course the most complex part of the build, and I spent numerous days trying to figure out how it should work. Of course this is still a concept as I didn't have a chance to build the whole thing in real life, but I did my best to predict any possible issues in its work.
- How did it feel when you reached the magic 10,000 votes and how long did it take?
It feels just like it was the first time with Home Alone! Amazing!
- Approximately how many LEGO bricks did you use to create your model?
1444 parts after the latest improvements to the build
- What is your favorite building technique or part/section that you’ve incorporated into your Product Idea?
I am really happy how the mini-version of the Jukebox turned out. It's built around the light brick and once you press on it - it shines in all its glory, :) Making it that small wasn't easy! Fun little detail - is the chewing gum on the back of the mini-version, just like the bigger version has!
ABOUT LEGO IDEAS
- Do you have any useful advice about creating a successful LEGO Ideas Product Idea?
I would recommend to concentrate more on brainstorming about the "Idea". In the end of the day, this is the most valuable factor.
- What (if any) methods did you use to advertise and attract support to your Product Idea?
While decent social media accounts definitely help, I find that "Idea" itself weighs way more than that. The more unique and good-looking your project - the more of organic traffic it will attract.
- What is your favorite LEGO Ideas Product Idea (besides your own, of course)? Are there any Product Ideas you think have been overlooked?
There are SO many beautiful and unique ideas! Ideas that were turned into sets like Old Fishing Store, Central Perk, Motorized Lighthouse - are brilliant, hands down! Of course, every review round there are concepts that I fell really sorry didn't get through, among them - SEASONS IN TIME: CALENDAR, CLOCKWORK SOLAR SYSTEM and many others
- What is it about the platform that attracts you? What tips would you give to anyone who is thinking about uploading an idea?
First of all I love this friendly community and how creative it is. Also, Lego Ideas is a unique phenomenon to me, I've never seen any other company to take its fans ideas so seriously and even constantly produce them in collaboration with them. This platform makes fans' dreams come true!
- 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 always have something in mind that I would love to give a try, so the answer is YES!
By
BrickSon