Posted May 8, 20177 yr Hi all, At the end of this month, I will be attending the LEGO Media Fan Days. I get to interview designers working on TECHNIC and Creator Expert. I wonder if there are any questions you like me to ask the Creator Expert designers? I need to send my list before the 15th of May so we have one week to come up with some interesting questions. INSTRUCTIONS I noticed that the Ferrari F40 has a different type of instruction booklet. It outlines the parts which need to be added to the model. The UCS Snowspeeder didn't use that approach. Why is that? And will we see the Ferrari type more often? BAGS The Tower Bridge doesn't use numbered bags. Is there a specific reason for that? Which factors are taken into consideration when packing parts in a bag? In other words; what's the logic behind the part distribution (for non numbered sets)? CREATOR EXPERT When is a set considered Expert within the Creator series?
May 8, 20177 yr Why no 1/24th scale cars? I think that is feasible, and I build like that scale all the time.
May 8, 20177 yr Will there ever be another Creator Expert Train? We haven't seen one since the Horizon Express.
May 9, 20177 yr I think it would be very interessting to hear about the proces behind choosing the next Creator Expert Car (or set if you think that is too narrow). How much is it driven by data (previous sales, surveys, focus groups etc.) and how much is it "that would be cool to do next". And a second one: Are we getting a Creator Expert Car this year? If no, has it something to do with the Ideas team releasing the 21307 Caterham last year, which is very similar to a Creator Expert Car, ?
May 9, 20177 yr How long did they need to make a Creator Expert model also on a Technic model? And did they design a model alone or did they design it together? I just curious about that..
May 9, 20177 yr In the Sci-Fi forum, there is a discussion about space sets, like classic space, M-tron, Blacktron... and it was said that a nice way to reintroduce space sets could be through the Creator Expert line. Those sets very popular in the AFOL community, and children that had the chance to play with those 25+ years old sets had a lot of fun. Any chance that this could see the light, and if not why?
May 9, 20177 yr 16 minutes ago, Bob De Quatre said: In the Sci-Fi forum, there is a discussion about space sets, like classic space, M-tron, Blacktron... and it was said that a nice way to reintroduce space sets could be through the Creator Expert line. Those sets very popular in the AFOL community, and children that had the chance to play with those 25+ years old sets had a lot of fun. Any chance that this could see the light, and if not why? Thanks man! Here's a link to my thread which has gained some modest popularity. And thank you Jim for bringing this to light to the creator experts!
May 9, 20177 yr 14 hours ago, dr_spock said: Will there ever be another Creator Expert Train? We haven't seen one since the Horizon Express. I think the holiday train was a expert series train.
May 9, 20177 yr It would be great to see Creator to return to the Designer Series sets that originally ran from 2003 to 2005 as a model, breaking the 3 in 1 mold used for so many years now. This perhaps could even be adopted for Expert series sets, with a star build and an accompanying idea book to inspire infinite possibilities. One of the closest sets adopting this concept recently is 2015's Minecraft 21116 Crafting Box. I hoped the popularity the Minecraft theme would allow the Crafting Box idea to be used in other themes, both original and licensed.
May 9, 20177 yr Something I've always wanted to ask them is: "How do you choose the style of building (gothic, art nouveau...) every new modular has? Is it in a meeting or one just has the flint that sparks the idea? And just mention that a modular MOC released would be awesome!
May 9, 20177 yr As others have said I'd really like to see themed Expert Creator sets like Classic Space or Classic Castle. The existing Expert Creator sets are basically deluxe City/Town sets so why not throw sci-fi and castle fans a bone? Many of us AFOLS dearly miss classic themes are and tired of Star Wars/etc. We miss the classic smileys and don't like stickers. We miss alternate builds from the back of the box. Expert Creator is perfect for us because it has classic smileys, usually no stickers, and alternate builds! But we need a space ship or castle every once in a while! And we really miss these guys:
May 10, 20177 yr You should ask them how much of what they do is geared towards the AFOL community. I always wonder how much we make up of Lego's audience. I spend waaaaaaaay more on Lego now than I ever did as a kid.
May 10, 20177 yr Author 11 hours ago, paupadros said: And just mention that a modular MOC released would be awesome! What exactly do you mean? TLG releasing one of the MOCs made by fans? 5 hours ago, LegoMonorailFan said: I'm very surprised so few people have replied to this topic. Maybe I need to frontpage it.
May 10, 20177 yr If not an all out Classic space set, can the designers include the classic space logo as a printed element within a build? It was a joy and a surprise to see the logo included in all it's glory within the CMF 'Rocket Boy'. Perhaps it could feature on a little (blue?) kids' go-kart, or a Lego version of one of those ride-on machines you get outside shops? Preferably with a nice transparent yellow windshield or canopy piece!? Maybe a classic space themed roller coaster? Thanks Jim and good luck with the interview! Edited May 10, 20177 yr by badgerboy Typo/grammatical error
May 10, 20177 yr On 08/05/2017 at 11:06 PM, Jim said: BAGS The Tower Bridge doesn't use numbered bags. Is there a specific reason for that? The Tower Bridge 10214 was released in 2010... that would be why. I don't think they started doing numbered bags for every large set until a couple of years later. I remember building the MMV after getting used to numbered bags and the MMV did not have numbered bags. It was somewhat tedious having to sort through all the pieces to find what you were looking for.
May 10, 20177 yr 1 hour ago, badgerboy said: If not an all out Classic space set, can the designers include the classic space logo as a printed element within a build? It was a joy and a surprise to see the logo included in all it's glory within the CMF 'Rocket Boy'. Perhaps it could feature on a little (blue?) kid's go-kart, or a Lego version of one of those ride-on machines you get outside shops? Preferably with a nice transparent yellow windshield or canopy piece!? Maybe a classic space themed roller coaster? Thanks Jim and good luck with the interview! Great ideas! 5 hours ago, Jim said: Maybe I need to frontpage it. That might help. I've spread the word around a little bit here and there.
May 10, 20177 yr On 5/8/2017 at 2:06 PM, Jim said: The Tower Bridge doesn't use numbered bags. Is there a specific reason for that? I actually know the answer for this one - it predates their use in Creator Expert! The VW van from the same period also doesn't use numbered bags. I would love to know if there's any interest in doing more Creator Expert trains. To this day, my favourite set ever is the Emerald Night. Is there any internal support of doing back-of-the-box/instructions alternate builds, like in the 90s? Given that the theme of The LEGO Movie was about using your own imagination, and I clearly remember as a kid that these inspirations were one of the main reasons I broke down all my sets and began building MOCs. Finally, how much do adult interests impact what come out in Creator Expert versus how much it's geared to teens?
May 10, 20177 yr 16 hours ago, danth said: As others have said I'd really like to see themed Expert Creator sets like Classic Space or Classic Castle. The existing Expert Creator sets are basically deluxe City/Town sets so why not throw sci-fi and castle fans a bone? Many of us AFOLS dearly miss classic themes are and tired of Star Wars/etc. We miss the classic smileys and don't like stickers. We miss alternate builds from the back of the box. Expert Creator is perfect for us because it has classic smileys, usually no stickers, and alternate builds! But we need a space ship or castle every once in a while! And we really miss these guys: I second this 100%!!!
May 10, 20177 yr Author 53 minutes ago, Magma said: The Tower Bridge 10214 was released in 2010... that would be why. I don't think they started doing numbered bags for every large set until a couple of years later. I remember building the MMV after getting used to numbered bags and the MMV did not have numbered bags. It was somewhat tedious having to sort through all the pieces to find what you were looking for. That's what I figured. Wasn't sure. (My GF asked me this). Thanks.
May 10, 20177 yr Hello - I am seeking a quote to build Lego plans for a private plane. Need build instructions and materials required. Will provide a picture. Can someone help me out?
May 10, 20177 yr Are certain Creator Expert sets or series more popular in different parts of the world? How has designing Creator Expert sets changed since some of the earliest sets around 2007? Do you have more freedom to introduce things like recolors and printed bricks than you used to? Around how many of each Creator Expert set are produced compared to more kid-targeted themes like City, Ninjago, or Creator 3-in-1? What kind of focus testing do Creator Expert sets go through during the design process? Do you test them with adults, teens, or both? Men, women, or both? Do the results of this kind of tests often result in design changes? What's your favorite feedback you've received on a set you worked on? How does fan feedback to previous Creator Expert sets influence your work? Is there anything you ever wanted to include in a Creator Expert set but couldn't? How long does it take to bring a Creator Expert set from initial concept to store shelves? How many different Creator Expert sets are being developed at any one time? LEGO design tends to be a very behind-the-scenes process, but the Design videos for Creator Expert and other direct-to-consumer sets give fans a peek behind the veil. Does it ever feel intimidating to show off a set you worked on on camera?
May 10, 20177 yr I guess I didn't put my question in actual question form: Would Classic Space and/or Classic Castle themed Expert Creator sets be a possibility? And if not, why not?
May 11, 20177 yr Please ignore the following question if the Creator Houses don't fit within "Creator Expert" category, but my question would be: Why have Lego Creator Houses decreased so substantially in size? The earlier models (e.g. Building Bonanza (4886), Model Town House (4954), House (4956), Beach House (4996), Apple Tree House (5891) and Family Home (6754)) offered interesting and sizeable builds. The Creator Houses have been steadily decreasing in size and the upcoming Creator Houses for 2017 (Poolside Holiday (31067), Modern Home (31068) and Family Villa (31069)) are not only smaller builds, but they also all lack four walls / closed (or close-able) backs which was previously standard for Creator Houses. Will Creator Houses ever return to the same size and scale as the earlier models? Will they at least return to having four walls / closed (or close-able) backs?
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