Product designers for LEGO Group - Making ideas into toys

[lt.Gonville brickhead]

aww i cant go for it

Good luck though

[t20a1h5u23]

toy concepts for kids aged 2-99.

Darn it! I just turned 100! Can I still play with Legos?

[polywen]

Anyone hear back from Lego yet?

[roamingstop]

Anyone hear back from Lego yet?

Yes and No.

Yes I heard, no I did not get an interview this time. Thats the way it goes; the application was too early for me - I had to rush the Portfolio for the 30/06 deadline, and did not get time to work on it during July. I also work in product management / research for a small medical rehabilitation company - not toys.

But I dont see it negatively - it gave me a chance to think positively and come up with lots of educational conceptual and ideas which I will have the pleasure of doing in my own time in the next months / years.

Edit:

On their website TLG are still listing this position as open, with updated text and new contact details, so perhaps they are looking for something really specific.

Edited August 6, 2010 by roamingstudio

[TGping]

Yes and No.

Yes I heard, no I did not get an interview this time. Thats the way it goes; the application was too early for me - I had to rush the Portfolio for the 30/06 deadline, and did not get time to work on it during July. I also work in product management / research for a small medical rehabilitation company - not toys.

But I dont see it negatively - it gave me a chance to think positively and come up with lots of educational conceptual and ideas which I will have the pleasure of doing in my own time in the next months / years.

Edit:

On their website TLG are still listing this position as open, with updated text and new contact details, so perhaps they are looking for something really specific.

Hope you don't mind my asking, but when did you get that response? I still haven't even recieved a rejection letter yet. I did notice the new details on their ad... it seems they are emphasizing drawing a lot more than the last ad.

[roamingstop]

Hope you don't mind my asking, but when did you get that response? I still haven't even recieved a rejection letter yet. I did notice the new details on their ad... it seems they are emphasizing drawing a lot more than the last ad.

Today at 13:00; direct by email. Yeah this could also be something letting me down as I had provided a lot more about schematics than drawing. Im not an artist; but I did put together some conceptual ideas as a different way.

[polywen]

I just got the email. I made it to the interview round. I'm going to Denmark!

[prateek]

I just got the email. I made it to the interview round. I'm going to Denmark!

Congratulations my good sir! Please explain the process when you are done

[roamingstop]

Congratulations my good sir! Please explain the process when you are done

My sentiments exactly. It would be interesting to compare the 'portfolios' one day to see what was considered good / bad. Good luck to anyone else who receives a call for interview.

[RileyC]

Congratulations!

I would love to hear about how you went about creating your portfolio and how the interview process goes!

I wish you all the best!

[polywen]

What I did hear is that the applicants who made it into the yes pile were a mix of people from the fan community like us, and design students. As for portfolio, mine was a mix of drawing/art, and Lego mocs. Pretty much 50/50. I generally don't build large, so most of my images were of smaller mocs.

As for good or bad, I think they were looking for interesting. What I mean is, if the applicant offered something that would add to or compliment their design team. I think they were also interested in people who could draw well, because the early stages of the design process involve a lot of drawing, I think.

I'll try to post more after I interview.

[marcosbessa]

I received an email today letting me know that I was also picked for the workshop late this month!

I'm going to Billund!!

In my blog (it's in portuguese, though) you can see some images of my portfolio:

http://marcosbessa.blogspot.com/2010/07/e-assim-se-cumprem-sonhos.html

[TGping]

I also made it to the workshop in Denmark!

Whoo!

As for my portfolio, I didn't include any LEGO mocs at all. Mostly concept art and comic pages. However, I included in my CV that LEGO is one of my hobbies.

I'll be seeing some of you in person :D

[Ogre]

Good luck to everyone who has made it to the next stage!

Man, I'd have butterflies the size of a T-Rex...

[prateek]

Man, I'd have butterflies the size of a T-Rex...

That would hurt

[CopMike]

Good luck everybody, it´s nice to see that so many made it to the next round !

[Zerobricks]

polywen, marcosbessa and TGping I am just wondering, what degrees you have? Good luck!

Edited August 15, 2010 by Zblj

[marcosbessa]

polywen, marcosbessa and TGping I am just wondering, what degrees you have? Good luck!

I've finished this year my degree in engineering sciences oriented in computer engineering. :) But I believe it was my portfolio what made me be picked...

[TGping]

polywen, marcosbessa and TGping I am just wondering, what degrees you have? Good luck!

I have a BA majoring in Sequential Art. Which really affects the way my portfolio looks. About half of it is comic pages. After the workshop I'll see about showing what exactly is in my portfolio.

[Front]

Good luck to everybody here who applied for a job.

I hope PMD (Product & Marketing Department) can attract more interesting people to Billund, that makes it a pleasure to go to work each day.

I myself am working in GSC (Global Supply Chain) as an engineer doing Part Design, engineering work requiring a lot of 3D CAD skills. I work in close relations with Product Designers and Tooling Engineers, making new products happen. One thing that everyone applying for a job as Product Designer can be sure of is that you will end up with a lot of nice colleges.

We have open positions in Part Design too from time to time, but we mostly seek people with a Danish background. I hope that can change one day, and we can attract people from different parts of the world.

Front aka Erland R.N.

[polywen]

I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts from a Design School. I am also a professional artist. I do comics, including Lego comics. My portfolio is a mix of my art work and mocs.

[roamingstop]

I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts from a Design School. I am also a professional artist. I do comics, including Lego comics. My portfolio is a mix of my art work and mocs.

Without any disrespect intended to anyone... (as there are some excellant Artistic portfolios!)

It really seems TLG want people who are primarily artists first, and encouraged to be designers second, rather than people who are designers and implementers and not artists. This would fit more with the 'Graphic Designer' catagory which is looking explicitly for people who can draw cartoon styles. It also matches with the designer of the Winter Bakery who appears to have graduated in Fine Arts (listen to his video).

Perhaps the workshop is to be mixed for both groups? It wont stop me designing products for myself / friends, some of which will be released on EB. And the process helped me better understand my career direction.

At work, we have a product designer who is responsible for the vision, the packaging, look and feel, and does not worry too much about implementation details (how to get from A to B). We have a product project manager who is responsible for the team goals; and im responsible for making sure the product actually does what it is supposed to do; how it works and that it fulfills the designers ideas. And Im happy with that role; finding a solution, ensuring we hit Unique Selling Points (USP's) and making something work is what I do best.

[polywen]

It really seems TLG want people who are primarily artists first, and encouraged to be designers second, rather than people who are designers and implementers and not artists. This would fit more with the 'Graphic Designer' catagory which is looking explicitly for people who can draw cartoon styles.

I don't think, in my case "cartoon style" is accurate. While I do make comics, I also have a broad range of illustration work, and fine art paintings. I think, if anything, LEGO is looking for people who can draw and communicate ideas effectively. I believe the early stages of their product development involves a lot of brainstorming and conceptualizing. Long before a single brick is used. Concept art has to be made to flush out potential new themes and set concepts. That would be the advantage to having artists.

On top of this, having building skills with LEGO is probably a big plus for the final stages of the product design.

[roamingstop]

I believe the early stages of their product development involves a lot of brainstorming and conceptualizing. Long before a single brick is used. Concept art has to be made to flush out potential new themes and set concepts. That would be the advantage to having artists.

I think you have exactly hit the nail on the head. Consider the sketches of the 'Public Transport System' which were used for the Toys R Us exclusives

Spot a Lego brick, technic design or actual structural elements...

An Architect is not an Building Engineer; one does top level design, one does all the calculations and translates it into implementation. Im not sure the second role exists in TLG. Perhaps the successful interviewees can provide more info?

Good luck to all (and I really mean it!).

Ps Polywen: I did not mean it as a criticsm, if you read the description of Graphic Designer they actually state comics / cartoons as a good benefit.

Pps did anyone notice how the truck in the 'Truck Stop' evolved into the 3221 Lego Transport Wagon and Toys R Us Exclusive?

Edited August 16, 2010 by roamingstudio

[roamingstop]

Good luck to everyone over the next three days!

My meagre attempts at a portfolio can be found here

Online Portfolio