BrickLink Discussion Forum

Dear BrickLink Members,

We’re proud to share that the BrickLink Designer Program will live on! We’ve learned from the BDP 2021 Invitational, and the program is here to stay. Series 1 is the first in the new, permanent program. We’ll continue learning and adjusting to make each future Series better.

How Series 1 will work

Series 1 will span 2023 and early 2024, with these milestones:

Create Your Designs: December 9, 2022—February 2023
We invite all LEGO enthusiasts 18 and older to design your models in Studio.
Open Submission: February 1—28, 2023
Submit your models during a 4-week window to be considered before the deadline on February 28, 2023 at noon Pacific US time.
Crowd Validation: March 7—March 31
We invite all BrickLink members to vote for their favorite submissions. This crowd vote weighs in alongside the BDP’s internal selection criteria and influences the designs chosen for crowdfunding.
Review: April—May 2023
Our team checks every design for building experience, brand fit, and crowd favorites.
5 Designs Announced: Late May 2023
We’ll reveal the five Series 1 designs. Then we’ll collaborate with fan designers to prepare them for production.
Crowdfunding: February 2024
BrickLink members will be invited to pre-order their favorite designs, with a limit of 2 of each set per household. All designs that receive over 3,000 pre-orders will be produced. We will manufacture up to 20,000 of each set on a limited production run.
Production and Shipping: Summer/Fall 2024
We produce the sets in the factory. Orders will be ready to ship approximately 6 months after crowdfunding. Actual dates and shipping times may vary.

What calling it “Series 1” says about the Program’s future
We’re committed to helping you realize your ideas through the BrickLink Designer Program. By calling this iteration Series 1, we’re indicating the BrickLink Designer Program has matured from the one-off 2021 Invitational into a program we can sustain over time. With this and each future Series, we’ll issue a fresh brief and Submission Guidelines. This way, the program can evolve as we learn from experience during each series.

Next Steps for aspiring Fan Designers

Check out the BrickLink Designer Program homepage for the overview and detailed timeline.
Before you start building, Review the Submission Guidelines, which all submissions must follow.
Download the latest version of BrickLink Studio, which includes the BDP Series 1 Palette.
Register for our live webinar December 14th at 8am Pacific / 5pm CET to learn more about the Submission Guidelines. Can’t join live? We’ll make a video available after the session.
Ask any questions in the new BrickLink Designer Program forum, where we will monitor and respond.

We’re looking forward to your submissions!
The BrickLink Team

Author:

Admin

Posted:

May 10, 2022 10:19

Subject:

BrickLink Designer Program third and final round opens May 17th

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We’re pleased to announce the third round of crowdfunding for the BrickLink Designer Program will open May 17th at 10:00am Pacific / 7:00pm CET / 6:00pm UTC. We invite LEGO fans to pre-order their favorites among nine fan projects on the BrickLink Designer Program page.
The first five projects to reach the goal of 3,000 pre-orders will be produced as a limited edition set. Up to 10,000 of each will be produced based on pre-orders received from registered BrickLink members. Round 3 crowdfunding will close at 10:00am Pacific on June 21.
Here are the candidates for the third and final round of crowdfunding, along with their prices:

Mountain View Observatory by ThomasW_BL for $319.99
Space Troopers by nickroyer for $199.99
1950s Diner by pix027 for $129.99
Studgate Train Station by BrickyBricks82 for $399.99
Working Waterfall by TheKingOfLego for $229.99
Steam Powered Science by EndlessAges for $299.99
Winter Chalet by sdrnet for $199.99
Modular Construction Site by ryantaggart for $319.99
Brickwest Studios by BrickyBricks82 for $349.99

Round 1 of crowdfunding was held during the summer of 2021 and Round 2 in fall 2021. This third and final round of crowdfunding concludes the BrickLink Designer Program invitational where up to 15 out of 26 projects will ultimately be realized across the three rounds.
Designer Program sets will feature digital building instructions provided by the LEGO Building Instructions mobile app. Digital instructions help us fulfill our Planet Promise by using less paper and saving on shipping weight, which in turn reduces emissions while delivering your set to you. The app lets you zoom, rotate, and view your model in 3D and ghost view mode to see how far you’ve come and what part you’re in the process of building. The LEGO Building Instructions app is great at keeping track of complex builds and makes it easy to save your building steps online so you can recycle instruction books.
PDF building instructions will also be made publicly available when sets begin shipping.
Sincerely,

The BrickLink Designer Program Team

Author:

Admin

Posted:

Oct 20, 2021 12:49

Subject:

Second round of crowdfunding for the BrickLink Designer Program opens November 9th featuring these nine LEGO® IDEAS 10k Club Projects!

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We’re pleased to announce the second round of crowdfunding for the BrickLink Designer Program will open November 9th at 12:00pm Pacific / 9:00pm CET / 8:00pm UTC. We invite LEGO fans to pre-order their favorites among nine fan projects on the BrickLink Designer Program page.

The first five projects to reach the goal of 3,000 pre-orders will be produced as a limited edition set. Up to 10,000 of each will be produced based on pre-orders received from registered BrickLink members. Round 2 crowdfunding will close at 12:00pm Pacific on December 14th.

Here are the candidates for the second round of crowdfunding, along with their prices:

Mountain Windmill by Hanwas for $179.99
Modular LEGO Store by Krisnow for $179.99
Seasons in Time Calendar by BrentWaller for $249.99
Retro Bowling Alley by avila for $229.99
Brickwest Studios by BrickyBricks82 for $279.99
Ruined House by Kirteem for $299.99
Clockwork Aquarium by Farquar for $64.99
Quest Builder by legobouwer for $259.99
Science Adventures by Alatariel for $35.99

Round 1 of crowdfunding was held during the summer of 2021, and a third and final round of crowdfunding will follow in 2022. Up to 15 out of 26 projects will ultimately be realized as a part of the program.

Designer Program sets will feature digital building instructions provided by the LEGO Building Instructions mobile app. Digital instructions help us fulfil our Planet Promise by using less paper and saving on shipping weight, which in turn reduces emissions while delivering your set to you. The app lets you zoom, rotate, and view your model in 3D and ghost view mode to see how far you’ve come and what part you’re in the process of building. The LEGO Building Instructions app is great at keeping track of complex builds and makes it easy to save your building steps online so you can recycle instruction books.

PDF building instructions will also be made publicly available when sets begin shipping.

Thank you,
The BDP Team

Author:

Admin

Posted:

Aug 31, 2021 16:58

Subject:

Announcing Round 2 Projects

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Dear Members,

We're excited to announce the projects for Round 2 of Crowdfunding in the BrickLink Designer Program! They are:

Mountain Windmill
Modular LEGO Store
Seasons in Time: Calendar
Retro Bowling Alley
Brickwest Studios
Ruined House
Clockwork Aquarium
Quest Builder
Science Adventures

Round 2 Crowdfunding will open in November.

Update on Anatomini

Due to the complexity of revising Anatomini to meet BrickLink Designer Program requirements, we are very sorry to have to withdraw the project. We hope that we will be able to work with the designer again in the future!

What about Round 3?

While it might seem obvious which projects remain, we’re waiting to officially name Round 3 projects until all of them have passed feasibility tests during test building.

For more questions on the BrickLink Designer Program, visit the FAQ page.

Thank you,
The BrickLink Team

Author:

Admin

Posted:

May 12, 2021 19:43

Subject:

We are extending the BrickLink Designer Program

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Dear BrickLink members,

Based on your feedback to the structure of the BrickLink Designer Program, as well as challenges related to the current Covid situation, we decided to extend the Designer program and postpone the crowdfunding start a bit. This change aims to accommodate for equal opportunities for the designers and maximize the number of designs that can achieve crowdfunding.

What is the new structure?

Instead of one round of crowdfunding, there will be three rounds. For each round, eight to ten projects will be chosen based on feasibility and part availability. The first five of these designs that are successfully crowdfunded will then go into production.

In the illustration below, you can see the difference between the old and new structure.

Will the projects I can crowdfund remain the same?

The designers are currently working hard to make sure that their projects can reach crowdfunding, and we are rooting for all of them to make it, no worries, they are well on their way! The projects available for crowdfunding will still be the ones currently in the BrickLink Designer Program.

The downside to the new structure is that some designs will be available 3-6 months later than with the old structure. On the other hand, that might make it possible for you to support all the projects you like!

When can I start pre-ordering?

Pre-ordering begins July 1st with the first round of crowdfunding. Rounds 2 and 3 will begin in September and November respectively. To see which projects will be ready for the first round of crowdfunding, please visit the BrickLink Designer Program landing page.

You can also visit the FAQ page for more information about the program.

Thank you,
The BrickLink Team

Author:

Admin

Posted:

Mar 17, 2021 16:03

Subject:

Kicking off the BrickLink Designer Program 2021

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Dear BrickLink members,

Since we announced the BrickLink Designer Program back in December 2020, we have been very busy behind the scenes. Today, we are so happy to finally be ready to kick off the program and to start sharing with all of you.

The BrickLink Designer Program: 2021 Invitational is officially kicked off!

What has happened since December?

A total of 31 designs have been selected, and the LEGO Ideas 10K Club designers have been onboarded to the program.

Right now, the designers are working on the digital render of their projects, revising their designs to meet the program requirements in order to pass test building before May 31st.

Meet the LEGO Ideas 10K Club Projects in pre-production

Visit the BrickLink Designer Program landing page for your chance to see all the projects that have been entered into the program, and to follow the progress of your favorite designs from digital modeling to test building and ready for production.

Time to start the count down!

On the landing page, you can find the overall timeline for the program as well as an FAQ page that can hopefully assist you with answers to your questions. The BrickLink team will also be available to answer your questions below this post.

Follow BrickLink on Social media for more program updates!

Thank you,
The BrickLink Team

Author:

Admin

Posted:

Dec 17, 2020 11:59

Subject:

The return of the Designer Program

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Dear BrickLink members,

Back in 2018, we launched a pilot program with the LEGO Group to celebrate 60 years of the LEGO® brick and help realize unique fan designs with original themes. Thirteen fan designs were successfully crowdfunded through the pilot, and we have received many questions about its potential return since then. Is there going to be a second iteration? If so, when? You won’t have to wait much longer because we can happily reveal that the Designer Program will make its return in 2021!

Are there any changes to the program?

While the core part of the program remains unchanged, there is one important difference. According to a recent survey, an overwhelming number of you showed enthusiasm and support in leveraging the Designer Program to realize LEGO Ideas fan designs that were not selected for production (see chart below).

Above: Percentage of approval or disapproval of realizing LEGO Ideas projects not produced

Above: Direct quotes related to realizing LEGO Ideas projects not produced

With this information, we decided to officially move forward with realizing designs from LEGO Ideas that many of you already appreciate. We will work closely with the LEGO Ideas team to bring as many great designs into the world as possible!

Who will be invited?

Select designers whose project(s) acquired 10,000 votes on LEGO Ideas, but were not approved for production, will be invited to participate in this Designer Program. Unfortunately, IP-based designs will not be eligible for the Designer Program, in addition to a few other projects that we know we unfortunately can’t realize. The LEGO Ideas team will first contact the designers from January, and then the BrickLink team will proceed with the onboarding process for participating designers.

What will happen to the original AFOL Designer Program?

We understand that there are some AFOL designers and fans who anticipated a new intake of original projects. Our intention is to host annual Designer Programs that best reflect voices of the AFOL communities. Depending on preferences, we may return to the original format of the open contest in 2022. But rest assure, that no matter how designs are submitted to the program, we will continue to celebrate fan creativity by realizing your dream sets through crowdfunding.

When can I get more information?

The official program title and detailed timeline have yet to be confirmed, but you can expect to get more information in early 2021. At the same time, we will also unveil all participating designers and their projects.

We are pleased to continue this journey with you! Thank you again for contributing to the success of the 2018 pilot and for your ever-growing support of fan designs. If you haven’t already, please take a moment to browse the Studio Gallery page to view more designs created by members of the AFOL community.

Stay vigilant and happy holidays!
The BrickLink Team

Author:

Admin

Posted:

Dec 2, 2020 13:38

Subject:

Looking to the future of BrickLink

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Dear BrickLink members,

This month, it will be one year since BrickLink joined the LEGO Group. We have seen many new people coming to BrickLink and a significant increase in site traffic, so we are very excited about our future. As we celebrate this first anniversary, we are very pleased to share details about the future direction of BrickLink.

In the video recording below, Julia Goldin and Marvin Park, the LEGO Group's Chief Marketing Officer and Head of BrickLink respectively, will provide an update on what’s planned. As you’ll hear from Julia and Marvin, the focus is on strengthening the BrickLink organization, creating opportunities for more community collaboration, and allowing you to be even more creative and connected!

Your involvement is very important to us and the success of our common future hinges on our ability to serve you the best we can. We would love to hear from you whether you would just like to share your thoughts or if you have questions. Please post in the forum and we’ll respond over the coming days.

Thank you to all BrickLink members, new and long-standing, for considering BrickLink and allowing us to be part of your LEGO passion.

Thank you,
The BrickLink Team

Author:

Admin

Posted:

Nov 9, 2020 16:59

Subject:

Build to Give

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Help us bring joy to one million kids around the world! We are excited to be a part of the LEGO® Build to Give event where we encourage our fans to share their creativity and love toward the community by designing their own holiday ornaments. Your ornament design can be shared in the BrickLink Studio Gallery and any social media with #buildtogive and #bricklinkstudio. For every ornament submitted, the LEGO Group will donate a LEGO set to a child in need of play. Up to 1 million sets will be donated!

There are no submission criteria for your design; anything and everything is considered an ornament. Just be creative and share your love! Donations will be triggered based on individual builder’s social media post with #buildtogive and #bricklinkstudio.

Instructions

Start by designing any ornament using Studio.
Again, there is no size limit nor restrictions - feel free to use any parts to your liking.

Once ready, you may generate a rendering of your design with Studio’s built-in rendering engine. Feel free to play around with the settings to find the optimal render result for your design. Below are some recommended settings we have prepared for your convenience:
Image Size: 1080 x 1080 (1:1)
Render Quality: Very High
Background & Light: Use “Build to Give Preset” with a background color of your choice

To adjust viewing angle of your design, simply use the Camera Setup tab. Take some time with all the different angles and zoom scales you can use and once ready, initiate the render!

To make a gallery posting with your design, please click the “Upload to MyStudio” button on the top right corner of the screen. Simply follow the prompts from there, enter title and description, and don’t forget to choose the ‘Build to Give’ category! Top-rated designs will be featured on our special digital tree page on a weekly basis.

Lastly, post the rendering of your model on any social media of your choice with both #buildtogive and #bricklinkstudio tags. This will help us keep track of all your creations and will be used to trigger the donations!

Author:

Admin

Posted:

Jun 19, 2020 15:34

Subject:

Happy 20th Anniversary, BrickLink

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Dear members,

What a momentous day it is for everyone here at BrickLink and in this community because on this very day 20 years ago, BrickLink went live. The site, created by Dan Jezek, became the place to meet others who shared the same passion for the colorful bricks and the build itself.

To help us kick off the 20 Days of BrickLink event, Dan Jezek’s mother and former CEO of BrickLink has written a thoughtful message addressing the community:

This month we mark the 20th Anniversary of the founding of BrickLink. Larry Hawthorne and I want to join all of you in virtually celebrating this wonderful milestone. As it were, we find ourselves in Honolulu, Hawaii, where we have remained since the COVID-19 pandemic expanded in early March. How appropriate it is that we are here in the same location where Dan launched BrickLink (then BrickBay) on June 19, 2000. I have provided a brief video message inviting you to share with me some personal remembrances from the time Dan spent putting BrickLink together, building it from scratch.

I can only stress that if Dan were alive today, I know he would be so proud and grateful to you for making his dream, BrickLink, come true. Without you, none of this would be possible. Please think of Dan on the 20th anniversary of BrickLink on June 19th, and on what would have been his 43rd birthday, June 25th.

Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for an absolutely awesome 20 years of BrickLink!

Eliska and Larry

danjezek.com

So much has happened between then and now that has allowed us to grow and evolve. With this milestone, let us celebrate together and not only look back on how far we have all come, but also look forward to what the future holds.

20 Days of BrickLink event

This event will also focus on BrickLink’s history and future and how the community played a part in its success. It will also be a space where we can share original stories, content, etc. with each other. The first week of the event is dedicated to the first 10 years of BrickLink, the second week dedicated to years 11-15, the third week focuses on events leading up to the present, and the last week focuses on the future. The 20 Days of BrickLink event will begin on Monday, June 22nd, and it will run until Friday, July 17th (excluding weekends).

Every week, we will cover a topic for each weekday:

About – On Mondays, we will share a general post about the week’s theme. There are four themes altogether: how it all started, what made a difference, where things are today, and what’s next.

Spotlight – On Tuesdays, we will be putting the spotlight on members of the community for contributing to or having an impact on BrickLink in some way.

Your Stories – On Wednesdays, members who shared their BrickLink moment story with us will be posted here. If you’d like to submit your own story, please go to the submissions page. If you have a MOC that represents the 20th anniversary, add the tag 20 Days of BrickLink to your MOC details so that other members can easily find it in the Studio Gallery.

From the Team – On Thursdays, members from our team will share a story related to the week’s theme.

BrickLink Challenge – On Fridays, we thought we’d make things a little more interesting with some challenges! Questions will be multiple-choice or open-ended, and depending on the challenge, you will be timed. Some answers may even be in previous posts

Join us on Monday, June 22nd for Day 1 of 20 Days of BrickLink,! We hope that you all will enjoy this special event.

Thank you,

The BrickLink Team

Author:

Admin

Posted:

Jun 16, 2020 13:18

Subject:

Celebrating 20 Years of BrickLink

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