Every day is completely different and that is what makes my job so exciting. I am mainly based in Denmark at LEGO HQ, but then fly back to the UK to do fun things like film LEGO MASTERS; and I am backwards and forwards to LA and Vancouver right now for a very special project – I’m the Executive Producer on The LEGO Movie 2! That is currently my number one priority, both working with the directors, art teams and animation department on the look of the movie, while coordinating the toy line too.
I also work right the way across our portfolio of toys, meeting with the design manager of each product line, checking things are going according to plan and offering advice and guidance on how to refine their designs to make sure we have the best toys possible. Kids obviously know best when it comes to toys, so give them our new ideas first to gauge if they like them so we can make things even better based on their feedback.
From dreamer to toy designer
From a young age all I dreamed of doing when I was older was designing toys. Geppetto, Pinocchio’s dad, was the only person I ‘knew’ that has such an amazing job, and as such (I mean he is a Disney character after all) I didn’t actually think it was a real career option and so gave up on my dream, and instead toyed with the idea of being an architect or something else ‘creative’.
I eventually pursued a career as a Fashion Designer and, when I graduated, displayed a miniature version of my catwalk collection on Barbie dolls at an exhibition. It just so happened that there were some talent scouts from the LEGO Company there who spotted my collection and loved it. They were looking for someone to work on a range of toys for girls back then and thought my fit with fashion and passion for toys was just what they needed. So, by complete coincidence of me being in exactly the right place at the right time, I landed the job that I had dreamed of having all my life.
Getting festive with LEGO
We start working on our Christmas sets anywhere between a year to 18 months before the Christmas we’ll launch them, so some of the sets are actually developed and locked in the middle of the summer - which can feel a little odd! But launch time is very special for us; when things are starting to get festive in ‘real life’ it’s a wonderful feeling to know that the toys you have created are going to end up under the Christmas trees around the world, decorating people’s homes and hopefully bring heaps of joy of kids everywhere.
I have so many favourite Christmas LEGO products. Each year we create Winter Village scenes, and these have previously included a Winter Toy Shop (10249) and Holiday Train (10254). Santa’s Workshop (10245) was probably my favourite - it came with some rather charming brick-built reindeer! We also have a super cute LEGO Brickheadz set out this year that comes with chubby, blocky versions of Mr & Mrs Claus and a dinky little Christmas Tree (40274).
60 years of the brick
Wow there have been a lot of sets over the last 60 years, and trying to pick my favourite is near impossible! From my childhood I would probably choose something from the Classic Space range, possibly the Galaxy Explorer (497) or the Yellow Castle (375) which was one of the first sets I owned! As an adult it would be the Ghostbusters Fire Station, Monster Fighters Haunted House, Star Wars Ewok Village or this year’s new LEGO Ideas release Voltron (2321) – it’s awesome.
More than just a brick
The amazing thing about LEGO bricks is that people bring their imagination to life using them. I have seen so many LEGO builds that impress me, and it is amazing what our designers and fans can create when they get their hands on a heap of interlocking bricks. One Certified LEGO fan, Sean Kenny (who was a guest judge alongside me on Season 1 of LEGO MASTERS), builds breath-taking things from nature and has built extremely accurate giant depictions of a whole array of animals and in-particular some beautiful butterflies. I was also fortunate enough to attend the grand unveiling of our Life-sized X-Wing fighter, built of over 5m bricks, in Times Square a few years back. The model, entirely created from LEGO Bricks, was immense and I had an amazing aerial view of it from my hotel room.
If I could build anything out of LEGO I’d love to create a giant interactive fantasy world filled with colourful creatures like unicorns and magical pets, where everything is just uber cute and totes adorbs!
If you’ve been inspired to build, then head to Observation Point on London’s Southbank this weekend – December 8 and 9 - to visit the LEGO Imaginarium. Take part in an AR experience and encounter your wildest wishes in brick form!
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