LEGO Build+
A 0→1 LEGO / BrickLink innovation pilot exploring how fan-created alternative builds could extend the value of existing LEGO sets. I worked with a senior service designer to support the project end-to-end across pilot planning, fan designer research, creator coordination, existing product research, platform mockups, and executive storytelling. The pilot was showcased to executive LEGO leadership and received positive feedback to continue exploration.
What is BrickLink?
Innovation Strategy
Service Design
My Roles
The Challenge
The pilot started with a simple but ambitious idea:
Can we collaborate with our expert creator community to extend the life of a LEGO set?
The pilot started with a simple but ambitious idea:
Can we collaborate with our expert creator community to extend the life of a LEGO set?
But to move from a creative idea to a scalable platform opportunity, we needed to evaluate several layers of complexity.
Core challenge:
How might we validate fan-created Alternative Building Instructions as a scalable platform opportunity across builder demand, creator participation, operational feasibility, and long-term business impact?
Core challenge:
How might we validate fan-created Alternative Building Instructions as a scalable platform opportunity across builder demand, creator participation, operational feasibility, and long-term business impact?
Timeline
Before building the experience, we had to define what the pilot needed to prove.
Existing Product Research
To understand whether Build+ Alternative Instructions had a foundation within the LEGO group’s existing product ecosystem, I looked at LEGO Creator 3-in-1 — a product line already built around the idea that one set can support multiple building experiences.
To understand whether Build+ Alternative Instructions had a foundation within the LEGO group’s existing product ecosystem, I looked at LEGO Creator 3-in-1 — a product line already built around the idea that one set can support multiple building experiences.
Internal research indicated that the ability to choose between multiple models and rebuild a set into something new were among the top reasons costumers enjoyed Creator sets. Additional benefit-ranking research also showed strong interest in Alternative Building Instructions as a potential LEGO experience.
Internal research indicated that the ability to choose between multiple models and rebuild a set into something new were among the top reasons costumers enjoyed Creator sets. Additional benefit-ranking research also showed strong interest in Alternative Building Instructions as a potential LEGO experience.
What does this mean for our pilot?
Existing research signal
Existing research signal
How it shaped the pilot
How it shaped the pilot
Understanding Fan Designers
I conducted interviews with 8 fan designers to learn about their creative workflows, expectations for the pilot, motivations for participating, and perspectives on how Build+ building instructions could evolve in the future, resulting in the following archetypes:
I conducted interviews with 8 fan designers to learn about their creative workflows, expectations for the pilot, motivations for participating, and perspectives on how Build+ building instructions could evolve in the future, resulting in the following archetypes:
Creator Archetypes
Understanding creator needs helped us understand what fan designers required from the LEGO group and BrickLink to create high-quality alternative builds. These needs shaped how we supported designers during the pilot and revealed what systems would be necessary to scale.
Understanding creator needs helped us understand what fan designers required from the LEGO group and BrickLink to create high-quality alternative builds. These needs shaped how we supported designers during the pilot and revealed what systems would be necessary to scale.
Exploring Platform Opportunities
Once fan designers submitted their builds and instructions, I created mockups to explore where Build+ Alternative Instructions could appear across LEGO.com and BrickLink.com. These explorations helped translate the pilot outputs into potential platform experiences and show how the concept could scale beyond a one-time experiment.
Once fan designers submitted their builds and instructions, I created mockups to explore where Build+ Alternative Instructions could appear across LEGO.com and BrickLink.com. These explorations helped translate the pilot outputs into potential platform experiences and show how the concept could scale beyond a one-time experiment.
LEGO.com Product Description
Explore all the different builds and options that fan designers created, able to download the instructions.
Build+ Alternative instructions next to the original instructions.
LEGO.com Insider Rewards
I explored LEGO Insiders Rewards as a potential home for Build+ Alternative Instructions, where users could redeem points to unlock new fan-created builds for sets they already own.
This positions Build+ as a lightweight digital reward that encourages repeat engagement, adds post-purchase value, and connects fan creativity to LEGO’s broader loyalty ecosystem.
Instruction Book
Since LEGO is a physical-first play experience, I explored how Alternative Building Instructions could also live inside the original instruction booklet.
A dedicated page or QR code could introduce builders to additional fan-created builds at the moment they are already engaging with the set, creating a natural bridge from physical play to digital discovery.
BrickLink Studio Activity
I explored a BrickLink Studio activity model where Build+ Alternative Instructions could be introduced as themed design challenges.
For a selected set, BrickLink could provide a prompt, invite fan designers to create alternative builds, and allow the community to vote on submissions. This approach could help generate a diverse range of fan-created models while increasing creator participation, community engagement, and visibility within the BrickLink ecosystem.
LEGO.com Product Description
Build+ Alternative instructions next to the original instructions.
Explore all the different builds and options that fan designers created, able to download the instructions.
LEGO.com Insider Rewards
I explored LEGO Insiders Rewards as a potential home for Build+ Alternative Instructions, where users could redeem points to unlock new fan-created builds for sets they already own.
This positions Build+ as a lightweight digital reward that encourages repeat engagement, adds post-purchase value, and connects fan creativity to LEGO’s broader loyalty ecosystem.
Instruction Book
Since LEGO is a physical-first play experience, I explored how Alternative Building Instructions could also live inside the original instruction booklet.
A dedicated page or QR code could introduce builders to additional fan-created builds at the moment they are already engaging with the set, creating a natural bridge from physical play to digital discovery.
BrickLink Studio Activity
I explored a BrickLink Studio activity model where Build+ Alternative Instructions could be introduced as themed design challenges.
For a selected set, BrickLink could provide a prompt, invite fan designers to create alternative builds, and allow the community to vote on submissions. This approach could help generate a diverse range of fan-created models while increasing creator participation, community engagement, and visibility within the BrickLink ecosystem.
Running the pilot
I used a small service blueprint to map how the process moved from kickoff to submission and review, showing both the designer-facing journey and the behind-the-scenes coordination required from the LEGO group, BrickLink, and the BDP team.
I used a small service blueprint to map how the process moved from kickoff to submission and review, showing both the designer-facing journey and the behind-the-scenes coordination required from the LEGO group, BrickLink, and the BDP team.
Executive Showcase
The pilot was presented to a group of LEGO executive leadership through an immersive showcase that brought the opportunity to life beyond the slide deck.
The pilot was presented to a group of LEGO executive leadership through an immersive showcase that brought the opportunity to life beyond the slide deck.
The showcase included:
Original set
Physical fan-designed alternative builds
Printed LEGO.com, BrickLink, and LEGO Insiders Rewards mockups
Printed strategic insights deck summarizing pilot findings
Research-backed recommendations for scaling the concept
The showcase included:
Original set
Physical fan-designed alternative builds
Printed LEGO.com, BrickLink, and LEGO Insiders Rewards mockups
Printed strategic insights deck summarizing pilot findings
Research-backed recommendations for scaling the concept
What we communicated:
Builders already value rebuildability and expanded play
Fan designers were interested in participating
Product teams saw potential fit with existing sets
Scaling would require clear onboarding, quality review, tooling, and platform ownership
Build+ could create new engagement and business opportunities across the LEGO group and BrickLink
What we communicated:
Builders already value rebuildability and expanded play
Fan designers were interested in participating
Product teams saw potential fit with existing sets
Scaling would require clear onboarding, quality review, tooling, and platform ownership
Build+ could create new engagement and business opportunities across the LEGO group and BrickLink
Feedback
The pilot received positive feedback from three key groups: fan designers, product teams, and executive leadership. Together, their responses helped validate the opportunity from creator, product, and strategic perspectives.
The pilot received positive feedback from three key groups: fan designers, product teams, and executive leadership. Together, their responses helped validate the opportunity from creator, product, and strategic perspectives.
Key Insights & Reflections
Learned to design through ambiguity
Turned an open-ended innovation idea into clear pilot questions around desirability, feasibility, creator interest, and business impact.Grew from product thinking to service-system thinking
Realized Build+ Alternative Instructions could not be solved by a webpage alone. It required onboarding, guidelines, review workflows, legal clarity, attribution, and platform ownership.Built confidence in executive storytelling
Helped translate a complex pilot into a tangible leadership showcase through physical builds, printed mockups, and a strategic pitch deck.
Learned to design through ambiguity
Turned an open-ended innovation idea into clear pilot questions around desirability, feasibility, creator interest, and business impact.Grew from product thinking to service-system thinking
Realized Build+ Alternative Instructions could not be solved by a webpage alone. It required onboarding, guidelines, review workflows, legal clarity, attribution, and platform ownership.Built confidence in executive storytelling
Helped translate a complex pilot into a tangible leadership showcase through physical builds, printed mockups, and a strategic pitch deck.
Build+ was one of several projects I contributed to during my time at BrickLink.
I’m grateful for the opportunity to work on a project that combined research, service design, platform strategy, and innovation.
And especially thankful to my mentor Patriya and team for their guidance, trust, and support throughout the process.
Build+ was one of several projects I contributed to during my time at BrickLink.
I’m grateful for the opportunity to work on a project that combined research, service design, platform strategy, and innovation.
And especially thankful to my mentor Patriya and team for their guidance, trust, and support throughout the process.
