Meet two designers from the LEGO Star Wars range

25/06/2018 - 10:34 Lego news Interviews LEGO Star Wars

Michael Lee Stockwell & Jens Kronvold Frederiksen

Meeting two designers who are working on the LEGO Star Wars range is a double-edged sword: We expect to learn a little more about what is going on behind the scenes around this range but we know in advance that many questions will remain. unanswered for confidentiality reasons.

I was able to share half an hour of discussion with Michael Lee Stockwell (designer at LEGO since 2006) and Jens Kronvold Frederiksen (designer at LEGO since 1998) on the occasion of the Fan Media Days organized by LEGO and rather than giving you an interview punctuated with avoidance, embarrassed smiles and high-end diversions, I will content myself with summarizing here what really interesting came out of this meeting with two veterans of the range .

75098 Assault on Hoth

I didn't hesitate for a second to talk about the disappointing set again 75098 Assault on Hoth which was not an assault and probably did not deserve to wear the label Ultimate Collector Series. The two designers readily admit having spent time reading the various unflattering reviews of this box:

"... We are well aware of the level of disappointment of the fans, but without wanting to justify ourselves, there is an explanation for the presence of only two attackers in this box: The set 75098 (2016) was initially intended to provide context to a more comprehensive reconstruction of the Battle of Hoth.

Its marketing has been postponed [No information on the real reasons for this delay] while it should initially have accompanied the sale of other elements of the scene in question including theAT-AT (75054) and Snowspeeder from 2014 (75049).

The whole would have formed a coherent and evolving scene according to the desires and the means of each one, that was the starting objective but the timing of the marketing and some technical constraints decided otherwise ... "

They readily admit that it would then probably have been enough to make this explanation public to calm things down, but they have deliberately chosen not to intervene in the debates between fans, even if the brand did not impose on them any particular duty of reserve:

"... Some designers regularly participate in the fan discussion forums, we have chosen not to do so so as not to give the impression of coming to justify the choices that have been made and not find ourselves having to do it all the time in endless debates.

This does not prevent us from taking into account the positive or negative feedback on the products that are marketed and from analyzing the reactions of the fans. 

We obviously saw that the disappointment was about this box, the many reviews that have been published have mostly been very hard with this set. We have learned the lessons internally.."

75178 Jakku Whenjumper

Another set that has been the subject of much discussion: the reference 75178 Jakku Whenjumper which features a ship whose screen presence is limited to ... an explosion of the thing:

"... We knew from the start that the Quadjumper would only play a very limited role in the action of The Force Awakens. But when we saw the model used in the film during a visit to the filming studio, we still decided to try to create a LEGO version of it without knowing if it would one day end up on the shelves of the stores of toys.

This model was then submitted to a panel of children responsible for testing the product and the success was immediate. The large engines and the explosion mechanism were unanimous and the young testers appreciated the cartoon side of the ship. We then decided to commercialize it, then it was up to everyone to create a real story for this ship ... "

On the difficulty of making everyone happy with the products of the LEGO Star Wars range, speaking here of young people who are discovering this universe and adult fans who have known the range for many years:

"... We must not forget that we primarily work for a clientele composed mainly of children. We know that the LEGO Star Wars range attracts a lot of adult fans and we do not forget them by regularly offering them products including the appearance and the construction process meet their expectations, but the reactions of children to the products we present to them are obviously very different from those of adults. 

We carry out a lot of tests on young audiences and the reactions of these children are sometimes very surprising. Most of them, for example, preferred the Microfighter version of the X-Wing to the classic format. Handling, solidity, speed of assembly, ease of making the ship fly, their concerns are sometimes very far from those of adult fans who seek more fidelity in the representation.

The LEGO Star Wars range will always consist of new additions based on the latest available content. [Movies, animated series] and sets that pay homage to the most emblematic scenes or ships of the saga. It is a balance that we want to maintain.

You will also notice that the sets are not identified by era or by film. Boxes of sets 75208 Yoda's Hut et 75205 Mos Eisley Winery For example, wear the same visual appearance as products based on the movie The Last Jedi. Children should be able to mix all of this content to make up their own stories, even if the most knowledgeable adult fans will know what content the set refers to ... "

75208 Yoda's Hut

Another anecdote revealing the impact of the panel of young testers on the choices of designers, which explains the presence of the snake in the set 75208 Yoda's Hut :

"... During the test phase of the LEGO Star Wars 75208 Yoda's Hut set, the young fans of the panel discovered the potential contents of the box but it was above all the fortuitous presence of a snake on a corner of the table that attracted their attention. .

They already saw themselves making up the adventures of Luke and Yoda meeting the serpent in the swamps of Dagobah. Faced with so much enthusiasm, we decided to keep this snake and integrate it into the set when it was not at all planned at the start.

The same goes for the fire that escapes from the chimney of the hut, this very preliminary innocuous detail fascinated the young testers, we have kept it as it is ..."

75149 Resistance X-Wing Fighter

On the re-releases, remakes, variations and other urban legends circulating about LEGO wanting to bite into the aftermarket big cake:

"... We are of course aware of what is going on in the aftermarket, but we shouldn't jump to conclusions about LEGO's behavior in this regard either.

Our goal is to allow each generation of fans to access the ships or machines that made the previous generation happy, not to protect sellers of older products, nor to destroy their business on a voluntary basis.

We are keeping a close eye on what is going on in the aftermarket because there we find some very interesting information about the products that the fans like. These are very useful indicators for defining our future lines of work. 

Each choice to reissue this or that vessel is also and above all dictated by a desire to offer a new interpretation of the thing, by integrating the new parts at our disposal and by adapting the functionalities and the overall aesthetic to the codes in force at the time. of its marketing.

The X-Wing is a perfect example to demonstrate this desire to always have the emblematic ships of the saga in the catalog. It is the fire station of the LEGO Star Wars range, it must always be on the shelf and with each new model we try to have a new creative approach in order to integrate new features that have a direct influence on the design and the aesthetics of the product.

Each era or generation has its expectations and requirements. It's up to us to respond in the best possible way by offering more than just remakes. By starting from scratch with each new version, we make sure to avoid offering a simple evolution of an existing model ... "

75155 Rebel U-Wing Fighter

Speaking briefly of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and products derived from the film, the two designers go there with an interesting remark:

"... Rogue One was a relative disappointment for the passionate Star Wars designers that we are. If the film provided enough creative opportunities, we knew from the start that it would be difficult to reach our usual young audience with the boxes that we were going to offer.

The film itself is not really a work for younger people and as we had envisioned, the merchandise therefore had a bit of a hard time winning over the younger generation of fans ... "

On some choices in terms of scale, which sometimes divide fans especially when it comes to reproductions of scenes that take place in a context whose grandiose aspect is no longer very present in LEGO sets:

"... We always try to choose the best possible scale according to the scene or the vessel to be reproduced. The criterion of the final public price of the box in question obviously comes into account when it comes to making these choices. .

Taking for example the set 75216 Snoke's Throne Room (2018) that many fans consider too minimalist to be convincing, the aim here was above all to provide a realistic representation of the scene without going into a reconstruction of several thousand pieces which would reserve this box for a clientele who could afford to pay for such a set.

To make this box affordable and make it accessible to all fans of the film, young and old, it was therefore deliberately decided to reduce the size of the throne room by retaining some characteristic elements of the place and adding a few features that give a welcome dynamic. It is a voluntary approach, each set is the subject of intense reflection on the most suitable scale so that the assembly and playing experience is the best possible .... "

lego starwars spring shooters

Talking about the different functions related to the playability of the products, the discussion started about the Spring-Shooters, these missile launchers often present on the ships of the range with an interesting anecdote and an important precision:

"... We wanted to be able to have an element that was easy to integrate and that met a few very specific constraints: This part had to be in 1x4 format and it had to work on both sides to avoid the user having to disassemble his assembly when 'he would realize a little too late to have installed it the wrong way round. 

It took many months and many prototypes to arrive at a convincing result, but we did. This part can now be integrated into a construction without altering the overall aesthetics of the machine or vessel.

Adult fans often judge our work on the appearance of the product, but we must not forget that we design toys that must also offer an interesting editing experience and optimal playability.

Each step of the assembly is carefully thought out so that the process remains fun and accessible to the youngest. Same remark concerning the choice of the colors of the parts, the young fan should not have to spend too much time looking for a part during the assembly phase which must continue in a fluid and rhythmic manner. Even if adult fans don't always seem to realize it, judging by their sometimes harsh reviews, each product is the result of long discussions, compromises, choices and testing phases."

In addition to these reactions on very specific subjects, the two designers also discuss their relationship with Disney since the purchase of the Star Wars license:

"... Disney's entry into the loop didn't change much of our relationship with Lucasfilm and the way we work on this line. Disney knew from the start that we had some experience in product design. derived from the Star Wars universe and we have retained all our creative freedom.

It's no longer a secret, we work very early on on upcoming novelties, sometimes a year and a half or two years in advance, and it is not always easy to work on very preliminary visuals or to compose with the secrecy which surrounds the next films envisaged even if Disney gives us a certain visibility on what is in the boxes. We do our best to respect the work and at the same time provide the fans with the products they expect, even though in hindsight we know that some sets miss the result seen on screen a bit.

As is the case with the various films in the Star Wars saga, however, it is difficult to please everyone and the LEGO Star Wars range is a patchwork of products that tries to appeal to all types of fans and all generations. .."

Here is what is interesting to me from this exchange with these two veterans of the LEGO Star Wars range. Nothing new or spectacular, but a few details and explanations that may help some of you to put your perception of the products in the range in a more global context.

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