The BrickLink Designer Program is back and will become a regular feature for fans to take part in. If you’re unsure what the BrickLink Designer Program is similar to LEGO® Ideas, where fans can submit their LEGO creations with a chance of being offered to other LEGO fans. This time around original designs can be submitted in place of those previously submitted to LEGO Ideas. Designs can be submitted throughout February 2023. Fans can then vote for their favourites and then the BrickLink Team. Five sets will be chosen to become part of Series 1. All sets that receive over 3,000 pre-orders will be produced. Up to 20,000 of each set will be manufactured during a limited, one-time production run. They should then start shipping in 2024. You can learn more here.
The BrickLink Designer Program Continues with Series 1
Get building and prepare to submit your fan designs during February 2023.
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.
In late 2020, we announced the BrickLink Designer Program — 2021 Invitational. We ended up dividing the program into three “rounds,” which would produce 5 sets each. These rounds were spread throughout 2021 and 2022. We learned about adapting these fan models to building standards and available elements outside of the traditional LEGO design process.
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.
Important Information about BDP Series 1
- BDP Series 1 is accepting submissions between February 1 and February 28, 2023.
- All submissions must follow the Submission Guidelines and use only parts from the BDP Series 1 Palette.
- All are welcome to join our live webinar on December 14th at 8am Pacific / 5pm CET to learn about the Submission Guidelines. Can’t join live? We’ll make a video available after the session. You must register to attend at https://bit.ly/BDPS1-Webinar.
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.
