Designer insight: James May
Posted by Huwbot,
Many LEGO set designers use our BrickLists feature to maintain a list of the sets they've worked on and often provide interesting insights about their involvement.
Once a week we publish an entry from one of their lists on the home page to increase awareness of this information and to encourage more designers to create them.
James May wrote this about their work on 40469 Tuk Tuk:
My first set designed after returning to LEGO as a designer!
Had a lot of fun designing this. A lot of work was put in to picking the cool colour scheme to be as funky as possible but still looking cohesive. It was great putting in all the little details like the fire extinguisher on the back, the tassels in the back seat area and tiffin lunch boxes on the roof - this guy is out for delivery!
I'm particularly proud of the building technique where the front window is propped open by the slope elements to get the glass to match the angle of the side wing plates.
Since I hear a lot of people discuss it, the model isn't designed for minifigures BUT that shouldn't stop you from putting them in anyway... ;)
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22 comments on this article
Well, I knew that James May liked LEGO, but I didn't know he worked for them as a designer.
Then again, how hard can it be ;-)
Are we sure James May designed this? Its not brown... though I suppose it fits with slow being a tuktuk.
*thunk* "LEGO."
Tonight on Bottom Gear:
I build the Lego Technic NASCAR Chevy Camaro ZL1
Hammond tests the new Speed Champions cars
and James becomes a set designer
Sometimes I can't detect sarcasm so not sure if people really think it's the same James May as from Top Gear. Very different person but funny they're both involved with Lego a lot. I think this Lego designer even had their Twitter or Instagram name as 'notthatjamesmay' or something similar in the past.
Anyway, I love James' contribution to Lego set designs and they have worked on some beautiful designs in both muted colours and vibrant wonderfully camp palettes (also somehow combining both muted and camp in the Hocus Pocus set). You can see how they've been a part of the much needed reboot of the Friends line and honestly I think the Assembly Theatre set is one of the most underrated Lego sets ever; the mix of build quality, aesthetics and playability is impeccable.
I love the Tuk Tuk set; I’ve got three of them across different Lego city scenes. You’d have thought LEGO would have made more conventional taxi or bus sets, considering how useful such a vehicle would be. Still, these are great alternatives; I’ll be sorry to see them leave store shelves.
You can tell it's not *the* James May by the fact that we still don't have a Dacia Sandero set.
What collection is complete without a Tuk Tuk or two!
I also love the Hocus Pocus cottage... never seen the film, but what a great haunted house!
If you work hard and believe in yourself, anything is minifigure scale.
@Arnoldos said:
"You can tell it's not *the* James May by the fact that we still don't have a Dacia Sandero set."
Or a Flying Scotsman with realistic chuffing sound :-)
And @d_m_t_arnold: yes, it was irony. Of course I know that it's not THE James May.
@AustinPowers said:
"Well, I knew that James May liked LEGO, but I didn't know he worked for them as a designer.
Then again, how hard can it be ;-)
"
This is decidedly ambitious and NOT rubbish.
@LegoBoi69 said:
" @Ephseb said:
"Tonight on Bottom Gear:
I build the Lego Technic NASCAR Chevy Camaro ZL1
Hammond tests the new Speed Champions cars
and James becomes a set designer"
Best brickset comment ever! "
high praise! thank you so much!
I love this thing. I don't have any city displays at all, but I saw it and had to have it. It's so colorful and fun.
Who would've thought there was life after Top Gear.
@Ephseb said:
"Tonight on Bottom Gear:
I build the Lego Technic NASCAR Chevy Camaro ZL1
Hammond tests the new Speed Champions cars
and James becomes a set designer"
"Warning, parts budget does not exceed 23 yen"
@ChazTheMinifig said:
" @Ephseb said:
"Tonight on Bottom Gear:
I build the Lego Technic NASCAR Chevy Camaro ZL1
Hammond tests the new Speed Champions cars
and James becomes a set designer"
"Warning, parts budget does not exceed 23 yen""
lmao! I'm sure we could re-write the whole video to fit the Lego theme
What's funny about these James May jokes to me is that my sons and I discovered Top Gear and that other James May back when the BBC did a LEGO trailer for the new season in 2015.
Captain slow returns!
[insert Top Gear reference]
"I'll see you in Spain, lads!"
Have this set on my desk. I still hope it might be the beginning of LEGO making the City theme more varied to acknowledge how cities around the world actually look, not just the US and Northern Europe.
@Arnoldos said:
"You can tell it's not *the* James May by the fact that we still don't have a Dacia Sandero set."
"Aw, terrible news! The Dacia Sandero set has been delayed another year!"
"Oh no! Anyway."