Ideas Showcase
Posted by FlagsNZ,
I have had a LEGO Ideas project underway for just over a month and I thought, for this article, I would share my experiences in getting members of the public to support Ideas projects in general.
I have had my project on display at a couple of public LEGO themed events and I have received some really positive feedback. One of the hurdles is converting real interest in the project from people who may not be as passionate about LEGO to a support on the Ideas website.
Getting the public to sign-up to a LEGO account is not easy; there is a reluctance to sign-up to an unknown commitment. Once signed up, people have to activate their account from a confirmation email and they must be over 13 years old in order to support a project.
Finally, if you are promoting your project on social media, it is important that your message makes a clear distinction between a social media like and supporting your project on the Ideas website.
If you have an Ideas project underway or are planning to upload one soon, please consider how you will communicate this sign-up task to your potential supporters.
Read on to see the six Ideas projects that I would like to promote this month.
As many Brickset members will be aware, I have an interest in shipping and nautical themes. So I thought I would start this Ideas Showcase article on a couple of nautical projects that have come to my attention.
The S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald
By Sandal
The Edmund Fitzgerald was a Great Lakes freighter that sank in storm on November 10, 1975 while sailing on Lake Superior. All the 29 crew were lost.
Folk rock singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot wrote a song memorialising this tragic event. When I listened to this song, it was uncanny how I knew all the words.
It seems to me that the Edmund Fitzgerald suffered from water entering the hatches due to the allowed reduction of freeboard as a result of changes to the Great Lakes Load Line Regulations. Load Lines are there for crew safety. Water could enter the hatches as the vessel was deeper in the water because of smaller freeboard. This probably started a chain reaction: water in hold, ship sinks deeper causing more water in the hold.
This accident caused many authorities to take a hard look at all aspects of Great Lakes freighter operations. There were several significant recommendations made in the accident report. The full accident report can be obtained here. As with most things, it is sad that it takes a tragedy to improve safety and working conditions.
Sandal's project is a reminder of the 29 crew members who lost their lives 41 years ago. Have a look at the updates as Sandal has made improvements to the model design.
Sandal has several projects underway, all of which are worthy of a look at.
The support for this project has been quite low. I would like to see it get to the 1000 supporters milestone and therefore a six month extension.
Lifeboat Station
By Anscott2
This project celebrates saving lives at sea. Anscott2 has recreated a typical RNLI lifeboat station. The RNLI lifeboat crews protect hundreds of communities around the UK and Republic of Ireland.
The New Zealand equivalent is Coastguard. I used to be a volunteer boating education tutor before I started work as a nautical lecturer.
The Lifeboat Station project is quite a large build at the moment but it could easily be split into several smaller component projects.
Anscott2 has quite a few projects on the go; many of which have a nautical theme. Have a look at some of those projects as they are all quite good.
Anscott2 has five months to get just under 200 supporters to get the Lifeboat Station to the 1000 supporter’s milestone. Let's see whether we can help achieve this target.
The Vintage Motorcycle of BMW R60/2
When I first saw this project, it looked to me as if it were a plastic kit-set model. It is so amazingly detailed.
You really must take a look at all the images that maximecheng03 has posted for the project. Amazingly, this is maximecheng03's only project. I look forward to seeing some more projects from this designer.
Maximecheng03's BMW R60/2 project has 800 supporters. Let’s see if we can get this project to the 1000 supporters milestone.
I think this project will be very popular over the coming months.
Sega Classic Arcade Machines
By SpacySmoke
This is the second time I have showcased SpacySmoke's Sega Classic Arcade Machines. I first promoted this project in June.
These arcade games would complement any of your LEGO dioramas. Arcade games are found in shopping malls, train stations and dairies.
My partner's 'thing' is classic arcade games such as Donkey Kong and Pac Man. Just over a year ago she won an arcade game at a pop-up Pixel's store. The small arcade game came with 60 classic games preloaded. Funds from some of my Blocks magazine sales went to purchase the neon Pac Man base seen in the Pixels web site. We own the machine on the left hand side.
This is why I like this project. It will also be easily incorporated into your LEGO buildings.
SpacySmoke is another Ideas designer who has only one project submitted.
The project needs just under 2300 supporters with only three months left to run.
Let's see if we can help get this project closer to the 10K finish line.
Big Steam Tractor
I really like these Mr Kleinstein's historic steam-themed projects. I can see this being a display model or it could be part of a train diorama.
One of the features that appeals to me is that this is a three-in-one project. It could easily be a Creator themed set as a result.
This project has achieved 1200 supporters and had a year and a half to get to the next milestone: 5000 supporters.
I promoted another one of Mr Kleinstein’s projects in my first Ideas Showcase article in June. Unfortunately, that Steam Tractor project has run out of time.
Multi Season Train Station:
A Station Set That Fits In Every Train Layout
I really like this set and agree that its 2-in-1 set feature makes this versatile.
The winter design is good as the primary model with the minifigure skier, Christmas tree decoration and the roaring fire. The non-winter (summer) design as a secondary model could include some activities related to that season: an ice cream stand and some bright spring foliage for example. It could utilise the winter parts removed due to the thaw. Perhaps there is room for an arcade game.
AlmightyArjen has only this project on Ideas.
This project is well on its way to achieving the 1000 supporters milestone.
So there you have it. Six Ideas projects to consider. Please feel free to comment on these or add a link to your own favourites.
20 likes
16 comments on this article
Arcade machines look really good, bike's incredible, the rest aren't as good but are ok
The LEGO BMW R60/2 was actually designed by a middle school student.
wow amazing
The motorcycle is amazing. btw you have 13 years old or older to be able to support projects, not 18.
Too many stickers on the Sega Classic Arcade Machines for my taste.
The Big Steam Tractor would be my favourite.
I'll echo MOCDoc, as the age minimum is 13 for everything now, while it was 18 for submitting and 13 for everything else in the CUUSOO days.
Step 1: get yourself featured on Brickset--these are pretty cool, btw :)
I have zero interest in motorcycles, but I would buy that one if the final set looked as good or better. I may actually have to support something again. Although I'll have to try to remember my log in information...
Best of luck people!
Motorcycle is up to 1025 supporters now! That looks amazing, hope it eventually becomes a set.
@bok2: Ideas sets don't come with stickers: they use printed parts throughout.
The BMW R60 is over 1000 - well done!
I've changed the reference to 18yo down to 13yo, thanks for pointing out this mistake. I checked the Ideas guidelines to confirm. https://ideas.lego.com/guidelines
JediPippin's Minas Tirith Battle is excellent! I highly recommend anyone to check it out!
I was really thrown for a loop by this sentence: "When I listened to this song, it was uncanny how I knew all the words."
I like the train station. The Winter Village now has two trains that can service it's populace, but they're yet to have a station. But Lego just doesn't seem to focus much on trains these days, which I think is a shame, but fair enough. It'd be nice to see it go through.
Thanks for showcasing my Sega Classic Arcade Machines project...again!! Much appreciate it! It won't make it to 10,000 without this awesome Lego community, so thank you to all who supported it thus far!
I don't have time for a major update to the project, but I am working on a small redesign of the Out Run cabinet so that it's sleeker and more accurate to the real thing. The current model is a bit...chunky at the front.
The number of stickers shown in the photos have been an issue for a lot of people, but don't worry, as FlagsNZ said, Lego Ideas sets use printed parts. Plus, if it gets to and passes review, I'm sure the Lego designers will be able to minimize the number of printed parts or make a compromise if that truly is an issue.
Thanks again to Brickset and the Brickset community for the support!
^ 8000+ and growing. :-)
Thanks for these links.