Designer tags in set listings
Posted by Huw,
I am continuing to take advantage of the few quiet weeks before the hectic holiday season to add new features to the site, guided by your ideas in our new suggesitons box.
Today I have implemented another requested feature: designer name tags in set listings. As you may know, around 60 LEGO designers maintain BrickLists of the sets they have worked on, and we are very appreciative that they take the time to do so. As a result, we know who designed around 2000 sets.
So, leveraging that existing information, you will now see designer names when browsing sets, and the list of this year's D2C sets is a good example to see them on. Clicking on a name will take you to the designer's BrickList where you will often find interesting notes about the set and their involvement with it.
A note to any LEGO designers reading this: please encourage your colleagues to create lists so we can fill the gaps!
I encourage you to view the ideas submitted so far and add yours to the list if it's not already been suggested, and the list of those I have implemented already.
I'm aware that the tooltip popup of set information that I added a few days ago is not working as well as I had hoped, so I am looking at alternatives. I'll keep you posted.
The dark mode stylesheet and switching mechanism is now complete. If your device is in nighttime mode Brickset should load in dark mode. If you subsequently switch to normal mode, your preference will be remembered for a day. I think that is a reasonable compromise, without complicating things unnecessarily.
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34 comments on this article
This is fantastic, thanks for implementing this, and thanks to all the designers sharing their BrickLists! It's really interesting to see who designed what.
YES I actually was thinking about this a few days ago. I love reading their comments on the Bricklists and stuff.
Awesome addition!
Very nice feature. It is great to see the sites willingness to act on user feedback like this.
A dream come true. Thanks a million, Huw!
You can find more info about set designers here. The lists are not complete but here are also older sets from famous designers. https://www.brickeconomy.com/sets/lists/
Please also include tags for my favourite Technic designer Markus Kossmann. Besides what is mentioned in the above list, he also did the Arocs 42043, Air Race Jet 42066, Liebherr 42100, Bucket Wheel Excavator 42055, Mobile Crane 42009.
I hope more LEGO designers can speak out freely about which sets they were involved in and not forced to hide due to some policy.
I hope the feature will allow multiple designer names? As many models are collaborative efforts designers are often hesitant to take (full) credit for a set - the bricklists are OK because you can immediately read the note explaining this, but I fear this tag solution will make the designers NOT inlude sets in their Bricklist anymore...
F.ex. «designer X did the sketch model, but I finalised it - with good help from designer Y to solve the design challenge of C». So this designer might feel a bit wary to be listed with (single) design credit for this set - if all this feature does is automatically and unmoderated link a designers Bricklist to the listed sets...?
Oh, well - several designer read this site, so perhaps some of them will chime in...?
@Jacopyright said:
"I hope the feature will allow multiple designer names? As many models are collaborative efforts designers are often hesitant to take (full) credit for a set - the bricklists are OK because you can immediately read the note explaining this, but I fear this tag solution will make the designers NOT inlude sets in their Bricklist anymore...
F.ex. «designer X did the sketch model, but I finalised it - with good help from designer Y to solve the design challenge of C». So this designer might feel a bit wary to be listed with (single) design credit for this set - if all this feature does is automatically and unmoderated link a designers Bricklist to the listed sets...?
Oh, well - several designer read this site, so perhaps some of them will chime in...?"
The feature does already allow multiple designers for one set. See this for example:
https://brickset.com/sets/21322-1/Pirates-of-Barracuda-Bay
Other examples from designers Bricklists: «I made the B model for this set» or «I made object D in this set».
I think these things needs to be considered in the tag, to not scare the designers away from listing the sets they are involved in...
Perhaps the designer names should just be included as Tags (with a link to their bricklist) without specifying them as «designer»...?
I love this!
Thank you! I am so glad you were able to implement this idea, Huw, as I'm always very curious about the designers of the sets. I have really enjoyed reading through the desiner lists here on Brickset. I wish Lego had an "About the Design Team" page at the start or the end of each instruction booklet with a group shot of the team and a little paragraph on the evolution of the set. It would give the set some context. A set with no designer linked to it is like a book with no author's name linked to it. At the same time though I can appreciate that doing a page like that might be an added layer of expense for the company.
Thanks for this change, I already wanted this for a long time!
Thanks for adding this. On our Owned sets page is it possible to add sort by Designer? It would be nice to see if when we purchase sets if we have a preference for a particular designer’s style.
So cool!
This is even better than dark mode! I was wishing something like this was on the “main page” of the sets. I love the Bricklists & the added notes from the designers as well. This is a great addition!
Awesome!
Perhaps there should be an "Alan Smithee" tag for the sets no one wants to admit designing.
This is an awesome feature! In many of the bricklist notes the designers will reference other designers who helped work on it, inspired it, or just a crazy story. "Sets designed by Adam Grabowski (aka Misterzumbi)" is a great example of this. Would it be possible to eventually hyperlink the other designers (if they have a bricklist) mentioned in the bricklist notes?
Thank you Huw for implementing my suggestion so quickly! This is truly an amazing website :)
^ Thank you for suggesting it!
Great feature. I like to read notes on sets from designers.
Just awesome!!!! Many thanks and really fantastic of all designers who took the time to register these notes!!! Sooo lovely to read!!!
This is awesome! Tracking who designed what in my collection just became so much easier...
Also, reading the comments, some of us really need to give Adam Grabowski a break :)
This is a great feature. I knew of Jamie Barad and Mike Psiaki online before they worked for Lego so seeing their sets has always been fun. I think it's also nice to acknowledge the designers rather than think of sets coming from a faceless factory.
Cool feature!
Now I know why I both own and like 79003 and 79006 :-D.
@tkatt :
Alan Brickee. Just remember, the rules for Directors are that if you cop out with Alan Smithee, you aren't allowed to discuss the movie in a professional capacity going forward. If someone does this for a set, they shouldn't be allowed to add any notes.
this is an awesome feature! thank you!
@tkatt said:
"Perhaps there should be an "Alan Smithee" tag for the sets no one wants to admit designing."
Nice reference!
And a great idea - thanks Huw et al!!
This is fantastic. Lego sets are designed by people. The are built by people.
Celebrate the great design skill of this who create Lego sets!
Huw (and anybody else involved), you are on fire! Loving all the improvements.
This is awesome actually! Well done
Love it - top work!
Awesome addition! Reading the notes from the designers is such a great feature. It adds to the value of the sets. Thanks for the update Huw!
Big thumbs up @huw! I can now confirm that Daniel August Krentz is my favourite designer... I mean, he told me how to build my childhood in castles!
Wow, turns out I dig Mike Psiaki's work. Wouldn't have known... thank you Huw!