Please provide feedback on an AFOL landing page at LEGO.com

Is that a potential sneak peak at the Lego Ideas Globe that I see : )

(I know it's not really, but I wish)

It is not a huge deal, but it is disappointing to see a typo in the very first sentence. It just makes one wonder how much thought goes into these and other efforts. That written, it is great that they are soliciting feedback, and I hope they put it to good, constructive use..

I can't quite put my finger on why it is, but the more Lego try to get involved in the community, the more I wish they didn't.

Omg they have really put some time into this. Tons of content and links to content. Thumbs up from me!

It just seems like a corporate spotlighting page with a nice UI. I won't really care unless fans can directly post their own content on the site. Until then, no thanks.

They could start by checking if I’m a VIP, and if so, hiding “Join VIP” messages around the site. :p

Snark aside, this could be interesting. If they are trying new things, awesome. I welcome anything they try that could bring value to being a VIP.
Currently, VIP points are simply not valuable enough for me to only buy at Lego dot com when Amazon frequently has set at a 20% (and higher) discount.

Now that I have finished the survey, here are a couple of additional thoughts. When did sports and music become favorite themes compared to space, castle, pirates, and [insert personal favorite here]? I was a little anxious that this might be a way to squeeze sites like Brickset out of the AFOL zone, so it was a huge relief and a thrill to see that Brickset is the resulting page of the link to new articles. That is so encouraging and a tremendous endorsement of the TLG's view of the Brickset team. Congratulations Brickset! Lastly, why do all of the favorite theme links go to the same group video YouTube page?

@Rob42 said:
"I can't quite put my finger on why it is, but the more Lego try to get involved in the community, the more I wish they didn't."

It feels overly corporate, ingenuine and a tad desperate (not to mention late), that's why. Lego has only now realized that AFOLs are a large group and thus a loyal market already. So all of a sudden they try to capitalize on that. There is zero passion behind such a website section. It's all market research and new direction at the helm of the company.

I might be preaching to the choir, but I'd rather visit Brickset and other fan sites made by fans for fans rather than pretend like Lego's IT department will be able to make a site that caters to my own needs in stead of everyone's needs and therefore no-one's needs because the higher-ups wanted them to do so.
They'll change it in a few years anyway.

That said, I gave them my feedback. Now it's up to them if they are even allowed to change enough to make their homepage less bloated and void of anything that draws attention (to me at least).

I think people are confusing AFOLs with "adults who buy Lego now because it's socially acceptable". We've been here all along. We're a bunch of weird grown ups playing with children's toys. We really don't need a website and we especially don't need a black box because we're too embarrassed to buy a colourful one. This isn't for AFOLs, it's for just regular adults. We're 100% the wrong people to ask. And frankly Lego's marketing department should stop trying to pander to us because we don't need to be pandered to and it's just making us uncomfortable.

Fun boxes, again, please.

Let fans control the fan content… I prefer a site like brickset to get unbiased genuine reviews and information.

@MisterBrickster said:
"I think people are confusing AFOLs with "adults who buy Lego now because it's socially acceptable". We've been here all along. We're a bunch of weird grown ups playing with children's toys. We really don't need a website and we especially don't need a black box because we're too embarrassed to buy a colourful one. This isn't for AFOLs, it's for just regular adults. We're 100% the wrong people to ask. And frankly Lego's marketing department should stop trying to pander to us because we don't need to be pandered to and it's just making us uncomfortable.

Fun boxes, again, please."

And we buy small boxes, too. A set must not cost a fortune, to be bought by an afol.

@MisterBrickster said:
"I think people are confusing AFOLs with "adults who buy Lego now because it's socially acceptable". We've been here all along. We're a bunch of weird grown ups playing with children's toys. We really don't need a website and we especially don't need a black box because we're too embarrassed to buy a colourful one. This isn't for AFOLs, it's for just regular adults. We're 100% the wrong people to ask. And frankly Lego's marketing department should stop trying to pander to us because we don't need to be pandered to and it's just making us uncomfortable.

Fun boxes, again, please."

I sort of second this, Lego needs to understand some of these differences. I wouldn't want to accept the fact that it's weird to buy Lego as adult, after all, they can be played with until 99 years old :P.

Surely in my country it is thought as something weird, but then again, we have such sceptical society thanks to 50 years of dictatorship till 1990s (I won't go into details). I take pride in my hobby and would never want to take it as something really serious. As one man once said on EB forums, these are only ABS plastic bricks!

Colourful boxes are always going to be a welcome thing in Lego community.

@Binnekamp said:
" @Rob42 said:
"I can't quite put my finger on why it is, but the more Lego try to get involved in the community, the more I wish they didn't."

It feels overly corporate, ingenuine and a tad desperate (not to mention late), that's why. Lego has only now realized that AFOLs are a large group and thus a loyal market already. So all of a sudden they try to capitalize on that. There is zero passion behind such a website section. It's all market research and new direction at the helm of the company.

I might be preaching to the choir, but I'd rather visit Brickset and other fan sites made by fans for fans rather than pretend like Lego's IT department will be able to make a site that caters to my own needs in stead of everyone's needs and therefore no-one's needs because the higher-ups wanted them to do so.
They'll change it in a few years anyway.

That said, I gave them my feedback. Now it's up to them if they are even allowed to change enough to make their homepage less bloated and void of anything that draws attention (to me at least).
"
^^Couldn't have said it better. They're like a helicopter mom trying to be best friends with her kids.

To busy, I recognize it is only a mock-up but I don't want those giant pictures, and scrolling pages of junk to find the 3 things out of 30 that interest me. Not every AFOL has the same interests, I play the lego games with my kid but I am not invested in them enough for that. Links to pick a brick? Why? Bricks and Pieces has better selection and I already know how to get to both without that page. Favorite themes??? Whose? Not mine. Many AFOL's get stuck on the nostalgia, how bout some love for classic themes on there as it drives many. The only links I would use is Bricklink and Brickset and if that's the case Ill skip the middle man (lego) and just go to those websites from my favorites bar.

I quite like the idea of this as a sort of one-stop-shop portal. It seems to be linking to all the sorts of things & websites I frequent. It's not too clear on where the links go (or might go), so it was a surprise to see a link direct to Brickset (it is my favourite Lego news site but what about the other RLFM?) Feels less marketing driven than usual, with an attempt to bring in other useful, informative content.

When Lego had a survey a few years ago asking if there should be "Adult" sections in Lego stores and "Adult" branding of sets I was an emphatic "No!".

Clearly, my argument did not hold sway.

I'm buying Lego. Don't treat me like an adult. It's a toy. Show it off as a cool toy for people to build and play with. Ages 9-99 or whatever was on some old boxes. 18+ is just dumb.

EDIT: LOL. The "articles" link goes to the Brickset homepage.

I suggested that the page sections and links could be customized to each user's preference, allow us to order the page sections and hide/show each frame within a section so the page stays relevant to each user's on-going hobby requirements.

I gave them an "F" and told them that the icons were far too large. The icons didn't tell me where I was going - just "Learn More", "Enter Now", "Watch Now".

I told them I wanted stuff in chronological order to encourage engagement (easy to find the new stuff!!!) and tag things so you could search by category.

Lastly, I said that Brickset was a good example (also because it's Lego related). Chronological and when you click on an article to read the entire right column is MORE articles in that category.

Only come to Brickset once a week or maybe you're new? When you click on that neat looking Random Set of the Day the right column is nothing but MORE RSOTD for you to browse. User engagement!

Even though I'm not an AFOL (I'm a TFOL), this feels super forced. I agree with several of the comments here, and the fact that LEGO is trying this hard to make AFOL's happy makes me uncomfortable. I'm kind of worried that LEGO themselves might cause me to enter another phase of "dark ages," between the constant release of unaffordable D2C's, the recent LEGO-con, and the incline of price across the entirety of LEGO. It's truly unfortunate, but LEGO is starting to grate on my nerves, as of late.

@Rob42 said:
"I can't quite put my finger on why it is, but the more Lego try to get involved in the community, the more I wish they didn't."

I totally understand and appreciate skepticism on this effort by TLG, especially following their purchase of BrickLink. Just wait until they buy Brickset.

And yet, at the same time, I read over and again from other users on Brickset that TLG does not do enough to reach out or engage AFOLs. For every 100 of us there are at least 10 different levels of engagement and knowledge. Perhaps this isn't perfect for me or for any particular other AFOL, but perhaps it is a great start to another chapter in TLG's engagement of AFOL's. My respectful suggestion would be to give let them show us what they can and are willing to do.

I told them the page is a bit too corporatey for established AFOLs, but a great way to get curious new fans to find the wider world of Lego.

I won’t use it, because I’m already here commenting on stuff, but new fans might appreciate it. 10 years ago I had to Google to find places like this.

As noted by others, the typo in the first sentence sets the tone - it shows that they're still a sloppy, half-arsed organisation when it comes to any sort of customer engagement platform. And the spiel about this feedback being anonymous, untracked, blah blah blah ... well, that's just a lie. At least TEN new cookies dumped as soon as you hit the landing page - only three of which are specifically per-session and with the rest hanging around for anything up to a month before expiring - who knows what else gets dropped as you work through the forms. Which I didn't. And won't.

@Binnekamp said:
" @Rob42 said:
"I can't quite put my finger on why it is, but the more Lego try to get involved in the community, the more I wish they didn't."

It feels overly corporate, ingenuine and a tad desperate (not to mention late), that's why. Lego has only now realized that AFOLs are a large group and thus a loyal market already. So all of a sudden they try to capitalize on that. There is zero passion behind such a website section. It's all market research and new direction at the helm of the company.

I might be preaching to the choir, but I'd rather visit Brickset and other fan sites made by fans for fans rather than pretend like Lego's IT department will be able to make a site that caters to my own needs in stead of everyone's needs and therefore no-one's needs because the higher-ups wanted them to do so.
They'll change it in a few years anyway.

That said, I gave them my feedback. Now it's up to them if they are even allowed to change enough to make their homepage less bloated and void of anything that draws attention (to me at least).
"

Well said! I feel like LEGO needs to remember they're a toy company, for kids, first and foremost. We AFOLs can piggyback on the site as it is quite fine, and as you have said use sites like BrickSet for our "Adult" needs!

Personally, I think that they made the same mistake as the lego con: not knowing who the targeted audience really is. Die-hard hardcore fans and casual fans are being mixed under the same "afol" tag, ignoring how the 2 groups have very different needs when it comes to getting new info (as seen from a lot of comments here).

Since a lot of us here who saw huw's message are pretty experienced afols (it's brickset after all), we already are pretty much set with our daily needs in terms of content:
-We know where the lego ideas website is
-We would be up to date with the latest news and designer video
-The most exciting new products are being reviewed here directly (with a discussion forum!). And since lego usually provides websites their best products to review you won't need an extra page to discover what's the new exciting thing.
-A more complete parts library since bricks and pieces at lego.com doesn't really provide as much info as brickset when it comes to discontinued pieces.

Personally, it felt like a website created to fill a need that was never there in the first place. The page is cool for newcomers (so maybe a qr code on every lego ins at the back of the page?) that just happen to buy their first sets, but if you follow brickset and read tips and bricks, new E or tbb then idk...

To me it's a page of links. That's great if you're new to the hobby and don't know about stuff like Bricklink, but those who have been around for a bit won't find anything really new on there and therefore won't really visit it.

In it's current form, it's not adding anything, and the subjects are too random, mixing community, and products and IDEAS/Bricklink/LEGO Stores/Themes on 1 big page is a mess.

Just like this whole "Rebuild the World Campaign" , LEGO is not very clear on their website at all, just a lot of fancy pictures and videos, no real info pages like Brickset.

Even the LEGO.com store makes some sets hard to find if they aren't part of a certain theme, especially the seasonal and LEGO only stuff (like wedding gift, birthday cake and such)

I want designer videos. "It's Designer Tuesday. Let's dive into XXXX set".

I want release videos. "It's New Set Wednesday. Let's take a look at all the new XXXX theme sets out"

I want vintage sets. "It's Throwback Thursday. Let's look at vintage set XXXX" (even better if it ties into some new set some way like Brick Bounty or whatever).

I want review links. A website or YouTuber does a review of a set? Link it. "It's Set Review Friday! Here are a bunch of links to Lego set reviews".

I want building techniques. "It's Lego Workshop Saturday!"

Or whatever else. Give useful content on a regular schedule and people will keep coming back. Otherwise, what I see is a static landing page that provides zero indication if there's anything new and interesting to see.

@sideswinger said:
"Even though I'm not an AFOL (I'm a TFOL), this feels super forced. I agree with several of the comments here, and the fact that LEGO is trying this hard to make AFOL's happy makes me uncomfortable. I'm kind of worried that LEGO themselves might cause me to enter another phase of "dark ages," between the constant release of unaffordable D2C's, the recent LEGO-con, and the incline of price across the entirety of LEGO. It's truly unfortunate, but LEGO is starting to grate on my nerves, as of late."

Don't be discouraged by corporate actions. There's more to LEGO (or ABS bricks) than what they're currently trying to sell. You can experience custom LEGO stuff or retired sets, Themes you haven't considered before and last but not least, set your own pacing, budget and grade of consumption.
I'm an AFOL and I can't afford the expensive stuff, too. There's so much stuff and the fewest of us can have everything we want.
So, in the end it's all abount making choices about whats good and right for you and what not.

I just want an online shop that works consistently and product well-stocked.

Problem with Lego is they don't listen. They 'engage' but when they finally get the answers - they toss them away. Also, in the recent medium-term past, Lego keeps embarking in all sorts of 'venture' left-right and center: we've seen what 'running around with no head' can do in the late 2000. Fix the IT infrastructure - spend an inordinate amount of money to make it work - hire top-notch IT staff you can find around the world to make it work. Just that would already be fantastic for most of the people congregating here.

Lego: Hey guys, what would you like?
AFOLs: We would very much like space, castle, pirates & decent Technic sets.
Lego: Ok. but we won't do that. What else?
AFOLs: You know those 10k ideas submissions; we really like those as well.
Lego: We understand. We'll make 1 out 50 available to you and we will not produce enough for everyone to get one. Anything else?
AFOLs: don't bother...

As far as recommendations: I recommend every time I have a chance the option to search the bricks and pieces segment by colour (pick a brick has it). That would be so much easier to find what you need (and also discover new needs you did know about) if you could search their whole database into which parts are available in each colour.

Other recommendations I made in the past: A 'Legacy' theme. Where it produces 3 sets per year (low, medium, high price). In year 1 the Legacy theme might be Adventurers. In year 2 it could be Castle; year 3: Space, etc. They can also mix and match if they want. They don't have to release 8 sets (like friends) every year - that way it is easier to keep the theme fresh, the ideas flowing and also allowing customer to buy the whole series. Another theme: 'famous vehicles' a little bit like the Modulars (1 maybe 2 set per year) first year: a locomotive, second year: a plane, third year: a boat, fouth year: a car, etc. Again, easy to keep fresh and somewhat easy for customer to afford them.

In the recent 'improvement' of the Lego site it now needs more clicks to get where you want: from what I read on UI, this is a downgrade. I don't really need an AFOL portal but @guachi has nice ideas - if they could do that well, that might be interesting.

I echo the comments here about the company asking for feedback then either doing nothing or responding outright that they'll never do what is requested, often with a condescending chuckle.

The thing that is wanted - recreation of old parts in an abundance of colors and the completion of the parts system - like windows, doors, glass etc -- they never do. It couldn't be simpler. Customers want to buy a variety of pieces in a variety of colors from a variety of time periods. Just do that. And they won't.

But they can produce ASMR audio tracks to accompany their Spencer Gifts-level mosaic sets of the most trite subject matter. And sell useless collector's coins. Pathetic.

So reading the comments, we think that Lego is going to sweep in, make Huw an offer he can't refuse for Brickset and then our beloved site will be rebranded as some sort of Lego corporate entity, riddled with cookies and putting out reviews that are thinly disguised press releases.

Meanwhile, we'll all get cross while Huw buys himself an island in the Bahamas.

Most loved LEGO Themes: Brickfilms! Oh wait, it's just a link to somebody's YouTube channel that I've never heard of (no offense to them) >:(

I don't see Castle, Space, or Pirates under "Most loved LEGO Themes" . . .

That picture at the end of the survey made me laugh, at least. What is that machine doing to that minifigure's head?

@guachi said:
"When Lego had a survey a few years ago asking if there should be "Adult" sections in Lego stores and "Adult" branding of sets I was an emphatic "No!".

Clearly, my argument did not hold sway.

I'm buying Lego. Don't treat me like an adult. It's a toy. Show it off as a cool toy for people to build and play with. Ages 9-99 or whatever was on some old boxes. 18+ is just dumb.

EDIT: LOL. The "articles" link goes to the Brickset homepage."

I agree 18+ is dumb. They could just change it to like a skill level rating to cater every age and are still able to suggest recommended sets. I've been asked if a set was difficult for their kid even though there's an age rating. This is why I think a skill rating system would be better.

I'm Generation X. I don't need a black page with giant icons and links to videos. Give me good old fashioned text. Make a site that looks more like USA Today or Tech Crunch and less like YouTube with a dark background.

Unless it has an order form that allows me to purchase the Castle in the Forest set from BrickLink that they screwed up and the Ulysses Space Probe VIP gift that they screwed up, I don't care about it.

I agree with many of the comments here. I'm really glad LEGO is doing more to engage older fans, but their approach is really missing the mark. It just comes off like a lot of their research is misguided, and they have some strange preconceived notions of AFOLs (but then again, don't we all?). I see a lot of potential in this resource, but it needs to be improved.

FWIW, here were my freeform responses, as at the very least I can count on Bricksetters reading them more than the right people at LEGO (I say "the right people" because I know that the right people will be keen, but executive meddling can sometimes get in the way, not just incompetence):

"7. What are your immediate reactions after seeing and interacting with the page?
The page looks clean, approachable and professional; however there are a number of issues with the copy and how the links to third-party sites are presented.

11. Please share with us why you scored the way you did [I scored 6]:
The page has tremendous potential to start with as it gets some of the basics right: linking to some reputable resources and exploring most aspects of the adult LEGO hobby space. But I cannot recommend it in its current state; see my next response.

12. Finally, what would we need to add or change about the page to make you come back?
I strongly recommend naming the third-party resources rather than simply labeling them with categories, as there are a vast number of resources in each category. For example, instead of "Tips & tricks", use "Tips & Bricks", and instead of "Articles", use "Brickset". This lets readers know upfront exactly where they are going, and makes it much clearer that these are some of a number of fansites that are not affiliated with or endorsed by The LEGO Group (the disclaimer at the bottom is too easy to miss).

In the "Most loved LEGO Themes" section a similar problem exists wherein each category only links to one particular fan resource (that's not even entirely fitting for that category). Generally speaking, for each category I would like to see a curated list of links to a number of resources rather than simply linking directly to one example. I think that's really the main overarching issue for now. For example, Brickfilms are a massive genre dating back to the late 90s before LEGO Studios, however the link points to one particular channel that was responsible for a handful of great viral Brickfilms; and while New JANG City is incredible, there are many other LEGO cities big and small worth checking out as well. But I do understand the intention behind call-to-action links such as "Watch now", and I understand that with the sheer number of resources, curation can be quite difficult.

Additionally, the selection of themes is mostly there but there are some notable omissions such as the venerable LEGO Space, LEGO Castle, and LEGO Pirates themes. I see an opportunity not only to share fan content pertaining to the classic themes but also to the new products LEGO has recently developed for these themes.

For a page like this to stay relevant, it really needs to be regularly updated. I would suggest getting several LEGO Ambassadors and RLFM representatives involved in the content curation if you're not already doing that.

Some other miscellaneous issues:
A number of people have pointed out that the afol hashtag on Instagram (under Photography) may contain NSFW content. Unfortunately a disclaimer may be required as I understand LEGO has no control over external user-generated content. It's important to remind readers that 18+ content, by its very nature, can potentially contain NSFW content.

The brick assortment points to some LEGO Serious Play kits. Adult fans generally do not use LEGO Serious Play outside of Serious Play contexts, so I don't believe that is a useful resource. The vast majority of fans acquire their bricks from LEGO sets, PAB, B&P, and BrickLink, with those in LUGs also having access to LUGBULK. I am thrilled about LEGO's continued development of LEGO xtra and look forward to seeing more accessory packs from that theme."

Interesting! I looked at the website and completed the survey. What’s interesting is that my final reply was to leave us AFOLs alone, paraphrasing. We love our sense of community; sharing, meeting and discussing LEGO with others in the community (AFOLs and LUG members). I come here to Brickset because Huw and his team are biased to the LEGO sets and LEGO elements. I’m confident that I can get an honest opinion on bad sets and awesome sets on Brickset. I prefer to come here and my other favorite sites (JK BrickWorks, the Brothers Brick, The Brick Blogger, Jangbricks, etc) because it’s personal. We love you TLG, but we love our personal communities even more.

Lego used to be 0-99 years (poor 99+ folks) and now we are talking about discriminating adults with black boxes and a separate landing page.
Great.

I don't like it, it feels to corporate and there are sites already, that do all these things, but way better. I also just don't like the Idea of Lego trying to force itself into the AFoL community.

The idea is certainly intriguing, but this current test page is very poor imho. Just links to YouTube, Instagram and the shop just doesn't catch my attention.
Where is interesting content like behind the scenes of designing and producing a set, the why and how of coming up with new themes, in depth information about their initiative to go greener, etc. ?

Plus, when it comes to "most beloved theme", I think just focusing on Star Wars is a big mistake, considering how lackluster both the source material and the current sets have become.
Most beloved theme means totally different things to everyone you ask. For many it would be Castle, others might say Classic Space, or Classic Technic. And don't forget the Bionicle fans. Or how about Adventurers, Indiana Jones, to some it might even be Fabuland.
Perhaps make it a series about favorite themes from past to present.
Heck, why not add a questionnaire to find out what the favorite theme actually is. Take a really large sample size from people all over the world. I would really be curious about the results of such a questionnaire.

In general, I would prefer far more "exclusive" content about the company and the products, stuff you can't get from any other site. Plus, easy to use access to order certain parts and pieces, etc.

If they only want to get more adults to buy LEGO, I think they don't need such a page at all, but simply switch shop at home to a different layout with more focus on 18+ sets and themes when you start there after you have stated that you are an adult on their current landing page.

I would like an AFOL page at lego.com to include a log of progress being made with their current issues.

e.g.
Rectifying element colour inconsistency.
Strengthening flaky website.
Overhauling weak VIP scheme.
Etc.

Lego going full try-hard on their cool, always dark-mode 'adult' page. As many others already said, it's good for people that start this hobby, but for us already on here, this is a fruitless effort.
I would like to see more effort in improving their web service and sales strategies. Both of which are utter rubbish.

@Schmopiesdad said:
" @Rob42 said:
"I can't quite put my finger on why it is, but the more Lego try to get involved in the community, the more I wish they didn't."

I totally understand and appreciate skepticism on this effort by TLG, especially following their purchase of BrickLink. Just wait until they buy Brickset.

And yet, at the same time, I read over and again from other users on Brickset that TLG does not do enough to reach out or engage AFOLs. For every 100 of us there are at least 10 different levels of engagement and knowledge. Perhaps this isn't perfect for me or for any particular other AFOL, but perhaps it is a great start to another chapter in TLG's engagement of AFOL's. My respectful suggestion would be to give let them show us what they can and are willing to do."

There's a thin line between supporting a community and trying to control it and so far they tend to end up on the wrong side of that line. The only result I've seen of the mothership buying Bricklink is that I can no longer buy custom/ customised parts there.
This is going to favour some fan sites over others, and who is going to decide who gets picked? Getting a link to your Youtube channel from the lego.com website could be a nice boost for your ad-income so there will be a lot riding on this.

Promises a lot, brings very little. The more the Lego company deviates from the soul of its founders, the more I distance myself from their products. They're dragging progressivism into our private worlds of more innocent times that we build to escape the stress and negativity of everyday life. YOU'RE A TOY COMPANY, STOP WITH THE PROPAGANDA.
Offer something original that doesn't scream "half-hearted attempt to connect with a long neglected consumer demographic." I personally would prefer that the Lego company focus on toys and children and leave adults alone to decide what does or doesn't appeal to them. The average adult can't afford half of the sets they market towards us anyways. The harder they try, the more awkward the relationship gets.

@GrosPanda1979 said:
"This may sound like a contraversial thing to say, but have LEGO considered generally (aside from surveys like the ones I participate in) asking normal AFOLs what they want to see in the future? And when I say "normal" AFOLs I mean those fans who aren't members of the LAN, or people who appeared during the Pre-Show for LEGO-CON, and who buy sets from brick & Mortar stores or Brickset rather than paying premium prices on LEGO.com. Those of us who remember when LEGO Space Minifigs looked like Bennie and there were only 3 castle sets (one of which was yellow) didn't have a website telling us what to do or buy. We had Toy Shop shelves and whatever sets amounted to the meagre money we'd saved-up. I can remember when the word MOC didn't exist and when I would only see cool fan-builds in The LEGO Club Magazine (some of which used glue and even resin). Nowadays, LEGO thinks that fans from those days want to spend over £600 (yes I'm in the UK) on the UCS Millenium Falcon when in actual fact some of us are turning to Sellers on Bricklink to build our own fun. Rant over, but there seems to be an enormous disconnect now, between what TLG think is an AFOL, and what an Adult Fan Of Lego (I hate everything being acronyms) actually is (and unsurprisingly, I told LEGO in feedback to remove the link to LEGO-CON because it was a failure). "

A "normal" AFOL could also be someone who grew up with Bionicle and whose parents weren't even born when the Yellow Castle was first released. Someone whose experiences in no way mirror yours and yet are just as meaningful to them. Someone who - heaven forbid - doesn't even speak the Queen's English.

I find the comments here bizarre, like everyone is too good or too cool or too AFOL for a Lego page. Just such odd behaviour, like let's moan about the site, rather than use the survey to improve - because that would just be too obvious??? I have never understood this need to not want to improve or bring about change, the "if I don't like it, no-one should!!!" rather than acknowledge different people like different things - shock horror!

My thoughts on the site, I enjoyed it. It was a rabbit hole that lacked coherence and needed some sort of theme (even if that consistently changed) to fit it altogether.

I particularly liked the fact, that it didn't do all the stuff people are rabbiting on about, instead it took me to random sites and videos I have never before visited and I got a kick out of watching fan made stuff.

I tend to watch a couple of YT's and that's it, I go back to some now and then, but I don't watch any religiously, so being pointed to random sites, reviews and videos was fun for me.

The bricklink and bits and pieces section, I found a little odd, as I have those bookmarked, but easily skipped.

It's a site in progress, and will end up being a mix of marketing and feedback, but to be all precious about how the big bad "they" don't understand the poor misunderstood AFOL's is bit sad.

@parsom said:
"A page gathering links to other pages? Why should I need this?"

It's called a portal and they were very useful when I was a kid for finding information on specific subjects, back when we had search engines, but not nearly as good as the current ones... kinda shows what decade TLG's IT department comes from ;- )

Anyway; took the survey and (sorry if I echo a lot of the comments above) I didn't find it really helpful for the type of AFOL I am. Could be a good page to encourage people to become AFOLs by connecting them with other like minded people/groups/sites (so it fits with their whole 'adults welcome' concept; which of course may be the main goal).

I basically told them that what I would like to see from LEGO is more 'insider information'; things that only they know or have access to, things that go deeper into what LEGO is/does than what I can find myself on other sites or from other sources.

@Montyh7 said:
"I find the comments here bizarre, like everyone is too good or too cool or too AFOL for a Lego page. Just such odd behaviour, like let's moan about the site, rather than use the survey to improve - because that would just be too obvious??? I have never understood this need to not want to improve or bring about change, the "if I don't like it, no-one should!!!" rather than acknowledge different people like different things - shock horror!

My thoughts on the site, I enjoyed it. It was a rabbit hole that lacked coherence and needed some sort of theme (even if that consistently changed) to fit it altogether.

I particularly liked the fact, that it didn't do all the stuff people are rabbiting on about, instead it took me to random sites and videos I have never before visited and I got a kick out of watching fan made stuff.

I tend to watch a couple of YT's and that's it, I go back to some now and then, but I don't watch any religiously, so being pointed to random sites, reviews and videos was fun for me.

The bricklink and bits and pieces section, I found a little odd, as I have those bookmarked, but easily skipped.

It's a site in progress, and will end up being a mix of marketing and feedback, but to be all precious about how the big bad "they" don't understand the poor misunderstood AFOL's is bit sad."

To cool for AFOL site? You mis-read that whole situation. I think the point is why is LEGO undertaking another thing to mess up (Brickcon, VIP Exclusives, lego.com, Bricklink Designer Program, and Lego Ideas) when they should turn there attention to improving and or fixing what they already have. Why do we need this site? It already exists, it is called Brickset. Rather then undertake new things that already exist (Brickset again! And there are a lot more!) they need to improve what they already have first before hand.

Instead of wasting time with a survey, Lego should just read all these comments...

I did the survey because I appreciate their effort but I second pretty much every opinion above: LEGO should stop this trend of thinking AFOLs and TFOLs as a new demographic who suddenly thought it was OK to buy sets because other adults collect action figures too.

While I love the recent wave of D2C sets and the increased focus on AFOLs, I think it is an unnecesary trend to establish a solid divide between what AFOLs like and what kids like. It is truly unfortunate that they seem to think we just like to have real-life objects made out of LEGO or $300+ models. Themes like City have taken a rather harsh turn toward simpler and simpler designs and an overall lack of compatibility with the stuff they usually put out for the Modular line, for example. This isn't the only instance of such a change in focus but I think it is representative of the recent trend toward an "adult-focused" line that misses the mark on what most AFOLs truly want or like.

@Montyh7 said:
"I find the comments here bizarre, like everyone is too good or too cool or too AFOL for a Lego page. Just such odd behaviour, like let's moan about the site, rather than use the survey to improve - because that would just be too obvious??? I have never understood this need to not want to improve or bring about change, the "if I don't like it, no-one should!!!" rather than acknowledge different people like different things - shock horror!

My thoughts on the site, I enjoyed it. It was a rabbit hole that lacked coherence and needed some sort of theme (even if that consistently changed) to fit it altogether.

I particularly liked the fact, that it didn't do all the stuff people are rabbiting on about, instead it took me to random sites and videos I have never before visited and I got a kick out of watching fan made stuff.

I tend to watch a couple of YT's and that's it, I go back to some now and then, but I don't watch any religiously, so being pointed to random sites, reviews and videos was fun for me.

The bricklink and bits and pieces section, I found a little odd, as I have those bookmarked, but easily skipped.

It's a site in progress, and will end up being a mix of marketing and feedback, but to be all precious about how the big bad "they" don't understand the poor misunderstood AFOL's is bit sad."

In relation to your first paragraph: what most people are saying here is: before renovating the shed, you should fix the leaking basement (or roof for those who don't have basement). Basically, fix the stuff that does not work at all (i.e. IT, colour issues, production issues). Once that's fixed then we can talk about the fancy stuff.

Nice effort but needs improvement (especially the primarily video content vs the text/forum/photo content that I would like to frequent (eurobricks, brickset, brother-bricks, new elementary, rebrickable, promobricks to name but a few). I have an allergy to videos but I believe it is primarily due to my age :P

Plus I completely agree that we AFOLs are a semi secretive, weird bunch of people of wildly disparate income groups who constantly need to explain that we don't play with children's toys rather than create/build stuff. We are not vastly 800$-MFC-rich grownups that simply collect everything that TLG churns out (well some of us belong to that category too but it's not the majority).