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Today, I have a very special guest: Nádia Henrique, a Portuguese LEGO Designer that studied in Denmark and has been working for the LEGO Group for almost three years.
Unlike most of the Portuguese LEGO Designers working for the LEGO Company in the last years, Nadia didn’t belong to any LUG (LEGO User Group), so here is your chance to learn a little bit more about life in Denmark and how to become a LEGO Designer even if you do not have the a AFOL background
If you also want to be featured on our page,
contact us via Facebook, Instagram or send an email to playwell.pt@gmail.com
1- Tell us a little about yourself: We already know you're a LEGO Designer, but tell us where you're from, your age, and your background.
I took my Master’s degree in DSKD, Design
School Kolding in Denmark, in Design for Play, I decided to focus my design
career designing toys, and taking this master took that dream to another level.
2 - Until a few years ago, most Portuguese LEGO
Designers were AFOLs who were part of fan groups (LUGs), hired for their LEGO
building skills, such as Marcos Bessa, Tiago Catarino, Ricardo Silva, and César
Soares. But if I'm not mistaken, your recruitment was completely different. Can
you tell us how the opportunity to work in the group came up and how you
managed to do it?
I do not have an AFOL background at all, my
background comes from studying Industrial design and wanting to work in the toy
design industry. Once I started to dream about becoming a toy designer, The
Lego Group was on my radar and was/is my dream company to work for.
I decided to move to Kolding, and pursue the master’s degree, with the dream of getting an internship at The Lego Group, my dream became true, so once I got the internship, I never looked back, and worked hard to deserve a job afterwards, and it happened.
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| (43282 Village House & Boat) |
3 – In these almost three years, I presume you've already worked in one or more departments/themes. Which theme did you most enjoy working on?
As a toy designer, I have focused my
development into the preschool area, as it fascinates me how the brain develops
so much during those early years of a baby, toddlers’ life. I had the
opportunity to start my LEGO journey in the DUPLO team, focusing on 1.5 to 3
years old toddlers. I stayed there for about 1 year I believe, where I had the
opportunity of developing 2 LEGO sets, and worked also in the concept of other
LEGO sets. After that year has passed, my next career opportunity appeared in
the 4+ team, where I currently work at. This team focuses on designing Lego
sets for 4-year-olds across the different Lego themes. Currently I have 3 LEGO
sets in the market that I focused on designing together with the team.
4 – More recently, you've been more involved in
4+, a line that covers several themes (City, Ninjago, Marvel, and I believe
also DC and Disney, and maybe a few more). Within all the themes that have 4+,
can you make sets for any of those, or are you more focused on one or two
specific themes? I believe you have made sets for Bluey and Marvel, for
example.
In the 4+ team, we have the chance to work on
all the different lines that covers the 4+ age group. My lead makes the
decision on which line we will work on for a LEGO set, taking in consideration
our passions, but at the end of the day, I am just happy to be part of the
team, and I am happy designing for any line. Currently I have worked with
Bluey, Marvel, Spidey and Jurassic.
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| 77981 Velociraptor, Stegosaurus & Pteranodon Rescue |
5 – We know that 4+ serves somewhat to make the
transition from Duplo to the so-called “system”. You have also made Duplo sets,
so I assume there is a great connection between Duplo and 4+, but is there also
one between 4+ and the other City, Ninjago and similar teams, which design sets
for an audience above 5/6 years old?
The connection between Duplo and 4+ is very
strong and yes, it serves as the transition between the Duplo system and the
Lego system, therefore close collaboration is important. When it comes to 5+
and above, then it is the respective lines that work on them.
6 - Before all this adventure in the LEGO
world, what is your first memory with the toy? Was it something that was part
of your childhood?
For me in my childhood I associate the LEGO
bricks with playing with my brothers and playing with my dad’s old LEGO bricks.
So, for me it was something that I did together with my brothers.
7- If so, did you go through a “dark age”?
(Name that fans call the period of disinterest, usually when entering
adolescence and lasting until a more adult phase). And what made you start
picking up pieces again?
Yes, I did go through the “dark age” as you describe it, when I started to become a teenager, I believe I stopped picking the bricks, or other toys that I used to play with, and started to focus on sports instead. I picked up again in my adulthood, first with a toy designer mindset, and then I started to buy sets and building them for fun.
8 – Before working in the group, did you used
to make MOCs?
As I said I was not involved in the world of
AFOLS, so MOCs were not something that I did or follow in the community, I came
back into this world through the educational background, with the play designer’s
lenses.
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| 11206 Spidey on his Motorcycle vs. Rhino |
9 – It's public knowledge that designers, in
addition to physically building models, also work with digital software for
designing their models. Some prefer to handle physical pieces first and only
then use the computer (like César Soares, for example), while others do the
opposite.
Can you tell us and give examples of your
construction process for your assignments? Do you plan ahead, building
digitally first, or do you prefer to have the pieces in hand?
I prefer to build digitally first, and when it is needed, I build physically, specially to have more of an understanding of stability and play, which can be tricky to understand digitally.
10 – Do you currently collect LEGO? If so, what
themes? How is your LEGO "workshop/exhibition space like?
Or you don’t have anything and completely
switch off as soon as you leave the office?
I try to find a balance when I leave the office, so I collect Lego sets, but I try to moderate myself. I collect mostly botanical, art and Disney sets at the moment, as I like displaying them in the house, especially botanicals.
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| 76319 Captain America vs. Thanos |
11 – If you had the opportunity to make
something in LEGO, no matter how big or small... What would you do?
Probably something related to Lisbon, where I
am from, as I love the city and I love talking about it, so building something
for the city where I was born, it could be fun 😊
12 – And themes, is there one you would love to work on?
I am currently in my dream theme, 4+, so, at
the moment, I am seeing myself here for a longtime 😊
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| 30686 My First Flower & Bee |
13 – What do your family and friends think
about your work?
They all love it! They are very proud,
specially my parents, they have always believed in me, even when I told them
that I wanted to be a toy designer, they have never doubted me, and they have
always supported my dream, so I am extremely grateful that I was able to
accomplish my dream, and they get to see how happy I am every day.
14 – Have you ever participated in/visited a
LEGO event or one organized by fans?
Unfortunately I have not had the chance to
participate in a LEGO event organized by the fans community, but I hope one day
I get the chance to visit one in Portugal, as there is a big community there,
and I have seen pictures of some incredible events that I hope I get to see one
day.
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| (10456 McQueen's Visit to Doc's Garage) |
15 – How is lifelike in Denmark? From what I
understand, you were there for a few years before the opportunity to work with
the LEGO group, right? Do you miss home or are you already completely settled
in the country?
I have met my fiancée here, he is Danish, so in
a way I am extending my family here. We now have a beautiful dog, a German
shepherd named Bingo (for the Bluey fans out
there... yes, it is that Bingo ahahaha)
16 – Do you often run into other Portuguese
LEGO Designers who work there? Or even other Portuguese workers in other roles?
I see more and more Portuguese in Billund, so the Portuguese community is growing, it is lovely to see, and I feel that as soon as I meet another Portuguese coworker, we are instantly friends, I guess it is the beautiful Portuguese culture.
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| 11201 Playground Fun with Bluey and Chloe |
17 – Do you visit Portugal frequently? And are
you familiar with what is done with LEGO in our country?
I try my best to visit Portugal at least 2
times a year, but at the moment the flights connection from Billund to Lisbon
are not the best, since there is no direct flight, and that makes it hard to go
to Portugal for a weekend, so every time I go, I need to plan my vacation in
advance. I know that Portuguese LEGO community is growing, and we are having
more and more Lego shops around the country, and that makes me extremely happy.
18 – How do you see your relationship with LEGO
in 10 years?
In 10 years I see my relationship with LEGO
grow even more, as in this job, I am constantly learning and improving myself.
I hope I have the same feeling as I have now, as it is an amazing company to
work for, I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work here. It is an
absolute dream come true.
Thank you so much Nádia, good luck with your projects, and I hope to continue to see many new sets made by you!
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