Brickmaniacs,
As part of our continuing coverage of all things Brickmania during our MN stay-at-home order, we wanted to take you on a quiet (…too quiet) tour of what I call “Designer’s Row” where the magic of history to brick is laid down for the first time. This is the section of our production facility where Dan and other designers do their research and begin the process of bringing a kit to life using the blueprints, schematics and photographs of the vehicles in action. This is where every kit, whether a restock or new release, is born and where the first steps toward your shelf!
It starts on a desk like this one, with a pile of brick and a endless list of books and documents to back it up. Above you see a designer’s desk that will at one point become the landing zone of another amazing custom Brickmania set. Even when it is a new release of an older product, the designer’s pride themselves on making upgrades and updates using new brick and new techniques.
By the time the brick is laid and the form of the new kit has begun to take shape, new sticker, minifig and custom printed element artwork will be completed. The end result is a completed set that looks like it was lifted out of the history book and brought to life. It then goes to the animation team in order to be rendered and prepared for the box art and all of the wonderful action shots you see on social media each week.
The kit, once off the production line, is then assembled in its entirety so that issues in the instructions can be ironed out before it gets into your hands. These desks are empty now because we are all doing our part to help flatten the curve of COVID-19. This is an important reminder of how many hands go into the sets you love, and how many amazing people coordinate to make Brickmania what it is today. Each and every set that comes to your doorstep, and each vehicle and minifigure that you have proudly on display in your collection came from this room and passed over these desks.
But the desk is nothing without the person in the chair, from designer to brick counter, each of us gets to do what we love because of supportive fans like you. Even though we are still doing what production we can from home, and we continue to ship from our online store, we can’t wait to get back to our desks and provide you with the world’s greatest historical building sets. Thank you for your support!