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LEGO Builders Can Go Pro Let’s say you’re spending the day building…
LEGO Builders Can Go Pro
Let’s say you’re spending the day building a LEGO model. You rummage through multitudes of multicolored bricks until you spotaha!just the right sizes and shapes. You arrange and assemble them, carefully constructing your masterpiece brick by brick. The reward for your stick-to-itiveness might be a car, a castle, or a character from your favorite movie. It could be a dinosaur, a donut shop, or a detailed replica of the International Space Station. Now imagine you had something else to show for your efforts…a paycheck!
That’s all in a day’s work for LEGO model designers. These creative professionals earn a living by playing with the popular plastic construction toys. They develop the designs for the LEGO sets sold around the world, from simple products for young kids to monumental challenges for collectors. Open any LEGO box and you can see the results of hundreds of choices made by designers. They decide on the shapes, sizes, colors, and quantities of the pieces and how they fit together.
But not all their creations are destined to be packaged in a box and sold from store shelves. Designers also get to make the models used in LEGO movies, as well as plan and construct the miniature metropolises and larger-than-life figures at LEGOLAND theme parks. Imagine getting paid to build an 8-foot (2.4-meter) sculpture of Batman out of LEGO bricks. Now that’s a dream job with super fun benefits!
Designers use their imaginations and problem-solving skills to turn ideas into reality, staying involved from conception to production. To develop a design, they use both hands-on and digital techniques. They might begin by settling down with a bunch of bricks, trying out different ideas and combinations. Once they’ve put together a workable physical model, they recreate their design virtually using animation software.
What kind of education and experience do you need to land this gig? Many LEGO model designers studied 3-D (three-dimensional) arts or architecture in college. But the ability to transform a pile of plastic pieces into a masterful model is essential. That means one of the best ways to prepare for this job is to spend a lot of time…playing with LEGO! If you like to while away hour after hour up to your elbows in those beloved bricks, you could be building a strong foundation for a career.
For LEGO model designers, creativity is key, so if you’re interested in going pro, think outside the box. It’s great to be able to follow the directions to build a packaged model. But coming up with your own creations can be even more constructive. The company suggests that would-be designers start by using LEGO bricks to copy real-world objects, then move on to envisioning fantastical creations fresh from their own imaginations.
Need some inspiration to build on? The LEGO Group’s website LEGO Ideas (ideas.lego.com) is a hub for dedicated LEGO fans of all ages. Kids, teens, and AFOLs (Adult Fans of LEGO) can share their creations with other LEGO enthusiasts. They can take part in activities and challenges and enter contests to win prizes, including LEGO sets, shopping sprees, or even trips. So even if you’re not ready to put together a plan for a career as a LEGO model designer, there are still some ways to play with these cool construction toys for fun and profit!
According to the Article, why is playing with LEGO one of the best ways to prepare for a job as a LEGO model designer?
A.Because even if you’re not ready for a career as a LEGO model designer, there are still ways to play with construction toys for profit
B.Because the ability to transform LEGO pieces into a masterful model is an important job qualification
C.Because the ability to follow the directions to build a LEGO model is the most important job qualification
D.Because LEGO model designers must recreate a workable physical model virtually using animation software
