3D Instruction System for LEGOLAND Shanghai

A project I worked on during my 12-month internship at The LEGO Design in the Guided Creativity team, in collaboration with Merlin Entertainments. I was involved in the entire design process, from early ideation and prototyping to testing and producing the final 3D assets. My animated instructions are currently live at the LEGOLAND Shanghai Resort rocket experience. The animated-instruction concept I developed is also used across LEGO retail campaigns and brand activations.

CHALLENGE

Classic LEGO step-by-step instructions are effective for assembling sets but can limit creativity in free building in LEGO parks, retail spaces, and brand events, as participants often end up creating identical models. My role in this project was ideation and prototyping of a new facilitation method that supports and encourages individual creativity, and delivery of the final design.

INSIGHTS

I’ve identified that an exploded view animations of the models with partial rotation, played on a loops, displayed in the building area could be good way to subtly support the building process while also encouraging creativity.

OUTCOME

Our team designed a new rocket-building experience to encourage the creative building of LEGO rockets. My role was to prototype, test, and design the final creative building instructions

TESTING

The next step was real-world testing. Our team ran four kids’ tests in Billund to understand which type of facilitation, animated guidance or step-by-step cues, created a better building experience. We focused on how each approach influenced creativity, engagement, and the diversity of final builds. The insights helped us refine and perfect the experience to achieve the strongest creative outcomes. For the final test, my teammates traveled to Shanghai, and I was especially excited because all tested assets, including the animations and inspirational posters were designed by me. The concept performed exceptionally well in user testing and is now used across the LEGO Group, including in retail environments, LEGO parks, and brand activations.

The final concept was adopted by LEGO and implemented in retail environments worldwide, including the flagship LEGO Store at Leicester Square. During the Summer 2024 LEGO Space campaign, I conducted on-site research and collected user data to evaluate engagement and creative outcomes.