LEGO 71031 Marvel Studios was designed entirely from home

The LEGO Group has revealed that 71031 Marvel Studios was the first Collectible Minifigures series to be designed exclusively online.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, the LEGO Group’s designers – like so many others around the world – were forced to work from home where possible. And that included the team responsible for creating the Collectible Minifigures’ latest superhero-inspired series, 71031 Marvel Studios, which is based on this year’s Disney+ shows.

Speaking to Brick Fanatics at this year’s LEGO Fan Media event, Head of Model Governance Astrid Graabæk revealed that the timing of Denmark’s lockdowns – and the design timeline of the Marvel minifigures – meant that this was the first series to be produced entirely remotely. But as many of us have also found, working from home isn’t necessarily a bad thing. 

Marvel was actually the first minifigures launch that was developed 100% online,” Astrid explains. “It had some tough things, but we also realised a lot of benefits. Some parts of the work were easier online, but discussing [design] can be tough when you’re not in the same room.”

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Even with the limitations of remote collaboration, the LEGO Minifigures team has no plans to entirely abandon its new way of working once normality resumes (or whatever normality looks like in a post-pandemic world).

“I think we will probably not remove our development completely from online meetings going forward, not even when we can, because we found that there’s also some benefits from it,” Astrid says.

You’ll be able to judge the results of the LEGO design team’s homeworking experience for yourself on September 1, when 71031 Marvel Studios launches at LEGO.com, in LEGO Stores and at all good retailers – at least in most territories. For more on this series, learn how the LEGO Group had to abide by a self-imposed rule for The Vision, and why the minifigures look so happy.

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Author Profile

Chris Wharfe
I like to think of myself as a journalist first, LEGO fan second, but we all know that’s not really the case. Journalism does run through my veins, though, like some kind of weird literary blood – the sort that will no doubt one day lead to a stress-induced heart malfunction. It’s like smoking, only worse. Thankfully, I get to write about LEGO until then.

Chris Wharfe

I like to think of myself as a journalist first, LEGO fan second, but we all know that’s not really the case. Journalism does run through my veins, though, like some kind of weird literary blood – the sort that will no doubt one day lead to a stress-induced heart malfunction. It’s like smoking, only worse. Thankfully, I get to write about LEGO until then.

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