Back in August I celebrated two years of making LEGO content. As a way of celebrating this milestone I came up with an idea to combine the power of LEGO and social media to create a project that any of my followers/subscribers could take part in from the comfort of their own homes; wherever around the world they may be. I already had the idea in my head for quite a while before the anniversary was due to take place.
The Idea
The idea I had was simple, inviting my followers across Instagram and TikTok, and my subscribers on YouTube to comment on the announcement video their favourite colour and where they were from. After collecting the responses that fulfilled the rules I outlines in the video, I purchased one ‘Plate, Round 1x 1’ to represent each person in their favourite colour (or as close to it as I could) and place it on top of the (41838) Travel Moments world map on the location they are from.
In the early stages of developing this idea it was a big decision for me to decide if the world map onto which I would place the studs would be the retired (and now very expensive) (31203) World Map or the (21332) The Globe. I had imagined a 2D map for this project in my head, but the ‘World Map’ set was very expensive, whilst ‘The Globe’ was much more affordable, but less practical, for what I needed. Because of all this, it came as a perfectly timed big surprise to me when the (41838) ‘Travel Moments’ was announced as a much more affordable option for me that included a 2D map. I bought it on release day.
The Process
The idea I had in my head seemed simple enough, but the process of executing this idea was far from it. To complete this project was a very complex task; but the result speaks for itself.
Initially, I had to individually review around one thousand comments across my socials to ensure they met three criteria; that they were following me, that they commented their favourite colour and that they had commented their location too. The opportunity to participate in the project was open for one week only.
After reviewing the comments of successful participants, I spent several days compiling a carefully counted BrickLink order. When the studs had been ordered for each successful participant, I liked the corresponding comment; using the comments section as a kind of checklist to guide me. It took several rounds of hours long counting and reviewing the comments to ensure nobody who followed the rules to take part was left out.
In the meantime, as I waited for the hundreds of studs I ordered to arrive, I took to building the world map itself from the ‘Travel Moments’ set. The build is split into four quarters which means that four people at once can build the map and a fifth person can build the extras. I built the map by myself but I sure did have a lot of fun. Putting it together was probably one of the most relaxing LEGO building experiences I’ve had in a while and the way the whole thing comes together is really quite clever. I did not build any of the ‘extras’ because they were not going to form any part of my project.
When the studs did arrive, and I had built the world map I got to work sitting at the table and individually researching every country (and city if provided) to place it as accurately as I could. I ended up spending over forty hours doing this. Unfortunately, this stage of the project became very complicated and stressful for me; not the fun I had anticipated it would be.
Issues with Scale
Issues with scale were the primary cause of problems surrounding this project; particularly around the Europe and North America; where most of my followers and subscribers live. Europe was complicated because there were many participants from so many countries all of whom had to be represented on a very small scale. I encountered a similar problem with North America as I had divided the United Sates of America by state. It ended up that after several attempts I had to design a map of my LEGO map just to keep track of what stud represented which country or state for Europe and North America (including Canada and the United States). The remaining region of central America, as well as the continents of Africa, Asia, Oceania and South America were easier for me to map. As a result of these complications, I ended up having to “move” entire countries or states on the map (or even add some of the smaller island countries that were missing altogether) but in the end I was very happy with the result.
The Result
After creating several checklists during the process and counting the studs on the map I came up with some great figures*.
All in, there were 875 participants from 77 different countries on 6 of the 7 continents (nobody from Antarctica?) The country with the most participants was the United Staes of America with 187 followed by the United Kingdom with 182 and Ireland with 46. The country with participants furthest away were those who took part from New Zealand, approximately 18,000 kilometres (11,200 miles) from my home country of Ireland.
* NOTE: There is a small issue here. On the map I have placed 875 studs but have counted 858 on my checklist. Despite great attention and care; as well as several recounts, I have been unable to identify why this has happened. Although this represents a difference of less than two percent, it means that 17 participants have been added to the map but unintentionally excluded from the checklist. Oops!
The England “Studscraper”
The most obvious point of interest that could be seen when I finished the project was the stack of 161 studs representing participants from England (subdivided from the United Kingdom). A consequence of the issues of scale mentioned before, it meant that the 161participants from England were densely placed, creating the tower. The tower itself whilst impressive was extremely unstable and broke into pieces with even slight movement. It made it into the final cut of the video I posted about the project result but has since become the only stack of studs that I have had to reduce in size, substituting the ‘Plate, Round 1 x 1’s that represented one person to ‘Brick, Round 1 x 1’ to represent 15 participants (but still in the colours that they had chosen). This meant I was able to reduce the height of the studscraper from 161 studs tall to 90. I also added additional support to the stack. Both actions meant that I could hang the map on my wall for it to be proudly displayed in all of my future content without the studscraper falling off.
Pınar’s Stud
Çok selam Pınar! Here you have Buka Bricks founder Pınar’s orange stud to represent her in Antalya, Turkey. It was the first stud to be placed on Turkey and is a great way to show how LEGO brings together friends from all around the world; even if I have never met her. It’s good to see you there Pınar, çok teşekkür ederim!
The Wall
Since the beginning of the project I had wanted the map to be 2D so I could hang it on my wall when I had completed the project, and last week after it sat idle for about two months I finally did it. I reduced the height of the England studscraper and carefully placed the map on my LEGO wall where it takes centre stage in my content now. It means that my future content for a long time will proudly feature the map and in some small way, hundreds of participants who form part of the ifolbricks global community.
My Thoughts
This project was a lot more challenging than I had thought it would be, but the challenge really made it so much more rewarding now that it is over. It’s November now and as I sit and write this article at my computer, I can’t help but look at the map and be amazed that every one of those coloured studs on the map represents a real person with their own life story that is interested in the LEGO content that I make. I think this project was so worth it; complicated or not, this project is a true demonstration of what LEGO is about and just how far this passion reaches. It was a great way to celebrate two years of making LEGO content and I am so thankful to everyone who has supported and continues to support me as I chase my dreams. Thank you.
Images of ifolbricks Global Community Project
I played with LEGO a lot when I was a kid but I play with it even more as an adult.
