The Making of Dragon Dance set 80102

As Chinese New Year wraps up, we took the opportunity to talk to the designers behind the creation of 80102 Dragon Dance. While every fan might not know the LEGO® designers by name, it is likely you are familiar with different sets that Niek or Nico have created through the years. Nico was able to bring his experience building dragons such as 70734 Master Wu Dragon from NINJAGO® and Niek is well known for many creations including 21311 Voltron™.

Even though both designers have been with the LEGO Group for many years, this was the first opportunity they had to collaborate on a project. While both designers had some experience with Chinese culture the process of creating this set was truly a team effort. Members of the China marketing team were part of the design process as well and provided feedback and insights on color, design and patterns to both the model designers and the graphic designers to help make the Dragon Dance set as look and feel as authentic as possible.

Personal touches from the designers can be spotted within the set from, such as Nico’s addition of the four small animals, and use of 191 flame yellow/orange, one of Niek’s favorite colors, that were incorporated on the Dragon.

What the designers found most challenging about the concept of this set was capturing the “dancing motion” that the traditional Chinese Dragon Dance showcases. For this model, it was important for Niek and Nico to provide a function that had fluidity with the movement, a set that was reliable, and easy to build.

In creating the decorations for the dragon there were a few different options considered prior to the final decision. Crystal Fontan, who recently created the decorations for 21315 Pop Up Book, tested using a single pattern for the scales and directional patterns for the scales. Together, with Niek and Nico, Crystal's rendering of directional scale patterns achieved the look that everyone was looking for.

So, what is next for Niek and Nico? We will need to wait and see but until the enjoy building 80102 Dragon Dance! While the set is only available in APAC countries, instructions are available for free download here.