LEGO’s Michaela Edgerley Šťovíček and Léa Milson on bringing Peppa Pig into DUPLO

“The characters’ heads are completely new elements!”: LEGO Element Designer Léa Milson and Michaela Edgerley Šťovíček, Head of Product for LEGO DUPLO, take us inside the design process of the new Peppa Pig sets.

Michaela, Léa, thanks for making time to chat. To kick us off, what makes Peppa Pig and LEGO DUPLO a neat fit?
Michaela Edgerley Šťovíček, Head of Product, LEGO DUPLO: Toddlers love engaging and playing out stories with both LEGO DUPLO and Peppa Pig. Bringing the two together therefore came as a natural fit. Kids can bring the fun stories of Peppa Pig to life using the creativity and endless imagination delivered through the LEGO DUPLO bricks.

How would you describe the creative collaboration with Hasbro on the line?
Michaela: We were so happy to see this partnership come to life with Hasbro. It’s a partnership rooted in a common passion for fun play experiences, building confidence and teaching children valuable IQ and EQ lessons – again something that is strongly represented in the LEGO DUPLO Peppa Pig products that will be on shelves from June 1st.

Absolutely. Let’s dive into the product a little bit. Léa, you’re an Element Designer at LEGO. Where there any unique challenges with regards to the shape of these characters, or other capturing them authentically in LEGO? I imagine the snout is a new element!
Léa Milson, Element Designer, LEGO: Yes, the characters’ heads are completely new elements, which we developed together with Hasbro. Translating the characters from 2D to 3D LEGO DUPLO characters was an interesting and exciting challenge. It required me to think outside the box.

In what sense?
Léa: I had to get the proportions right to make sure the characters fit into the LEGO DUPLO world. For example, having the character sit in the DUPLO chair or Grandpa Pig’s sailing boat.

Yes of course, it has to align nicely with the wider DUPLO world.
Léa: Exactly. The eye placement was also a challenge. In the TV series, you see both eyes on one side, but that was obviously a challenge to do in 3D… We had several rounds of feedback with the wider design team and Hasbro to find a common middle ground that would showcase Peppa and her family authentically, but still work within our building system.

They look great.
Léa: Thanks. I truly loved working on the LEGO DUPLO Peppa Pig characters and am so happy to see them come to life – and to see the positive reception.

Before wrap up, has does one become an Element Designer at LEGO? Was it always part of the plan?
Léa: Ever since I was a kid, I loved creating different things, drawing and solving problems and challenges. I actually wasn’t aware that ‘designer’ was a work field that existed at that time. After high school, I went to an industrial design school, and I remember how happy I was when I found out about design and becoming a designer as a career path!

After design school, I immediately sent my application to the LEGO Group and that’s how I became an Element Designer. To me, it is the perfect fit and I get to work on new shapes and elements, thinking innovatively and creatively. I also get to solve challenges too with the support of our engineers, as we work together to make sure these elements come to life while living up to our standard and quality.

On that, how do you fuel your creativity? What helps you have ideas?
Léa: Everything! Everyday life… I have a three-year-old daughter who I play with a lot and she inspires me when it comes to creating new DUPLO elements. It’s the best feeling in the world when I see her playing with some of the elements that I have worked. It makes me truly proud.

I can imagine. Léa, Michaela, thanks again and congrats again on the LEGO Peppa Pig range.

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