"The Floating Sea Otters set (21366) started as a fan submission by Maximilian Lambrecht and evolved into something even more endearing than the original design. What began as a single otter floating in kelp became a mother cradling her pup, complete with articulated arms and a secret feature that lets two sets connect so the otters can hold hands. The LEGO designers didn't just approve the concept. They found ways to make it cuter."
"LEGO Ideas has always been the platform's most interesting experiment in crowdsourced design, and this set demonstrates why the model works when it actually works. Lambrecht submitted his original concept in April 2024 after spending two months researching sea otter ecology and visiting the Berlin Zoo to nail the anatomical details. His submission hit 10,000 supporters, clearing the first hurdle, and then LEGO Designer Chris McVeigh got his hands on it."
"The mother needed to be fully reclined rather than partially upright, which meant her arms had to articulate underwater to cradle the baby. That change cascaded into making the base thicker to accommodate the elbow joints, then extending the water elements over the edge of the base to maintain visual balance. Each decision triggered the next, the kind of iterative refinement that separates amateur builds from retail products."
LEGO's Floating Sea Otters set (21366) recreates a mother sea otter cradling her pup with articulated arms and a connection feature allowing two sets to link so otters can hold hands. The design originated as a fan submission by Maximilian Lambrecht, who researched otter ecology and visited the Berlin Zoo. The submission reached 10,000 supporters and was refined by LEGO Designer Chris McVeigh. Structural changes included reclining the mother, adding elbow joints, thickening the base, and extending water elements for visual balance. Iterative professional design transformed the original single-otter concept into a more emotionally compelling retail product.
Read at Yanko Design - Modern Industrial Design News
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