Classroom characters for First LEGO League

LEGO has always been a big part of my life. As a kid, I spent countless hours building and creating, letting my imagination run wild with those little bricks. Fast forward to today, and that childhood passion has evolved into something even more exciting. At work, I proudly take on the role of "Chef LEGO League," where I lead the First LEGO League (FLL) program, a perfect blend of creativity, teamwork, and innovation. With my creative passion for LEGO, innovation, problem-solving, and, yes, teambuilding, I’ve found a unique way to bring it all together. Fun fact: I actually honed my teambuilding skills as a semi-professional guildmaster in World of Warcraft. For years, I built, led, and organized guilds of 40 to 200 members, rallying them toward a single objective. Through that experience, I learned firsthand how to market, recruit, and maintain high-performing teams, a skillset I now apply to the First LEGO League (FLL).

In the FLL, I’m not just teaching a class; I’m building a team. My goal is to empower each person, placing them in roles that allow them to shine, and helping the group grow together. It’s an exciting journey ahead!

As part of this vision, I came up with a fun idea: creating personalized LEGO characters for each participating student. By the end of our journey, we’ll have a family heritage LEGO League poster displayed in the school, something to celebrate our team and the legacy we’re building together for the years to come!

Starting with Midjourney By now, most of us are familiar with the concept of prompting, using text to generate image outputs. But did you know you can use prompting for so much more? While it opens up endless creative possibilities, navigating the process can sometimes be tricky. Below, I’ve shared some examples to inspire you and help you explore the potential of prompting! The picture below was created using a reference picture of a colleague's face.

"Design a full-body LEGO figure standing confidently on a plain white background, holding a fish prominently in one hand. Ensure the figure is detailed, vibrant, and captures the classic LEGO aesthetic, with the fish clearly visible as the focal point"

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I tried several times to generate a full-body pose using a reference picture of the colleague's face. Despite my detailed descriptions and repeated attempts, the results kept coming out as small, framed body images instead of the full-body pose I envisioned.

Eventually, I decided to switch approaches. I generated the image purely based on text:

"Design a full-body LEGO figure standing confidently on a plain white background, holding a fish prominently in one hand. Ensure the figure is detailed, vibrant, and captures the classic LEGO aesthetic, with the fish clearly visible as the focal point"

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However, this approach felt less personal. That said, with a more refined prompt, you can often get results closer to what you’re aiming for. For example, here’s an image I generated for someone else using a more detailed description:

"Design a full-body LEGO figure standing confidently on a plain white background, a wand in one hand. Curly brown long hair, with a smirk. Ensure the figure is detailed, vibrant and capture the essence of (for example) Hermione granger but wearing slytherin or ravenclaw colours; green and silver"

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Steps to Create a Personalized Character

1. Define Clear Creation Goals

   • Art Style/Fantasy Realm: Decide on the overall aesthetic and world your character belongs to.

   • Pose: Determine what stance or action best represents the character’s personality.

   • Energetic Features: Choose the mood or emotion (e.g., happy, sad, excited) you want the character to convey.

   • Attributes: Specify any items or accessories (e.g., what they’re holding, wearing, etc.).

   • Colors: Pick a color scheme that suits the character’s identity.

   • Hairstyle: Choose a hairstyle that matches the character’s personality and background.

   • Other Details: Any additional features that define the character (e.g., facial expressions, body language, etc.).

   
   

   So let's say: "Artstyle comic con 1990's, jumping jack pose, happy, holding a flower, green clothes, long flowy brown hair, magestic character." Result below:

   
   

   

Now, imagine this entire experience through the eyes of children. Even in the teachers’ room, the adults were eager to join in on the fun! Just picture the excitement and creativity that kids will bring as they design their own personalized LEGO characters, adding to the legacy of our school’s LEGO League.

But this project is about so much more than just having fun. It’s about inspiring creativity, fostering collaboration, and helping each student discover their unique potential. By encouraging children to imagine, build, and work together, we’re not only creating unforgettable memories, we’re shaping the next generation of innovators, problem-solvers, and leaders.

To my fellow teachers out there: let’s keep finding ways to spark this kind of passion in our students. With the right tools and encouragement, there’s no limit to what they can achieve!

If you found this interesting or have any questions,

don’t hesitate to reach out! I’d love to help, contact me today!