The BrickLink Designer Program is the route from a fan-designed LEGO model, a MOC, to a real LEGO set in a box. Designers build in BrickLink Studio and submit to a series; the community votes, LEGO reviews the entries, five designs go to crowdfunding, and any that reach 3,000 pre-orders are produced in a one-time run. This guide covers how a series works, what makes a design competitive, and what designers are paid.
Quick answer: design in BrickLink Studio, submit during a series' intake, win enough of the fan vote and LEGO's review to be one of the five picks, then reach at least 3,000 pre-orders in a short crowdfunding window. Hoth Bricks reports designers earn 5% of the sale price of every set sold and shipped.
Where the program came from
BrickLink, the parts and sets marketplace owned by the LEGO Group since 2019, first ran the idea as the BrickLink Designer Program 2021 Invitational. That round offered 31 projects drawn from LEGO Ideas submissions that had not been chosen for production, and the first 13 to reach 3,000 pre-orders became sets, among them the Castle in the Forest. The program then became a permanent series of rounds. Series 1's five sets were the Mountain Fortress (910029), Snack Shack (910030), General Store (910031), Parisian Street (910032) and Old Train Engine Shed (910033).
How a series works
-
Design in BrickLink Studio. Submissions are built in Studio, the free LEGO Group design program for Windows and macOS. Our BrickLink Studio tutorial covers the basics.
-
Submit during the intake. Each series opens for submissions for a limited period, with its own rules. Read them on BrickLink's Designer Program pages before you start building, since requirements can change between series.
-
Fan vote and review. BrickLink members vote for their favorites, and LEGO reviews the submissions, in part to avoid overlap with its own products. Five designs go forward.
-
Crowdfunding. The five designs open for pre-order for a short window. Each needs at least 3,000 pre-orders to be made, and buyers can order at most two copies of each set per household.
-
Production. Sets that pass the threshold are produced in a one-time run and shipped to the people who pre-ordered.
Series 11
Stonewars reported the Series 11 results in June 2026: Le Petit Bouquet, The Village Parlour, Lunar Cargo Train, Royal Nest and Elven Citadel, chosen from more than 500 submissions. Crowdfunding begins in June 2027, with official images and pricing about a month earlier, and is reported to last only 10 days. If you want one of the five, watch for the pricing announcement and order inside that window.
What makes a design competitive
-
A clear subject. Voters respond to a model they understand at a glance, whether a building, a vehicle or a scene.
-
Strong presentation. Good renders sell a digital design. Studio has its own photoreal renderer; our guide to rendering photorealistic images of MOCs compares the options.
-
Buildable as a set. A stable model with clear instructions is easier to turn into a product. Our guide to creating LEGO instructions covers Studio's instruction maker and layout habits.
-
Real parts in real colors. A digital design can use parts in colors LEGO has never made, which complicates production. Check part and color combinations as you build.
-
Distinct from LEGO's own range. LEGO's review looks for overlap with its own products, so a design that fills a gap stands a better chance.
What designers are paid
Hoth Bricks, writing in August 2026, reports that designers receive 5% of the sale price for all sets sold and shipped, where the sale price excludes VAT, sales taxes and shipping. Earlier rounds had different terms, so read the rules of the series you are entering. At the 3,000 pre-order minimum, the royalty is 5% of 3,000 times the set's price before tax.
The Designer Program and LEGO Ideas
LEGO Ideas is the other official route for fan designs. An Ideas project needs 10,000 supporters to reach LEGO's review, and successful designs become mass-produced retail sets. The Designer Program works through a vote, a review and crowdfunding, and its sets are produced only for the people who pre-order. Our guide to LEGO MOC contests and competitions covers both, along with fan contests that run all year.
Related guides
