Once or twice per year, LEGO turns to its design-driven fans to suggest sets for production. To simply earn consideration, a proposed set has to garner 10,000 votes of support from the public, after which the shortlist (twelve qualifying ideas this year) gets reviewed and approved by the company itself. It’s a rare opportunity for die-hard fans to involve themselves in the company they love, so competition is fierce every step of the way.
Which is exactly why Maia Weinstock’s winning submission featuring Women of NASA is such an honor and an achievement.
Given the subject matter, which is dear to the hearts of Lego fans and non-fans alike, Weinstock’s not the only one celebrating this distinction and opportunity.
The announcement comes following the crescendo of awards season buzz for Hidden Figures, a film documenting the work of black NASA scientists Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson. There’s no reason to believe the timing is anything other than a coincidence, but Katherine Johnson’s inclusion as a figure in the Lego set does mean she’s enjoying mainstream recognition for her work decades ago.
Lego announced the winner in a video featuring spokesperson Lise Dydensborg:
In the video, she states:
On Lego’s site, the company states that the pricing, release date, and final design aren’t firmed up quite yet, but given the level of excitement regarding this announcement, those details will be big news.