It takes a certain kind of person to work at LEGO. And as a Creative Director for LEGO Star Wars, Jens Kronvold Frederiksen has to remain rooted in the realm of play to conjure up inspired builds in the ever-growing LEGO universe.

Frederiksen originally started as a lithographer. Having been a scale modeller, he was contacted by LEGO for a freelance designer to make prototypes. That led to a permanent gig as LEGO's model designer in 1998 before moving on to a leadership role at the LEGO Star War department. With 20 years at LEGO, we speak with the Dane at the heels of the LEGO Star Wars 25th anniversary about what keeps his creative juices going, working with Disney and... lightsaber sound effects.

ESQUIRE SINGAPORE: Walk us through your creative process when starting a new project.

JENS KRONVOLD FREDERIKSEN: The first part of the design process is to set the assortment. After that, we create the first sketch models. The model design work is now done digitally on a computer. However, very early we also built the models physically with bricks. This is important as this is the only way to ensure the models look right and meet our high-quality standards.

A big part of the design process is also to test our models with kids or adults, depending on who they are intended for. Of course, we need the physical models for that.

When designing models, we are not thinking about the technical constraints, we are more focused on the creative challenges. Even though it can be difficult to find the right solution to a design challenge, fortunately, we have a fantastic and versatile building system with so many different shaped LEGO elements making us capable of finding solutions to most of these challenges!

ESQ: Do you have a favourite Star Wars character or scene?

JKF: There are so many epic moments in the Star Wars universe, so it is hard to pick just one scene as a favourite.

In my view, many of the exciting moments and scenes happen on the Death Stars, so they are probably my favourite locations. The Death Stars have also inspired us to create several LEGO Star Wars sets over the years.  

ESQ: What about a Star Wars character?

JKF: To pick my favourite Star Wars characters is equally challenging! However, Yoda, Darth Vader R2-D2 and C-3PO are some of my favourites.

Another lesser-known character I really like is the bounty hunter Cad Bane, first seen in the animated series The Clone Wars. I was totally blown away when he surprisingly later appeared in the live-action Series The Book of Boba Fett. He is cool.

ESQ: And a LEGO Star Wars set?

JKF: To pick my number one favourite LEGO Star Wars set is simply not possible! We have created so many different sets over the last 25 years. Sets for kids and for adults, for play or for display. Every time we design a new model, I think, this must be the best set ever.

ESQ: Do fan reactions and feedback influence your work on future LEGO sets?

JKF: Absolutely. We are always excited to see reviews and feedback when new models launch. We ask for feedback when we are designing a new version of a model that has existed before in LEGO form. In that context, it is great to know what people liked on the previous model, or what they would like to see changed or improved.

ESQ: Can you share any memorable experiences or stories from collaborating with other designers or with the Star Wars franchise team?

JKF: When designing LEGO Star Wars, we are collaborating with Disney.

Some of us from the LEGO Group and Disney have worked on the franchise since the beginning of 1999. Naturally, we have a very close relationship. Something we really appreciate.

Occasionally we visit each other’s offices. Personally, I really enjoy trips to Disney’s San Francisco offices, and one of the more memorable trips was in 2019 when I was there to make a film celebrating LEGO Star Wars 20th anniversary. I met film designer and artist Doug Chiang. He is the creator of so many fantastic designs in the Star Wars universe.

ESQ: What sort of media do you consume?

JKF: I cannot mention a specific media, in the design team, we all use many different media for inspiration.

However, the Star Wars content, the TV series and movies are, of course, our most important source of inspiration. I must admit that even though I have watched the movies hundreds of times, I still watch the movies occasionally at home just for fun.

ESQ: How have you seen LEGO design and technology evolve during your tenure?

JKF: When looking at some of the first LEGO Star Wars models back from the first years, it's very clear that a lot has happened over the years.

The way we design and build the models today is far more sophisticated, and we have so many new LEGO elements, making it capable of creating far more detailed and accurate models.

ESQ: How do you handle creative blocks or design challenges when they arise?

JKF: The answer is simple: teamwork. Even though usually one designer is assigned to a specific model, we work closely together as one team, so if a designer has problems or challenges designing the model, the other designers are there to help.

ESQ: What advice would you give to young aspiring LEGO designers looking to enter the field?

JKF: First of all, build LEGO models. By building sets after the building instructions, it is possible to learn a lot about different building techniques. That is great inspiration for making own creations!

ESQ: How do you balance staying true to the essence of the original Star Wars designs while adding your unique touch to the LEGO versions?

JKF: When designing LEGO Star Wars models, we, of course, do our best to make the models as close to the originals as possible, however sometimes we must make the design a little different from the original. For example: a completely white starship will never be completely white in LEGO form. It will consist mainly of white bricks but also of grey and sand-coloured elements. This is to ensure a great building experience. If the set is just a huge pile of white bricks, it would be hard to find the right pieces and too much time would be spent just searching for the right bricks.

ESQ: How is LEGO addressing sustainability in its design and production processes?

JKF: We’re working hard to make all our products from more sustainable materials—and we're making progress. Some of our LEGO bricks and elements are already made with recycled and renewable materials. For example, from this year our transparent elements, like lightsabers, and windscreens, include advanced recycled materials from artificial marble kitchen worktops.

ESQ: Are there any upcoming projects or themes you can share with us?

JKF: The short answer here is... no; I cannot tell you anything about future projects. All I can tell you is that we are super busy working on the next exciting range of LEGO Star Wars models. You will just have to wait and see!

ESQ: Lastly, when you're playing with a lightsaber, do you make the sound effects as you swing the weapon?

JKF: We don’t have a lot of lightsabers here in the office. However, occasionally you can hear a swoosh or blaster sound when we are flying our Starships around.