In 2021, Cool Toys Trend invited Polish fan designer Jan Woźnica to create a second space-themed scene, “Intergalactic Road Trips,” for our annual subscriber gift. It was a small commission with a clear editorial purpose: give readers a physical piece of the visual world inside the magazine.
One invitation, one additional scene
The starting point was not a request for an official product. Cool Toys Trend invited Jan to extend his space-themed visual language with an additional scene that could live as a buildable subscriber gift. The collaboration connected a creator, a publication and a physical object.
That distinction matters. Our role was the invitation and the subscriber-gift context. The creative work belonged to Jan, and the later development of his wider idea followed its own path.
The wider LEGO Ideas journey came later
Jan later developed and submitted a broader three-piece concept to LEGO Ideas in November 2021. According to LEGO Ideas, the project reached 10,000 supporters in less than three months and was eventually developed into LEGO Ideas 21340 Tales of the Space Age, released in May 2023.
Why this story matters to a custom project
A strong collaboration is not simply “find a designer and request a model.” It begins with recognising an existing visual language, defining the right creative role and giving the finished work a context people understand.
For a brand, university or cultural institution, that can mean selecting a creator whose way of seeing already fits the story, then building the product, packaging and editorial explanation around the same idea.
