{"id":12095,"date":"2018-02-27T02:35:07","date_gmt":"2018-02-26T15:35:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/legoeng.local\/?p=12095"},"modified":"2018-02-27T14:53:09","modified_gmt":"2018-02-27T03:53:09","slug":"meet-the-creator-lee-magpili","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/legoeng.local\/meet-the-creator-lee-magpili\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Creator: Lee Magpili"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Lee Magpili with SI3RRA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lee Magpili is a LEGO Education Designer who lives in Billund, Denmark. \u00a0Lee was the lead model designer for the\u00a0LEGO\u00ae MINDSTORMS\u00ae Education EV3 Core Set. He is also well-known for many large creations including\u00a0EVan, SI3RRA, STRYD3R, Eagle and a MINDSTORMS pneumatic dress. He is also the designer for models\u00a0that are part of the FIRST LEGO League game.<\/em><\/p>\n

How did you get started building with LEGO bricks?<\/h4>\n

Mom brought LEGO to the Philippines when I was growing up. Never really stopped from there.<\/p>\n

Which project (or projects) are you the most proud of? Why?<\/h4>\n

My favorite project is probably the\u00a0LEGO\u00ae MINDSTORMS\u00ae Education EV3 Core Set. It\u2019s kind of a dream to have something with\u00a0\u201cyour name\u201d on it. The set reflects all the work and experience in my life that led up to it.<\/p>\n

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Lotus<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Where do you find inspiration for new projects?<\/h4>\n

I’m a big movie buff and also really into Cartoons, Comics, Anime and robots. So if I find anything like that, I’m inspired. You can add stuff that kids make, really awesome creations from LEGO Fans and that big beautiful world that we live in. Little appreciation for beauty and the arts never hurts to fill the mind with ideas.<\/p>\n

How many iterations do you typically go through when you create your projects?<\/h4>\n

Depends on how long I have to build. It can go from one, to dozens depending on the project, you’ll know when you get it right.<\/p>\n

Do you document your creative process? If so, how and why?<\/h4>\n

I try. I’ve recently been trying to do timelapse videos but it’s very hard to actually capture the creative process. When I sketch, it’s at least in a notebook of some sort, but for building, it’s very organic and sometimes something just comes out of nothing.<\/p>\n

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EVan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What role does failure have in your creative process?<\/h4>\n

It\u2019s a way of learning what doesn’t work. And sometimes it tells you if you need to abandon a project. But you need to fail, to know what it feels like to succeed.<\/p>\n

“You need to fail, to know what it feels like to succeed.”<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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An Eagle made with multiple MINDSTORMS units<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How do you evaluate your success?<\/h4>\n

If something cool is just out there and being shown to people, it’s successful.<\/p>\n

For students who are ready to go beyond the basics, what project would you recommend to get them motivated, without overwhelming them?<\/h4>\n

Maybe try something with multiple MINDSTORMS units, that’s always fun. But hey, we have\u00a0the more advanced EV3 models, and maybe even some of the bigger Technic models to try.<\/p>\n

Which projects and\/or builders have most inspired you?<\/h4>\n

Back when I first started really getting into LEGO as an adult, I would browse the mecha sections in brickshelf.com<\/a> and see some really amazing robots that got quite big, around 1m tall or so. Robots have always fascinated me and I always wanted to go big!<\/p>\n