A data-mom's look at her kids' ever-growing LEGO® collection.

About this project

About the Data:

This dashboard was prepared using a database created from my kids' personal LEGO® collection. I created the database by collating the kit numbers and names from all the build instructions they had been saving since the very first kit of a LEGO® City fire truck gifted to them in 2004.

As I did not have a source for the date each specific build kit was added to their collection, I used the release date for each build kit as a proxy.

And as a point-in-time analysis, it's important to point out that this collection continues to grow... I am already planning an updated version after 25 + years, as their passion for LEGO® build kits is still strong.

If you're interested in reading more details around my process for creating this fun and creative dashboard, check out this Medium article I wrote: How Reviewers Can Level Up Your Data Viz. In the article I walk through the numerous iterations that happened on the route to the stylized tree-map/waffle chart in the middle of the dashboard... and most importantly how engaging reviewers in your data visualization process can really help you develop your skills.

Key Learnings:

1. Our kids' interest in LEGO® building kits has spanned [literally] decades.

Over a twenty year span there was only one year where no new build kits were added to their collection.

2. Even though they've tried many different LEGO® themes, Star Wars™ has consistently been a favorite.

A very cool aspect of collecting LEGO® are the different themes of the build kits.
Star Wars™ themed build kits are the single largest group in our kids' collection, representing just over 1/3 of all the kits they have in their collection.

3. As they've gotten older, they've enjoyed putting together the more complex LEGO® build kits with >500 pieces.

Most (>75%) of the build kits in their collection are 500 bricks or less.
But as they've gotten older, they seem to prefer taking on fewer but more complex build kits as opposed to doing many smaller kits when they were younger.

LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this analysis.

Additional project images

Stacy Giroux Avatar

Stacy Giroux

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An interactive look at the dramatic increase in LEGO® subthemes from 1990 to 2009.

Discussion and feedback(3 comments)

comment-793-avatar

hiral modi

10 months ago

stylized treemaps/waffle chart is incredible! That too with Lego brick with exact count ? would it be possible to share ideas how you create that one ?

comment-972-avatar

Stacy Giroux

Project owner

9 months ago

Project owner

Thanks for the kind feedback Hiral! This was a really fun topic which opened up the opportunity to lean into the theme with the stylized treemap/waffle chart. This visual you see here is static... and that worked great because my goal in this project was to provide a point-in-time explanatory analysis. To create this one I used shapes (circles and squares) in Excel and organized them into the patterns you see presented. Just recently, I revisited this visual and challenged myself to re-create the overlapping look but that would update dynamically based on the selection of the user. For that I used an X,Y scatterplot. I've included details in that project write-up about how I made that work. See my project called "An interactive look at the dramatic increase in LEGOR(R) subthemes form 1990 to 2009" for details on how I did that!