The LEGO Group | Bringing Iconic Worlds to Play
A trusted creative partnership across LEGO's biggest licensed IPs
Role: Creative Director, Caravan Design
Client: The LEGO Group, working directly with IP marketing managers
IPs: Marvel, DC, Star Wars, LEGO Friends, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Lord of the Rings / The Hobbit, Minifigures
Team: Developers, 3D artists and project managers. Avg. team size 6
Timeframe: Consistent projects from 2013 -2025
Scope: Concept · Pitch presentations · Game art · Animation · Interface design · Development
The partnership
Every major LEGO product launch needed more than a product page. Each licensed range, from the Turtles' sewers to Helm's Deep, needed a way for fans to step into its world, meet the minifigures and play with the sets before they bought them.
The LEGO Group's marketing managers needed a creative partner who could turn a product range and a famous story into a playable online experience. It had to be on-brand for LEGO, true to the licensed IP, and delivered to tight launch dates.
As Creative Director at Caravan Design, I led that work across multiple IPs and campaigns, delivering promotional games and interactive experiences that brought each launch to life
My role: from concept to launch
I was involved in every project from the first idea to launch day.
Concept and pitch. I led the initial concepting on every brief, shaping the game idea, story and player experience around the products LEGO needed to showcase. I then created the presentations that took each concept from idea to approval. This included concept art, storyboards, key game art, UX and GUI design and in game mockups
Creative direction. Once a concept was signed off, I directed a team of developers, 3D artists and project managers through game art, animation, interface design and development, keeping every detail true to both LEGO and the IP.
A quote from a LEGO Group Partner:
"Creative…check. Efficient…check. Super collaborative…check. Dan and his team not only “got” what we were trying to do right away, but went above and beyond in delivering the best possible experience for us."
Gabe Huffstutler, Creative Specialist, The LEGO Group
A trusted partner
I worked directly with the LEGO Group's marketing managers for each IP. They were responsible for sign-off from LEGO stakeholders and from licensors such as [e.g. Warner Bros., Nickelodeon], so the work had to be easy for them to champion.
I built presentations that each marketing manager could take into their own approval meetings. They set out the concept, how it showcased the product range and how it respected the IP, giving them everything they needed to win sign-off without us in the room.
That approach built strong relationships across the LEGO marketing team. The quality and efficiency of our work meant marketing managers regularly referred us to colleagues running other IPs, growing the partnership from one to multiple licensed ranges through word of mouth rather than pitching.
TMNT | Interactive Comic
The brief: Bring the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles range to life online and keep fans playing for longer.
The idea: A "choose your own adventure" comic that turned static artwork into an animated, branching story, with the reader deciding what the Turtles do next.
My role: Concept and pitch, then directing the team through comic art, animation and the interactive build.
TMNT | Ninja Training and Save April Minigames
The brief: Showcase the key sets and minifigures in the TMNT range through play.
The idea: Two connected games with a shared narrative. Players train as ninjas, then put those skills to work rescuing April, meeting the product line along the way.
My role: Concept and pitch, then directing gameplay design, character introductions and development.
The Lord of the Rings | Siege of Helm's Deep & Battle at the Black Gate Minigames
The brief: Capture the scale and drama of Helm's Deep while staying unmistakably LEGO.
The idea: A game that paired LEGO's playful style with cinematic storytelling, built around key moments from the film such as Gandalf's arrival.
My role: Concept and pitch, then creative direction of developers and 3D artists to recreate the battle in LEGO form.
Result:
The Hobbit | An Unexpected Gathering and Halls of the Goblin King
The brief: Launch The Hobbit range with games that felt as rich as the films.
The idea: [One line on what made these different from Helm's Deep, e.g. a gathering game to collect the Company, then an escape through the Goblin King's halls]
My role: Concept and pitch, then art direction across 3D, game art and interface.
Result:
Minifigures | Mr. Gold
The brief: Raise awareness of the limited-edition Mr. Gold campaign and the latest Minifigures series.
The idea: A collecting game that recreated the thrill of hunting for Mr. Gold, encouraging fans to discover every figure in the series.
My role: Concept and pitch, then art direction of a digital experience timed to support the product launch.
Result:
