The Questions & Answers Webinar for the BrickLink Designer Program Series 11 echoed across the YouTube Channel upon 28 March, 2026.
Packed to the gunwales with insider knowledge, it provides builders the firepower they need to take command of Series 11 and navigate a course through the Review phase like seasoned captains.
If embedded videos be refusin’ to cooperate, just give the button below a tap and watch it straight on YouTube…
Alex Kastelic, Grand Admiral of the BrickLink Designer Program
Official Announcement
The official webinar page‘s usual statement…
Learn about the Submission Guidelines for BrickLink® Designer Program (BDP): Series 11 as Alex, BDP Project Manager, covers updates and common questions. Aspiring fan designers ask questions and get clarification to some of the nuances of various guidelines.
Well, this time they tacked “(BPD)” after “BrickLink® Designer Program” but it’s the same wording as past series.
Key Takeaways from the Webinar
Here be some pearls of wisdom imparted by BrickLink Design Program Manager, during the webinar…
- Don’t leave it until the last moment to submit yer model
- Don’t max out for the 4,000 part limit for the sake of it – generally three of the Finalists will be in the 2,500 part range.
- You can only be selected as a Finalist once per calendar year.
- This is the last series in which you’ll be able to easily submit the same model from series to series.
Submit Yer Model Early
In fact, submit it as early as yer possibly can should there be there are issues that require correction!
Series 11 Open Submission: 20 April to 4 May, 2026
Alex states:
Starting around of the webinar:
The biggest thing here is ensure you get your models submitted during this time […] the earlier you submit it the better […] You’ll have more time to work on your models if there are any issues.
So have yer designs ready as soon as Open Submission begins on April 20 and then yer have 9 days before the May 4 deadline to address any problems preventing it from being accepted.
Theme Statistics
6% or 35 of the 594 Series 10 submissions were Pirate-themed, while the ever-enduring Medieval/Castle themed constituted 22% or 135 of the 594 total submissions.
35 Pirate designs were submitted to Series 10
So that’s an increase of 7 Pirate submissions from Series 9, but overall Pirates still represents 6% of the total number of submissions.
Alex states:
Starting around of the webinar:
Medieval and Castle are starting to cool down a little bit […] but that’s a good thing. We’re starting to see a little bit more diversity there.
Meanwhile, Medieval/Castle has increased to 135 submission in Series 10, up from 130 in Series 9. However, in relation to the total number of submissions, Castle has decreased from 30% to 22%. A noticeable decline.
Comparison: 27 Pirate designs were submitted to Series 9
Alex states:
Starting around of the webinar:
Pirate was a little under represented in past series.
Aye, during the early days of the BrickLink Designer Program, Pirate builders were somewhat reluctant to participate due to the perception they’d have little success, much attributed to how the program launched back in 2021.
BDP Invitational finalists: Castle, Space, Town… and Western
During the Brick Designer Program’s “invitational” launch, a design from each of the early Classic LEGO Themes was selected as a finalist. Castle, Space and Town builders were granted a reason to invest in the program, while Pirates were pipped at the post by Western.
Series 1 Finalists: still no Pirates!
Earlier in the decade many LEGO Pirate fans felt submitting designs to BrickLink or LEGO Ideas was futile because seemed The LEGO Group had implicitly decided “2020 is your year and we’re not interested until further notice.”
Four LEGO Ideas submissions reached 10K supporters but were rejected
Also around that time, four Pirate-themed submissions achieved 10K supporter on LEGO Ideas but failed review. This only fueled the demoralisation that was already hampering Pirate‑builder enthusiasm during the earlier BrickLink Designer series.
Part Count
During the Series 10 webinar, Alex was preaching the importance of smaller models, less than 2,000 parts. Well builders have taken advisory this onboard!
~25% of Series 10 models fell within the 2,000 to 2,999 part range
Alex states:
Starting around of the webinar:
There was no 4,000 part sets. There was a few 3,000 part sets […] You can see from the pie chart here, that only 25% of the models submitted in the 2,000 to 3,000 part range, and generally that’s where three of the models [finalists] will be from.
Aye, Pirate-themed designs have succeeded with 4,000 parts, but…
Thieves of Tortuga and Privateer Frigate Fortuna had ~4,000 parts
A note to builders who insist upon exhausting the 4,000 maximum part limit, here’s some sterling advice to increase your prospects of being selected as a Finalist:
Alex states:
Starting around of the webinar:
If you’re in that 3,300-3,400ish plus range, just know that’s “hard mode“, right. Typically, we will only have one, maybe two models […] in that range. Generally those are taking with the Medieval/Castle or Building themes […] know that you’re going to be competing with those categories […] if you’re not designing in one of those categories you might want to consider lowering the part count.
Finalist Eligibility Frequency
Some BrickLink designers have lamented frustration towards Finalists lucky enough to have multiple designs selected for Crowdfunding.
Alex states:
Starting around of the webinar:
We want to make sure the program stays open to all designers in a sense, so you’re not just eliminated if you’re a past finalist […] but we also want to make sure we have room for new designers to participate as well.
Well fair enough, but the same designer was selected four times as a Finalist?
Current policy states designers may only be selected as Finalist once per calendar year, however, this resets at the start of the each year.
Finalist eligibility resets on New Years Day
Therefore, it is possible for the same designer to be selected as a Finalist in the last Series of the current year, and again in the first Series of the following year.
The BrickLink Designer Team may wish to tweak the rules further so designers cannot be selected as a Finalist over two consecutive series, lest the grumbling from those not-so lucky grows ever louder.
If yer using a phone the webinar is best viewed upon YouTube
But Wait… There’s More!
We’re barely breaking the surface – the is brimming with even more tips and tactical treasures to help yer conquer the BrickLink Designer Team’s review. So take some shore leave and WATCH IT!
BrickLink Designer Program Series 11
True to the code we sail under, Classic Pirates has pulled together a sharp, no‑nonsense-ish overview of the latest BrickLink Designer Series.
To the rails, crew – for LEGO Pirates are stormin’ ahead in the program, and if we’re to maintain our mighty push, we’ve got to remain sharp, stay loud, and keep drivin’ the wind hard into our sails.
Coconut Cape Crowdfunding
Righty-o, we’ve still got one more LEGO Pirate design to Pre-Order!
The fourth Pirate-themed BrickLink design be Series 8 finalist, Coconut Cape. Available for Crowdfunding/Pre-Orders commencing upon 9 June 2026 at 8 AM Pacific time.
Could the Imperial Armada return?
Still… with its Spanish influence, we hope the tides may carry the Imperial Armada into a magnificent port of their very own.
What Do Yer Think?
Have yer laid eyes on the Series 11 webinar yet?
Lady Anne Anchor has watched it… twice in fact
What’s the most important takeaways from the webinar yer believe LEGO Pirate builders should know?
Finish Yer Build
Series 11 Open Submission takes place between from April 20th and 4th 2026.
Read the Series 11 guidelines and finalise yer design
So finish yer submission early – here be the official countdown:
