LEGO BrickLink Designer Program 2028 Series 1 fan vote is live
Voting has been open since September 30 for the first round of the BrickLink Designer Program for 2028. Brick Fanatics reported that day that there are 421 designs in the voting round and that it closes on October 14 at 12 PM Pacific Time, which for us means the evening of the 14th.
Five finalists will be announced on November 12. Those are the figures and dates as reported by Brick Fanatics regarding the BrickLink program, and that is precisely why this is more than just a news snippet: there is something to be decided over the next two weeks that you are participating in!
How voting works
According to the same article, as a member, you vote with emojis, or on your phone by swiping designs left or right (Go catch those Tinder Brick dates!). The results are not made public. Your vote is taken into account for the final selection, alongside the program's own internal criteria.
That last part is important to know before you adjust your expectations. This is not an election where the five with the most votes are automatically made. Your vote counts, but you are not the only one deciding.
Regarding the content of the voting round, it is notable what Brick Fanatics points out: there are multiple Castle designs, and a solid portion of Pirates. Two themes that rarely go unnoticed by this target audience.
What happens next, and when
This is the part that is often misunderstood, so we are stating it explicitly.
- October 14, 2026: voting closes.
- November 12, 2026: five finalists announced.
- October 2027: crowdfunding is scheduled.
That last line is not a pre-order or a sales moment. It is the point at which the program raises funds to actually have a design manufactured, and that is a year after the voting round. Between now and then, there is nothing from this round to buy, from anyone.
We also cannot predict which design will make it, and there can be no promise that you will be able to get the actual set from this round. We simply don't know that yet today.
One thing to keep in mind
Brick Fanatics says that the program has been updated significantly recently, including a name change for upcoming series starting next year. What that name will be is not in the article, and we are not going to make one up.
What it practically means: if you search for sets from this program in a year or two, the name you know now might not be the one you need to type into a search bar. Set numbers and design names will remain the same.
The gap between voting and owning
Voting is free and takes two minutes. Only, it doesn't get you a set. Not this month and not this year.
And that is precisely the point where most collectors end up: the rounds that have already gone through this process are finished. Crowdfunding is over, the print run has been produced, and those who weren't there at the time won't be able to get them through regular channels. That’s not bad luck; that is how the program is structured.
Where we fit into this story
Sets from the BrickLink Designer Program are one of the things Brickworld is known for. Precisely because those rounds end and the print run is finite, that part of our assortment is not something you can just pick up at the source.
So: vote this week, that's the fun part. In the meantime, want to see which designs from previous rounds are still for sale? Take a look at our BrickLink Designer Program collection.
Two things we always mention, because they get confused. Our Brickworld Exclusives, such as The Flying Dutchman, are our own MOC builds. These are not official LEGO or BrickLink sets and we will never describe them as such. Our Pre-Loved sets are second-hand official LEGO sets, with the condition stated for each. What comes from the BrickLink Designer Program is something else entirely, and we clarify that for every item.
Do you have a question about a specific design or a specific round? Leave a comment. Fan to fan, we are happy to have that conversation.
