Why the name?
Because I keep coming up with new ideas to experiment with. With the scope of web design, game design, and brick building; I am not a seasoned professional. I keep learning & improve constantly. I know how to tailor modern tech and compose art into great experiences. I want to make each theme’s experience something special. So I design something new that hasn’t been done before. Else what’s the point? Chef Labs isn’t a company in the traditional sense. Still well thought out and to the point, but more direct & personal.

Chef Labs’ way is to challenge conventional thinking. Not just to do things differently, but to do things better. I don’t run from risk, I run to it.

My history with LEGO
It all started with Creator X-Pod and the 2004 Speedboat. In 2006 I got my first Bionicle, Kazi. Then I accidentally bought Knight Kingdom’s Lord Vladek, and quickly after that Reidak & Gaaki. And got many more afterwards. I did move on to Hero Factory. In 2012 I bought 2 small Technic sets and got acquainted with more advanced functions. After the dark ages from 2014 to 2019 I started collecting Bionicle again and began designing models. In 2018 I started learning human behaviour, business strategy, webdesign, game design, 3D printing, and the ins and outs of designing LEGO models. I do my best but still have a lot to learn.

What makes a great story?
Flawed characters overcoming their shortcomings through the struggle of change. The antagonist can be anything but is the opposite of the protagonist’s viewpoint or skillset. It’s about getting ready to show a force that you overcame change. It forces adoptation by showing the flawed character first, humiliation. When you get to know the character by testing, failing, and learning; he or she slowly gains control of the narrative by rational thinking – evolving the personality. The end isn’t a full 180 but a mix between the good of both past and present, while recognizing the bad of both & leaving that behind. To me the best stories are where strongly developed personalities keep responding to each other like it’s the natural course of action, and one unexpected character or event sweeps in that forces them to think. And thinking is just an expensive word for changing your mind.

What makes a great theme?
It’s an idea or concept worked out to its fullest potential. The exact details are too many to write down but to boil it down it’s all about the user experience, which is made up of all the tiny little details of effort you put into something you love doing. It has to be a million and 1 details perfectly designed to work together, like a watch. It needs to feel just right. But more importantly it has to feel like it has always existed and is supposed to be like this. It has to be fun, enjoyable, wonderful even, and at the end a joy to look at play with.

I don’t see the point in creating a static statue. The whole point is doing something that puts a smile on your face through design & function, being pulled into its personality, and creating a lasting memory with it; in that order. Most toys fail to bridge the gap between the last two because the personality is flat, and then it’s just plastic. It may wow you for a few days but if there’s no play the novelty wears off quickly. I should clarify I don’t mean play as in wooshing around an airplane, though you’re welcome to do so. Play means exploring the theme starting with mechanical movement that makes your brain ask the questions: “Wait, how does that work? How can I make that myself? Who is this anyway and why does he move like that? What does he have for breakfast? Why is there a crystal in his body? I want to create one myself and figure his story out; I need answers.”. Then after learning about the character’s place in the world through media it should bounce back contextualizing aspects like the crystal and play functions. This creates a bond between the user and the toy character.

What is Codrex DNA?
Design where story comes first. Bringing internet back to life with personality, styling, playfulness, and animations while retaining modern accessibility.