For as long as Miller Keys can remember, LEGO has been more than just a toy.
"Creating stories and building worlds is what I get the most joy out of," says Miller.
As a child he dreamed of being a LEGO designer.
Now, that dream is set to become reality as he relocates to Denmark - the home of LEGO - to design sets for the world's most iconic toy brand.
The rigorous selection process took more than six months, including a visit to LEGO's headquarters where Miller's skills were put to the test alongside other aspiring LEGO designers.
"It was nerve-wracking when I was over there. There were multiple interviews and different stages where we had to show our skills," he says.
Miller stood out for his impressive portfolio of intricate LEGO creations and projects from his Bachelor of Industrial Design (Honours) at Swinburne and wealth of experience including being a contestant on the first season of LEGO Masters Australia.
From LEGO fan to LEGO Master
Miller's journey into the world of professional LEGO design began unexpectedly.
"I was scrolling on Instagram one day and an ad came up asking if anyone wanted to build LEGO on TV."
"I thought it was a scam and kept scrolling…but realised I'd probably regret not finding out more if it wasn't."
That ad led him to audition for the first season of LEGO Masters Australia.
Miller was a contestant on the first season of LEGO Masters Australia
"It was just like a rocket after that," he says, of all the opportunities that followed.
He worked with Australian LEGO Certified Professional "Brickman" Ryan McNaught and was also part of a company creating lighting kits for LEGO sets, Light My Bricks.
Perhaps the most pivotal moment in his career came when he landed a role as a Master Model Builder at LEGOLAND Discovery Centre in Melbourne.
"I was creating displays, building LEGO models, interacting with customers…and doing PR, marketing and social media. I also got to run my own workshop and had a window display."
Miller has built hundreds of LEGO models in his lifetime, with some standout projects, including a commissioned replica of Chadstone Shopping Centre - a project that took around 150 hours and 8000 pieces.
Miller was commissioned to build a replica of Chadstone Shopping Centre which took around 150 hours and 8,000 pieces.
Rediscovering a passion
Miller initially enrolled in engineering at Swinburne, believing he'd grown out of his LEGO dream once he hit his teenage years.
"It didn't seem cool anymore, so I decided I wanted to work in space travel instead."
He soon realised it wasn't the career path for him.
"I would always choose to do something else when I got home rather than study," he says.
"Eventually I had the realisation that it's not just what you're doing at uni every day, it's what you're choosing to do instead…and I was choosing to build LEGO."
He eventually pivoted, enrolling in a Certificate IV in Design at Swinburne as a pathway into a Bachelor of Industrial Design which he began just after filming wrapped on LEGO Masters Australia.
"The show aired in the first semester of my degree and that was fun. When it came out, I kept it quiet…but eventually people started going 'hey I saw you on TV!'"
Building a design mindset
Miller says Swinburne has helped shape more than just his technical skills.
"I learnt how to think like a designer, how to act like a designer…and the thought and design process that goes behind creating something."
One of the biggest lessons has come in how he handles feedback.
"At the start of my degree if a teacher said something was bad it would have hurt my feelings, but now if a designer tells me something is no good, I'd say 'great, let's try again.'"
He also fondly remembers Swinburne's ProtoLAB , a creative hub that he spent hours in creating designs and prototypes.
"All of the workshop technicians there are just so helpful, and tutors often just come in to hang out and see what students are doing…it was just a really creativity enhancing environment," says Miller.
Do what you love
Now, with a permanent role at LEGO, Miller is building a life doing what he loves.
His advice to current students is to pay attention to what you gravitate toward in your spare time.
"Look at what you're immediately drawn towards and chase that. Don't box yourself into something you're not passionate about."
