Why do they put special pieces where you can't see them?

happyskunky

I actually have two questions about set 70818 Double decker couch.

#1 in the build of the small car they have a 1 x 2 transparent red piece behind the front bumper. Why do they do this? you can only barely see it from the bottom. Do they do this often with sets? 

#2 why do they use 1 x 2 pieces instead of just a 1 x 4?? to up the set piece count?  

akunthita

Usually other colors are used in the internal construction to help differentiate the parts in the instruction. In other words it makes the set easier to build. In small sets like the Double Decker couch, it may be just that they had surplus of a particular piece, or because they know LEGO fans like those pieces. Transparent pieces are just cool. That's what I thought when I built Emmet's car.

As far as making choices on which pieces to use, if the set has mostly a particular piece or color, they try to stick with that instead of adding a bunch of different shapes and colors that are difficult to differentiate or hard to find in a pile of bricks. Again, the bottom line usually comes down to make the instructions easier to follow and to add pieces they know are popular or desirable. Note how on the LEGO designer videos the designers almost always point out any special, unique, or new pieces they added in a set because they know LEGO fans would either really like them and they have been asking for them.

For example, I remember how much LEGO fans loved cheese-slopes when they first came out. Everybody wanted them because they are great for detailing. So LEGO started to add them to practically every set and come out with different color variations. LEGO fans loved them! Now that most of us have plenty, some fans started to complain that LEGO might be using them just to up the piece-count, completely forgetting that they are the ones who asked for them in the first place. I never got the sense that there is a conspiracy going on and LEGO is using a particular small piece just to up the piece-count. They are using pieces they know we like.

happyskunky

Oh thanks! very informative, I appreciate that. I am new again to Lego about a week now (loved them when I was a kid ) so I am learning all kinds of great things.