Ok so here's what i'm thinking. Designing a robot is pretty hard. Designing a transforming robot is harder. Designing a bunch of transforming robots that constitute a coherent group is harder still.

That doesn't stop me from eyeballing every last release and criticizing it six ways to sunday, as if i could do any better. I'm actually a graphic/web designer... so maybe i could, i dunno.

I haven't really been paying much attention to mainline releases until recently... and checking them out, i keep finding myself disappointed in one way or another with the designs. Old timer syndrome or if i have some actual justification, i'm not sure! But i've felt an itch that i could put pencil to paper and come up with something better.

Then i get lazy and write a post asking others to post their creations first so i'll get motivated

It can be whatever you want - 100% brand new character or re-imagined classic character. You don't have to think too hard about how it'd transform (as a toy) unless you want to.

I think the first one i'd like to tackle would be just a straight up new Optimus Prime design. His new RID design just looks mostly derivative to me. But when you think of the confines - he has his recognizable features, yet you want to make it new... it starts to get really restrictive. Just how much can you re-imagine the iconic aspects of his design before it becomes something else? Or is it really no challenge at all just aping some of his famous traits.

I figure if we have a bunch of people trying their darnedest to come up with something cool, next time we're whinging about the latest toys, we can reference this thread and say either "Look... I CAN do better!" or "Shut up fool, you can't do any better!". Maybe we'll get some new appreciation for the work that does go into the toys being released.