A gift for your team at work is a problem with two unknowns. The first: should everyone get something of their own, or should the whole department get one shared keepsake? The second: how do you collect photos, signatures and ideas from a dozen or more people in time for the deadline without spoiling the surprise? Below we sort out both questions — from a little something for each team member, through a gift for the head of department, to a large frame with the whole department. We write as Kloniko: we make figures from photos out of genuine LEGO® elements and frames with figures, but we start with the decisions worth making whatever you choose in the end.
A gift for everyone or one for the whole team?
Everything else depends on this decision: the budget, the logistics and the place where the gift finally ends up.
- A gift for everyone — each person takes something of their own home or puts it on their desk. It works well for Christmas, the end-of-year wrap-up and team-building events. It needs a photo from each person and equal treatment: everyone gets a gift of the same class.
- One shared gift — one thing that stays in the office, at reception or in the meeting room. Good for the end of a big project, a company anniversary or saying goodbye to someone important to the team.
- Both — everyone gets their own figure, and a large frame with everyone also goes to the office. This is a common choice for milestone occasions.
If you are wondering how much to spend, we have described the budget levels and ideas for each of them in our guide gifts for employees by budget.
A little something for each team member
The simplest ‘for everyone’ option is the whole team as figures: each person in miniature, with their hairstyle, glasses, outfit and a work attribute in hand — a laptop, a coffee mug, a microphone or a book. The figures are not identical, and that is exactly why they work: everyone looks for themselves first, then for their colleagues. The stand can carry a name, the department name or a short team slogan. We assemble the figure from genuine LEGO® elements and complete it with our own printing; it is about 4 cm tall and arrives assembled, in gift packaging — ready to hand over.
When there are to be lots of gifts and they should be smaller, an alternative is keyrings with figures — the same figure on a snap hook. For a small team, figures are ordered in the shop like an ordinary gift: there is no minimum order, and business prices apply from 20 pieces.
One frame with the whole department
A shared gift shows the team best when everyone is in one shot. A large frame with the whole team holds up to 50 figures in the 40×50 cm size, and for bigger departments we make a frame in a custom size, up to 1 metre. Each figure is made from a photo of a specific person. The background is the place for whatever brings the team together:
- the company logo — on the frame background, on the stand or on the packaging; we do not put logos on the figures themselves;
- the department name, the year or the date the project was completed;
- the team slogan or an in-joke that only ‘insiders’ will get;
- names and short wishes from everyone;
- company colours in the figures’ clothes.
An idea that might amuse an office team: a background styled as a spreadsheet or a task board, with names in the cells and the slogan in the header. This is just inspiration, not a ready-made template — you agree every background with the designer and see it in the design before production.
We send the figures for the frame separately so they don’t scratch the glass in transit. The stands are already glued to the background, so you simply press each figure on like a brick — it takes a minute, and ‘setting up the department’ together can be part of the presentation.
A gift for the head of department from the team
When the gift is from the team to their boss, people most often choose a frame: the head of department’s figure behind glass, with signatures and short wishes from everyone on the background. The other version is the whole team in one composition — the manager in the middle, the staff around them. It suits a birthday, a work anniversary, a promotion or a farewell on retirement.
- Signatures: a list of names or short wishes is enough — we will put them on the frame background.
- Surprise: the boss’s photo can be taken from a company party or from social media; only the person placing the order sees the design.
- Text on the stand: short and readable from a metre away — ‘Best Boss’, the year or the department name.
You will find more examples on the page a gift for the boss from the team. And if the occasion is the birthday or promotion of one person on the team, take a look at ideas for a gift for a colleague.
Occasions: the end of a project, Christmas, a farewell, an anniversary
- The end of a project. A frame with the project team, the project name and the date — a keepsake that stays in the office after the last task is closed. Or a figure for everyone as a thank-you after the project.
- Christmas. A figure of each employee with ‘Merry Christmas’ and the year on the stand, or the whole department in a frame. December is when we get the most orders, so it is worth collecting photos as early as November — we have described the schedule in our guide Christmas gifts for employees.
- A farewell. A frame with the figure of the person who is leaving and the team’s signatures — a greetings card that can’t get lost. For a retirement: a composition with the whole team and the number of years with the company. More: a farewell gift for an employee.
- A company anniversary. The whole team in a large frame with the logo and the number of years, or a figure for everyone with the number of years on the stand. Ideas: a gift for a company anniversary.
How to collect photos from lots of people
With large orders, what takes the most time is not production but collecting the photos — so it is worth starting in parallel with agreeing the budget. A few rules that make things easier:
- One photo of each person’s face is enough — even from a phone. We look at the hairstyle, hair colour and overall style, not at sharpness.
- Missing photos can usually be replaced with a shot from a company party or from a profile.
- One person coordinates. Have photos and signatures sent to one person, with the files named after each person — that makes it easier to check who is still missing.
- Add a short description: how many figures, which format and by when, and for each person — their work attribute, if it matters.
- Check the designs. We show every figure in a design, revisions are free and unlimited, and payment is possible once all the figure designs have been approved.
We give the lead time for a larger order together with the confirmation — it depends on the number of figures. We send the finished gifts to the address you specify, e.g. to the office.
Formats compared
| Format | Who it’s for | Where it ends up | Best occasion | Company logo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A figure for everyone | each person on the team | a desk, a shelf at home | Christmas, end-of-year wrap-up, team-building | on the stand or packaging |
| A keyring with a figure | everyone, when there are lots of gifts | keys, a backpack | a smaller gift in large numbers | on the packaging |
| A frame with one figure and signatures | a manager, a colleague who is leaving | a private office, a new workplace | a birthday, a promotion, a farewell | on the frame background |
| A large frame with the whole department | the whole team, up to 50 people in 40×50 cm | the office, reception, a meeting room | the end of a project, a company anniversary | on the frame background |
| A figure for everyone + a frame for the office | the team and the company | desks and the office | milestone anniversaries, a jubilee | on the frame background and on the stands |
Frequently asked questions
How many people fit in one frame?
In a 40×50 cm frame — up to 50 figures. For bigger teams we will make a frame in a custom size, up to 1 metre. The smaller standard frames range from 13×18 to 30×40 cm, in white or black.
Can the company logo go on the figures?
Not on the figures themselves: we do not put logos or trademarks on figure elements. We place the logo on the frame background, on the stand or on the packaging, and the company colours can appear in the figures’ clothes.
What is the minimum quantity for team gifts?
One figure — there is no minimum order. Business prices apply from 20 pieces, and you can work out the price for a specific number of figures yourself in the wholesale creator: in 3 minutes you will see the price and a 3D preview and download a PDF quote.
You will find all the formats and the wholesale creator on the page personalised gifts made of LEGO® elements for companies — from a figure for everyone to a frame with the whole department. The quote is saved as a link, so you can send it straight away to the person who approves the budget.
