[OC] The Evolution of LEGO Colors (1949–2026): A comprehensive historical timeline mapping when every official hue was introduced, retired, and its usage over time.

As a lifelong LEGO enthusiast, I wanted to build a interactive data visualization that tracks the complete history of LEGO's color palette. Over the decades, LEGO has expanded far beyond its basic white, red, blue, green, and yellow bricks, introducing highly specific gradients, metallic finishes, and transparent hues.

I put together a few views from the cataloging tool I built to show how this palette has evolved over time:

• First Image: The complete macro view. This charts every single color from 1949 up to the present day, arranged by their introductory year, showcasing the massive explosion of unique hues that started in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
• Second Image: A filtered view focusing strictly on Earth-tones and neutrals (Black, Gray, and Brown color families). This highlights how older, foundational colors like Light Gray were eventually sunsetted and replaced by modernized variants like Light Bluish Gray in the mid-2000s.
• Third: A deep-dive interactive panel showing the literal "Usage Over Time" for a selected color family (in this case, Red). Clicking a hue populates an upper bar chart detailing exactly how many individual pieces or sets utilized that exact color spectrum year-by-year, charting its peak eras.

Would love to hear your thoughts on the UI/UX or any trends you notice in the historical data! I am looking for creative ways to pressent how the lego pallet has changed over time.

You can play with the visual here: https://setshelf.com/catalog/color-timeline