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[[File:Jan Ryaa.jpg|thumb|Jan Ryaa in 2021 showing off element 3703, which he designed]]
'''Jan Ryaa''' is a Danish retired toy designer who worked as a design master at the LEGO Group between 1974–2021. He was greatly involved in the birth of [[LEGO Technic]] and is credited as the creator of the classic Technic beams with holes.

== Biography ==
Jan Ryaa began working at LEGO in 1974, initially building 3D models. He soon moved to product development, where he was assigned to be a developer on a new project, LEGO Technical Sets (later renamed to LEGO Technic). Wanting to achieve more movement in the Technical Sets models, Ryaa began drilling holes into LEGO elements to insert axle rods into, leading to the development of LEGO Technic bricks with holes.<ref name="Lego Careers"/>

Ryaa was also apparently involved in the development of the LEGO family figures somehow?<ref>Byskov-Eriksen, Bo (December 2014). [https://thebrickblogger.com/2015/01/ancestor-of-all-lego-minifigures "Ancestor of all Minifigures"]. ''LEGO Life'' The LEGO Group. No. 4. [https://web.archive.org/web/20230925170949/https://thebrickblogger.com/2015/01/ancestor-of-all-lego-minifigures Archived] from the original on 25 September 2023.</ref>

Ryaa became close friends with [[Sten Schmidt]], who became a LEGO Technic developer in 1984.<ref name="Korsholm">Korsholm, Jacob Bang Korsholm (17 January 2019). [https://hsfo.dk/navne/40-aars-jubilar-startede-paa-et-hemmeligt-projekt "40-års jubilar startede på et hemmeligt projekt"]. ''[[Wikipedia:da:Horsens Folkeblad|Horsens Folkeblad]]'' (in Danish). [[Wikipedia:da:JFM|JFM]]. [https://web.archive.org/web/20230929045937/https://hsfo.dk/navne/40-aars-jubilar-startede-paa-et-hemmeligt-projekt Archived] from the original on 29 September 2023.</ref> Schmidt developed the Technic beam element, basing it on the Technic brick system Ryaa had developed. Ryaa later jokingly stated that Schmidt "ruined" the Technic brick. In 2002 Ryaa was assigned to the Design Lab, with the job of creating new LEGO elements and ensuring that they matched the style of other elements. Ryaa retired from LEGO in April 2021, alongside Schmidt; the two left together on their last day. An article released on the [[LEGO website]] stated that Ryaa and Schmidt together had a collective ninety years of experience at LEGO.<ref name="Lego Careers"/>

== Products designed ==
=== Parts ===
* [[Part 3703|3703]] Technic, Brick 1×16 with Holes<ref name="Lego Careers"/>
=== Sets ===
* Car Chassis (set 853, released 1977)<ref name="BTB"/>

== References ==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="BTB">Hanlon, Joshua (15 March 2019). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSdPUo1mLPs " This Man Has Designed LEGO Sets for 45 Years"]. ''Beyond the Brick''. YouTube.</ref>
<ref name="Lego Careers">Staff (22 April 2021). [https://www.lego.com/sv-se/careers/stories/two-lego-icons-say-goodbye-after-90-years "Two LEGO icons say goodbye after 90 years of combined experience"]. Career Stories. ''Lego.com''. [https://web.archive.org/web/20230925142142/https://www.lego.com/sv-se/careers/stories/two-lego-icons-say-goodbye-after-90-years Archived] from the original on 25 September 2023.</ref>
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ryaa, Jan}}
[[Category:LEGO designers]]