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THE ENGINEERING OF LEGO SERIOUS PLAY METHOD: A GUIDE TO THE BASIC

PRINCIPLES FOR TECHNOLOGIC ENTREPRENEURSHIP APPLICATIONS

Working Paper · November 2015

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.1.2610.8244

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THE ENGINEERING OF LEGO SERIOUS PLAY METHOD: A GUIDE TO THE BASIC PRINCIPLES FOR
TECHNOLOGIC ENTREPRENEURSHIP APPLICATIONS

Theoretical Essay – Working Paper

Mateus Panizzon and Mario Dubois

The LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® (LSP) is a worldwide methodology used by consultants and
academics to address creative thinking and problem solving-technique for groups (FRICK,
TARDINI e CANTONI, 2013). From coaching to team building, new product development to
strategic planning, and, in recent adaptations, to create business models, this approach
evolved to a large community of facilitators. It has received attention and interest of the
academic and managerial community (HINTHORNE AND SCHNEIDER, 2012). However, what is
the real essence of this method and how can be applied to technological entrepreneurship?

It´s appropriate to argue the LSP, in a core level, it is more than the use of the bricks.
Therefore, our analysis will clarify what is the key factor to a successful LSP workshop, what is
the structure behind the core process, and why you should consider adopting these principles
in your engineering or entrepreneurship projects, in its original method or hybrid approach,
combined with other techniques, from creativity to business model generation.

Basic Principle I: It´s all about changing the way people communicate

Let´s start from the beginning: in process like New Product Development, Strategy Building,
Team Building, you have a group of people communicating, and this communication usually
occurs in the traditional meeting model. Therefore, four main components are in evidence,
this is where the LSP method truly reflects:

Dimension Traditional Meeting LSP Meeting How it´s done

Rapport is creating the
One requirement of LSP is
empathy with other to
The LSP guidelines for process the warm up phase, to create
establish a good
and context of the workshop the dynamic of flow
communication. In
requires that a time have to be experience. This phase
traditional meetings,
dedicated to balance everyone in involves 4 challenges, from
organizational factors
the same tune and create simple to more complexes,
Rapport may lead to the
empathy. Also, since the process that will instruct participant
(R) participants disagree
also start with the individual and to understand how to use the
with each other even
then to the groups, that gives bricks, how to express
from the beginning, or
time to the participant to through metaphors and
maybe don´t know each
elaborate the ideas in a understand the 4 step
other and be resistant to
progressive way. process, before the real
share the ideas, due the
workshop begins.
low empathy
An LSP workshop is designed for
The participation can be everyone have the same chance
A core process of
unbalanced. People with to talk. Therefore, from the
1.Questioning an open
more power or speaking introspective to the outgoing, the
question, 2.Build the Model,
skills have more space to present the idea will be
Participation 3.Share the Model to the
probability to express the same. Since the workshop
(P) Group and 4.Reflection, in
their ideas. Therefore, allows all the participants to first
every phase, assure that
many ideas are missed reflect in an individual level and
everyone will have the
due to ignore the more then express to the group, the
chance to express your ideas.
introspective ones. process facilitates even the shy
persons to communicate. Also,
 the Facilitator have one
important external role to the
group to reach consensus. In
theory, the LSP requires that all
the group finish in consensus of
the workshop purpose.
In meeting where isn´t In a LSP, you express your idea
visual expression, and through a 3D model, by
especially in metaphors. This give chances to
Understanding multidisciplinary teams, people understand complex
(U) concepts can represent constructs like “excellence”,
different meanings to “quality”, “thrust” that can
people, leading to express different meanings for
communication issues. each participant in the team.
In meetings, people have In LSP, the total time of a
to wait for their chance meeting can be reduced
to talk, and there is a (compared with a meeting with a
probability to go out of same number of participants),
the subject/topic, since the “building phase” is
especially in different collective and optimize the time.
Message
cultures that are more Also, the Facilitator plays an
(M)
subjective oriented. Also, important role to keep the
if you have to express a discussion on point. And the
elaborate idea, it take model generation using any
more time to elaborate a assemble bricks is faster to
visual resource to elaborate the message to be
express the message. transmitted the group.
LSP uses the bricks to express
metaphors. The 3D model is
not to be accurate or express
reality, but to be an artefact
to facilitate the express the
meaning. Since we perceive
better things in 3D than in
2D, or just described in words
(imagine a prototype), the
purpose of the model is to
change the way we
understand, providing
qualitative insights. So,
instead of imagining, the
group can see what the
participant want to
represent.
In LSP, the meeting is
accelerated for the two
phases: building and share. In
building, you have time to
elaborate the idea, and the
bricks help to fast prototype
your model/metaphor, easier
than drawing. In the sharing
phase, since you already have
organized your thought, will
be faster to explain your
point of view. Also, the
method keeps objectiveness,
at the same time of allowing
creative and imagination.

Therefore, with this these factors, we can understand that the Communication level (C) of a
meeting can be explained by C = R x P x U x M. If the level of rapport (R) is zero, there is no
empathy and the communication result will be compromised. If the level of participation (P) is
zero, there is no idea generation, and the result will be compromised. If the understanding (U)
level is zero, this can lead to conflicts and the result will be compromised. If the message (M)
level is zero, that means people weren´t able to express correctly or in time the message, and
the result will be compromised. About this last factor, an important detail is that the
workshops are faster, because the models developed express metaphors, and not an exact
representation of reality. A person can represent the idea with two bricks, and this will be
enough to for the group to understand his contribution.

The LSP, consequently, is an important tool for engineering and technologic entrepreneurship.
In a problem-solving situation, new product development or in an ideation or business model
development, one of the key aspects that can lead to success or the failure of the meeting is
the structure for the good communication, and this is a major issue in medium and large
companies. A good idea is can have no utility if it isn´t comprehended by the group, and good
ideas are missed every day because the structure of the traditional meeting that don´t allow
that the group have the same rapport and level of participation and communication.
Basic Principle II – Context and Process

Understanding that communication is the core of the LSP method, is important to argue that,
for the ideation purposes, other components are added (FRICK, TARDINI e CANTONI, 2013).
The LSP workshop start with a warm up phase, which can be divided to 4-6 challenges. All this
challenges respect the structure (Open Question, Build the Model, Share, Reflect). After the
warm up phase, a framework of seven techniques, from individual model to “what if”
scenarios to more complex situations, can be developed progressively according the workshop
purpose, which can have a duration of 2 hours or even 2 days or more.

Above this communication layer, LSP adopts a series of four principles to provide a
differentiated environment to creative thinking:

a) State of Flow: the workshop are modeled from simple to complex, to increase the
level of challenge according to the competencies of the participants to create
Flow. This inssure the engagement and motivation, which lead to better idea
generation, since we tend to be less creative if the challenge is too simple, and
became bored with the exercise (KRISTIANSEN, HANSEN & NIELSEN, 2009).
b) Constructivism: the workshop provide to people the opportunity to materialize
something; and this is a major component of learning. That is why the “building” is
a central part of the process and facilitate creative thinking. (JAMES, 2013)
c) Play, Storytelling and Imagination: since the workshop evokes open questions and
uses imagine thinking to create the model, the experience in the four phases in of
the core process lead to a serious play environment, reflecting in the emotional
charge of the workshop and creating social bonds of the participants, that
facilitates the creative thinking (ALLÈGRE, 2013)
d) Metaphors: the use of metaphors provide a common language, leading to meaning
creation and understanding, an important to combination of ideas in creative
thinking (SCHULZ , GEITHNER, 2011).

Basic Principle III – The bricks

The bricks, or any other assemblye material that you may use, is an important part of for the
method, because it will help participants to represent their model faster. Imagine that instead
of bricks, you have to draw. If everyone were exceptional drawers, there will be no problem,
but that is not the case. So, that’s why the bricks are an easy resource for everyone to
represent the metaphor.

Another important component of LSP is called mind and hands connection Allègre (2013). In
essence, LSP is a projective technique, the only difference, is that you project what you are
thinking with assemblye parts, which is faster. A and also easier. For example, imagine when
you have to do a math calculation “in your head” compare to do your calculation writing on a
sheet of paper. Imagine now thinking at a complex problem compare to represent this
problem with Lego bricks where you can see all the variables and how they interact. This is
were Lego bricks make a difference.

Lego bricks used to create a model also limit the risk of conflicts. Conflicts can be created in
meetings when people give feedback (negative or constructive) on other people's idea: in the
verbal process, the feedback could be seen as a personal feedback. In LSP, feedback and
questions are about the model created: not the person.

Therefore, it´s appropriate to argue the LSP, in a core level, it have nothing to do with the
bricks. Despite this method were developed inside Lego Corporation, it’s important to
understand that his success resides in the process, and not necessarily in the bricks, that, in
many cases, seem to be the main attention. An experiment was developed with 120
undergraduate students in creativity/ideation section using Lego bricks, divided in two groups,
teams with the Lego manual inside the box (at the bottom of the box, as it were forgotten) and
teams with no Lego manual inside the box. The results showed that the students, despite the
same time, orientations and academic level, have difference in the models during the exercise.
The students in the teams with the Lego manual inside the box with the bricks copied or
developed models very similar to the instructions of the manual.

Basic Principle IV IIII – Do not use a hammer in to remove a screw

LSP, like any other technique, have is limitations and is designed to some purposes. If you are
addressing a problem which all the participants in the group have the knowledge to reach the
solution, what you need is integration, therefore LSP can be a good tool. That´s why you will
increase communication level (due the four factors) and creative thinking (due the for
principles), and allowing the use of the assemble bricks to make the thinking process more
easier.

That´s why in engineering, where ideation is required to solve complex problems, or in

technology entrepreneurship, where ideation is required to focus and develop business
models (and also LSP can be used has a qualitative research technique with the customers),
this tool can be very significate, especially in multidisciplinary groups. It is important to
understand the principles behind the technique, to perceive the differences to use in the
original form or combined (with creativity tools or processes for example).

Basic Principle IV – It’s like a scientific method

In a scientific method, everything started with a good research problem, in the form of a
question. Making questions is part of our living and learning. Since we all were children,
questioning is the mechanism we use for acquire learning and understanding (NELSON, ELGAN,
HOLT, 2004). Also, according to the scientific method, to develop a thesis or dissertation, you
always start with a good question.

In a scientific method, everything started with a good research problem, in the form of a
question. Making questions is part of our living and learning. Since we all were children,
questioning is the mechanism we use for acquire learning and understanding (NELSON, ELGAN,
HOLT, 2004). Also, according to the scientific method, to develop a thesis or dissertation, you
always start with a good question.

What the future reserve

Now combine all this: The communication, the context and process theoretical foundations,
the bricks, the open questions, and you have LSP. However, LSP where designed to be a
qualitative technique, and requires a facilitator to coordinate. Therefore, it works with small
groups, to 8, maximum 12, and workshops with 1.000 participants simultaneity have been
developed, with equivalent number of facilitators. A major challenge, therefore, is that if LSP
have such important proprieties for increase the communication level and creativity level
output, how can we provide scalability to this method, and most important, how could we
virtualize it?

Further research is necessary in this field, and with the advances of immersive virtual reality
and others technologies, we are going towards to a scenario were we will be able to develop
appropriate LSP workshops with cross-cultural teams or clients in different countries at the
same time, to help solving engineering problems or creating new business. Advances in LSP
method in engineering and design are appearing in recent publications like Schulz et al (2015),
Kurkovsky (2015), David (2015), Gauntlett (2015), Dempsey et al. (2014), Lozares et al. (2013)
and so its recommended to follow up the development and application of this method.
However, the important thing is, at first, it´s all about good communication.

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