Workshop

LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®

LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® is a facilitated methodology for thinking, communication and problem-solving. Participants use LEGO bricks to build models of their ideas and perspectives, turning abstract thinking into something that can be seen, shared and explored together.

Playful in process. Serious in purpose.

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Build

Ideas become visible models.

Meaning is explained by the builder.

Reflect

Patterns and insight emerge together.

What is it?

Build what you are thinking.

It is a structured process built around challenges, building, storytelling and reflection. Instead of relying only on words, participants build what they are thinking and explain what their model means to them.

There is no "best" model. A wall might be a barrier. A bridge might represent trust. Distance might show a disconnect. The meaning comes from the person who built it.

Build your ideas. Make thinking visible. Share what it means.

How does it work?

Every process begins with a carefully designed question.

Every LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® process begins with a carefully designed question or challenge, shaped around the purpose of the workshop or meeting.

Participants build their response using LEGO® bricks, giving visible form to their ideas, experiences and perspectives. They then share the meaning and story of their model, while others listen and explore different perspectives.

Questions and reflection help participants examine what has emerged, notice patterns and connections, and develop deeper understanding.

From individual thinking to systems thinking

Depending on the purpose of the session, the process can move from individual perspectives to shared understanding and, for more complex challenges, to exploring the wider system.

Individual Model

Build your perspective.

Each participant builds and shares their own response to the question. This brings different ideas, experiences and perspectives onto the table before the group moves towards a shared view.

Shared Model

Build what you see together.

Participants bring their perspectives together and decide what matters collectively. Through conversation and negotiation, they build a shared model that represents an understanding created by the group.

System Model

See the bigger picture.

The exploration expands into the wider system. Participants build the elements that influence the system and make relationships and dependencies between them visible. They can then explore how different parts of the system interact and what happens when something changes.

INDIVIDUAL → SHARED → SYSTEM

Build your perspective. Build shared understanding. Explore the system.

Why it works

Four reasons LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® methodology unlocks deeper thinking.

100% Participation

Everyone builds. Everyone shares. The method creates a level playing field where every voice, quiet or loud, contributes equally to shared understanding.

Hand-Brain Connection

Research shows that using our hands activates more of our brain. Building with LEGO unlocks ideas that remain inaccessible through talking or writing alone.

Metaphorical Thinking

The model becomes a metaphor: a shared language for complex ideas. Participants can point to, adjust, and build upon each other's meaning in ways words cannot capture.

Shared Understanding

The collective model built together represents a shared reality that the group has co-created. This alignment is remarkably durable because everyone made it together.

Build your ideas.

Create shared understanding.

See the system.

What can it help with?

Shaped around different questions, audiences and outcomes.

LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® methodology can be used across classrooms, universities, teams and organisations to explore a wide range of challenges and learning objectives.

Strategy & Vision

Explore where you are, where you want to go and the priorities, possibilities and challenges that could shape the way forward.

Leadership & Teamwork

Explore roles, relationships and different perspectives on how people lead, collaborate and work together.

Systems Thinking & Complex Challenges

Explore the bigger picture by making different elements, relationships and dependencies within a system visible.

Learning & Reflection

Explore concepts, experiences and questions through building, storytelling and reflection - giving learners another way to express and examine their understanding.

Student Voice, Futures & Career Exploration

Create space for students to express their perspectives, explore aspirations and possibilities, and think about the influences and choices that may shape what comes next.

University Teaching & Research

Explore complex concepts, research questions and interdisciplinary challenges through models, dialogue and reflection.

Your challenge. Designed into the experience.

At Systemic Change Labs, each session is designed around your audience, context and what you want to explore.

Bring us the challenge. We'll design the experience around it.

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Audience

Context

What you want to explore

LEGO, SERIOUS PLAY, the Minifigure and the Brick and Knob configurations are trademarks of the LEGO Group, which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this website.