LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®

Unlocking potential through creativity

LEGO® Serious Play® is a dynamic, hands-on methodology that leverages LEGO® bricks to unleash creativity, enhance collaboration, and solve complex problems.

By constructing models that represent ideas, participants gain new perspectives and uncover deeper insights. This approach fosters open communication, creative thinking, and meaningful dialogue, making it a powerful tool for teams and organizations to tackle challenges and develop innovative solutions.

Origins of the Methodology

In 1996, two professors from IMD in Switzerland partnered with Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, the owner of the LEGO® Group, to explore innovative approaches to strategic planning. Together, they developed a method that used LEGO® bricks as 3D modeling tools to address complex challenges and promote creative problem-solving.

This collaboration ultimately led to the development of the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® methodology, a powerful tool for fostering innovation and strategic thinking.

Open-Source Model

In 2010, the LEGO® Group transitioned the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® methodology to an open-source community model under a Creative Commons license.

While the LEGO® Group retains ownership of the brand and ensures the quality of its physical materials, this change enabled facilitators to freely use and further develop the methodology without the need for a paid license.

Applications

Management Applications
  • Facilitate strategic planning and vision alignment within teams and organizations.
  • Promote collaboration in leadership and decision-making processes.
  • Promote collaboration in leadership and decision-making processes.
  • Foster innovation and creativity in problem-solving.
Aviation Applications
  • Support safety management system (SMS) discussions, enhancing awareness and engagement.
  • Develop robust risk assessment processes by encouraging diverse perspectives.
  • Explore human factors in operational contexts to enhance decision-making and teamwork.
  • Facilitate Just Culture discussions and integrate it into organizational practices.
  • In training sessions, enhance students’ communication and critical thinking skills, allowing them to express their ideas and thoughts visually, like a 3D printer for their minds.

By combining structured facilitation with creative exploration, the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® methodology enables participants to express ideas and develop solutions in an innovative and tangible way.

Additional Resources

For a detailed description of the methodology and its guiding philosophy, you can read the “Open Source” document made available by the LEGO® Group.