LEGO® Serious Play®, the team and its social activity system. The approach of Google X® and IDEO®

Build, Feel and Learn.

Google and IDEO exemplify the application of constructionist principles in their innovation laboratories by promoting practical and iterative learning and valuing personal relevance in their projects, supporting the growth mindset of people and teams.

These approaches not only encourage creativity and innovation, but also align with the core principles of constructionism, leading to successful and innovative products and solutions.

During the last 7 years, at the University of Barcelona and in various business schools, we have been working with methodologies and best practices from these reference organizations applying INSPIREO®: LEGO® Serious Play® for Learning Agility, such as Moonshot Thinking - Google X Factory® - and Design Thinking by IDEO®.

Next, the goodness of LEGO® Serious Play® (LSP)  -in its application to these workshops is evidenced and justified.

"Interaction between a community of learning" Cole 1995

1-. Google X® (now X, the moonshot factory):

Google X is an innovation lab focused on developing breakthrough technologies that can solve big problems using Moonshot Thinking.  Projects include self-driving cars, Project Loon (internet balloons), and Google Glass

LSP & Constructionist Principle: The lab operates on a model of rapid prototyping, where ideas are quickly turned into prototypes that are tested, iterated, and refined. This hands-on approach to building and testing aligns with constructionism’s emphasis on learning by making and doing.

In our workshops with LSP, the iterative creation of opportunity spaces - systems - is practiced through a holistic observation of the situation. 

2-. IDEO's Design Thinking Workshops:

IDEO conducts workshops where participants learn the principles of design thinking by working on real-world challenges. These workshops involve brainstorming, prototyping, and testing solutions in a collaborative environment.

LSP & Constructionist Principle:

LSP & Constructionist Principle: These workshops emphasize active participation and learning through making. Participants build physical or digital prototypes, reflecting constructionism's focus on learning through the creation of artifacts.

LSP and Design Thinking are integral to our workshops. We continue with the DT engine/work process, but what's truly remarkable is the importance of the "experience" of the creation of the system. The evolution and change in interaction between the members of the innovation team are not just encouraged, but reinforced, making each participant feel valued and integrated into the process.

Requires participants to think creatively and critically as they build models to represent abstract ideas, fostering innovative problem-solving abilities.