Product Innovation Workshop with Lego Play
- Carsten Ley
- Feb 10
- 3 min read
At our Collaboration Camp 2024 with 16 agile teamwork sessions in South East Asia, I hosted a fun and meaningful Product Innovation Workshop with Lego Play. It is important to have clear set-up, workshop instructions and a solid draft version before using Lego as the ultimate facilitator to develop and present innovative products.
We followed these 8 steps:
Agile Set-up to prepare the product innovation workshop with Lego Play
Our team prepared 5 equal standing tables with draft paper pens and lego sets on the table, where each Collaboration Camp participant could choose their team freely. From a facilitation point of view, we made sure that all 5 teams had a similar size and that late joiners where smoothly incorporated if the teams decided to allow. We deliberately did not ask to vote for any team leader to encourage a team of equal members for each phase of this design thinking project.
Getting to know each other phase before working together
Before we event started to read and clarify the task, team members got 5 - 10 minutes team to introduce themselves, their backgrounds and interests. In open events and even in companies this is a good practice to foster cross-team introduction and collaboration. The teams than could decided themselves when to read the instruction on the table and clarify a common understanding among the team members.
Clear written & verbal instructions with Q&A opportunities
After reading the short and precise instructions around brainstorming and building and incremental innovation prototype the teams had time to ask us as facilitators in case of any questions. We emphasised that in a 90 minutes workshops, it is very unlikely to come up with a complete brand new idea, but advised the team to focus on incremental innovation. This means that we take any existing product and add more useful features or functions from their own customer or user experience.
Brainstorm & design an incremental innovation on draft paper
Naturally the teams were eager to try and build a prototype with Lego immediately, however with the help of 5 more volunteer facilitators from the Collaboration Camp we reminded the teams to first draft individual or group designs on paper. It is important to give each team member or subgroup of team members time to develop their own ideas before reaching any group consent to be able to tap in everybody's creative potential and innovation power.
Vote for the best draft in the groups & present to other teams
To truly follow an agile and collaborative approach, we encouraged the teams to vote openly for the best draft or idea in the group. Once the voting has a clear results, all team members should be open to work together on this innovation.
Get feedback & collaboration proposals from all teams
Before building the prototype, the teams presented their design drafts to everybody and received value feedback and even collaboration proposals from all teams. This is important to tap into the creative power of the entire room before developing and designing the idea in detail.
Built prototype using a limited set of lego with opportunities to upgrade
Finally, we allowed the teams to use the Lego sets to build the prototype focusing on design, functions, features, colors, form etc.. Given the teams limited Lego sets replicated the real company situation of limited resources for any given projects. At half time of this phase we surprised the teams and allowed them to source more Lego blocks from a common box to model adaptive and changing environments.
Present final solution to all teams
We were delighted about the outstanding, creative and collaborative solutions of the 5 teams in our Product Innovation Workshop with Lego Play:
A huge walk-in ATM with aircon / heating, modern scan technology and unlimited cash
A wireless re-charging platform for all devices and vehicles
A multi-terrain solar powered vehicle for kids
A Dragon-bridge which can spit fire & water
A magnetic attachable carrusel central line for motorbikes
A smart case to carry accessories and laptop
For more information how to engage us to run a product innovation workshop with Lego, please contact me on carsten@asiapmo.com or on our contact form
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