For many, LEGO is a source of play and creation, but its potential extends far beyond the playroom. In system innovation, where complex societal issues require new ways of thinking, LEGO can be a powerful tool. By making abstract problems concrete and creating visual models, LEGO can help us understand and change the systems in which we live.
Here we describe a method for using LEGO in system innovation, where construction becomes a journey through landscapes, relationships and scenarios.
Step 1: Build the landscape
The first step is to create a representation of the system and its actors. Each organization or group is represented by LEGO bricks that capture their culture and actions. Here metaphors are important:
- A transparent brick can e.g. represent an organization that is open and transparent.
- A red brick can signal an actor who has a conflicted or dominant role.
- A green brick can stand for innovation or sustainability.
By building the landscape, you create a common picture of which actors are part of the system, their characteristics and how they position themselves. Let different people build different actors and then describe how they thought. Then insert it into a “landscape”.
Step 2: Map the relationships
When the landscape is built, the next step is to show the relationships between the actors. Mapping relationships is a well-known method in systems innovation, but LEGO adds an extra dimension. Relationships can be represented by:
- Lego connections between the bricks to show direct collaborations or dependencies.
- Cords or threads running between blocks to show stronger and weaker connections or information flows.
The visual and tactile representation makes it easier to see which relationships are strong, which are fragmented, and where connections may be missing altogether.
Step 3: Go deeper with information bricks
To explore the system’s deeper layers, such as in the iceberg model, one can introduce so-called information blocks. These can represent important system elements such as:
- A social challenge, for example the need for a safer society.
- A change factor, such as a new policy or technological innovation.
Place the information bricks in the model and move them through the system to show how they affect the landscape. Where does a change start? Which actors are affected first? How do the effects spread through the system?
Using the iceberg model as support can help identify not only the visible structures, but also the underlying rules and values that govern the system.
Step 4: Act out scenarios
Now it’s time to understand the behaviors that cause the structures by playing out different scenarios. By making small changes to the LEGO model, you can see how the system reacts. For example:
- Remove an actor: What happens if an important actor (a brick) disappears from the system? Perhaps a municipality, a supplier or a key person?
- Add an external event: Introduce an information brick that represents an unforeseen event, such as a financial crisis or new legislation. How do the relationships and structures change?
- Increase the information flow: What happens if new blocks of information are added and affect several actors at the same time?
Acting out these scenarios provides insights into how the system works, where there are vulnerabilities and which changes create positive effects.
The importance of metaphors in construction
Metaphors are central to LEGO work. They help translate complex ideas into something concrete and understandable. By using different colors, shapes and symbols, a model is created that both represents reality and opens up new perspectives.
For example, a tall tower-like structure may represent a hierarchical organization, while a more spread-out building may signal a network-based structure. Through metaphors, participants can explore the system in a deeper way than through text or speech alone.
Playfulness unleashes creativity
Another important element is that LEGO is based on play and experimentation. When building with bricks, creative thinking is released, and the barriers between participants are lowered. Playfulness makes you dare to try new ideas, make mistakes and think outside the box.
It is precisely this playfulness that makes LEGO so valuable in systems innovation – it creates an environment where no idea is too big or too small.
Depersonalization creates greater freedom
One of the greatest strengths of LEGO is that it depersonalizes the process. The focus shifts from the individuals and their roles to the model and construction itself. This allows the discussions to become more objective and solution-oriented.
In a LEGO model, it is easier to criticize a structure or a relationship without it feeling like personal criticism. It creates a freedom to discuss and question, which is crucial to arrive at real system changes.
Build the future with LEGO
LEGO as a tool for system innovation combines creativity, visualization and play in a way that few other methods can. By building landscapes, mapping relationships, simulating information flows and testing scenarios, we can gain a deeper understanding of complex systems – and how we can change them for the better.
So the next time you’re faced with a complex societal challenge, pick up the LEGO bricks and start building. It is a step towards making system changes both comprehensible and feasible.
