‘Thinking with your hands’ - reconstructing social situations using Lego

The scientification of work means that the working world is developing its own methods to observe or change it. In particular, the hunt for innovation has led to the development of a number of "methods" over the last two decades, including user-centred approaches and, above all, "Design Thinking". These techniques are generally systematisations of work processes that often aim to rationalise intangibles such as creative ideas by applying a process. While this makes them suitable as research objects, it does not make them scientific methods.

Lego Serious Play (LSP) is possibly an exception. The sociologically interesting and methodologically challenging aspect of LSP is that participants build the answer to a question or topic using Lego bricks. They then interpret what is on the table. Methodologically, a process of multiple interpretations takes place: First, the task is interpreted by the participants; then it is built; and finally, the models are explained in narrative form. LSP pays particular attention to the metaphorical content of the models.

In other words, the focus is not on representing a problem, but on providing plausible interpretations and facilitating understanding within working groups. However, LSP is also very well suited to sociological reconstruction of social situations of varying scope. This ranges from the subject/object relationship of identity-theoretical questions to communicative patterns in interaction situations and organisational structures. This lecture will critically reflect on LSP, asking to what extent it can be a productive addition to the qualitative methodological toolkit. It relates also to the mapping strategies of situation analysis as an established method. Insights from two different projects shall illustrate the methodological considerations.