Building Insights Brick by Brick: Lego Serious Play

In this podcast, host Dr Anna Volkmer explores the use of Lego Serious Play as a research tool / methodology in dementia and neurodegenerative disease studies. Traditionally used in therapy and organisational development, Lego Serious Play is now finding its way into the research world—helping researchers, participants, and stakeholders express complex ideas, foster collaboration, and build deeper insights (literally and metaphorically). Anna is joined by a panel of expert guests: Dr Warren Donnellan, University of Liverpool – a trained facilitator of Lego Serious Play who applies it to resilience and carer research. Dr Alys Griffiths, University of Sheffield – who has integrated the method into dementia studies and her work in Motor Neuron Disease. Dr Joe Langley, Sheffield Hallam University – known for combining design thinking and participatory research methods, including Lego Serious Play, in health and care settings. Together, they explore the origins, applications, and benefits of this playful method, share case studies, and reflect on how building with Lego can break down communication barriers and empower participants—particularly those with dementia. -- Topics covered: 🔷What is Lego Serious Play and how does it work in research? 🔷Insights into resilience and the carer experience 🔷Using play to unlock communication in dementia research 🔷How design thinking intersects with health research -- Essential links / resources mentioned in the show: 🔷An overview of Lego Serious Play: https://www.lego.com/en-us/seriousplay -- Full biographies on all our guests and a transcript can be found on our website: https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk -- Like what you hear? Please review, like, and share our podcast - and don't forget to subscribe to ensure you never miss an episode. You can also find a video version on our website on YouTube and in Spotify. -- This podcast is brought to you by University College London / UCLH NIHR Biomedical Research Centre in association with Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer's Research UK, Alzheimer's Society and Race Against Dementia who we thank for their ongoing support. -- Follow us on social media: http://www.instagram.com/dementia_researcher/ http://www.facebook.com/Dementia.Researcher/ http://www.twitter.com/demrescommunity http://www.linkedin.com/company/dementia-researcher http://bsky.app/profile/dementiaresearcher.bsky.social Download our new community app: https://onelink.to/dementiaresearcher