A short guide of using Lego Serious Play and CANVAS to build Business Models

1. building business model
using CANVAS and LEGO© SERIOUS PLAYTM
Néstor González Aure - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nestorgonzalezaure

2. basic fundamentals
• The CANVAS methodology (from the book Business Model
Generation written by Alexander Osterwalder e Yves Pigneur)
provides a guide to reflect the issues about a business model,
all integrated in a landscape of 9 key topics (value
proposition, clients segments, customer relationship,
channels, key activities, key resources, key partners, cost
structures and revenue streams).
• LEGO © SERIOUS PLAY TM, give us the opportunity to build
models which represents metaphors about aspects of the real
life in the business model.
• Combining both, we have the opportunity not only to design
and describe a business model, but to literally to BUILD a 3D
version of it.
• The main idea is follow CANVAS Business Model
Generation logic, but building every element instead of
only writing them. Getting all the benefits of the
constructivism/constructionism approach reflected with LSP.
• More advantages: Get a leaning forward design meeting.
Unlock hidden knowledge thanks to the building process.
And why not?... Use some LSP techniques to play with some
scenarios and get a first approach about the mindset to keep
in order to act or react getting the business model to
practice.
Néstor González Aure - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nestorgonzalezaure

3. the approach
• develop a workshop in order to identify the
components of the business model
• the workshop, could be focused in build a
business model from scratch (a new company,
product, service, etc.) or rebuild the existent
business model in order to made some
improvements
• the outcome we are looking for, is a
landscape (based on the CANVAS pattern)
with lego 3D models representing each one
of the key elements of every single block of
the CANVAS
• this will take 5-6 hours, but if we can go for a
full day session, it will be time to play some
emergence, to represent some scenarios and
get guidelines about what to do in case of :)
• 4 to 6 people it is a good party to work with
Néstor González Aure - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nestorgonzalezaure

4. the workshop
1
materials
2
agenda
3
tips
Néstor González Aure - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nestorgonzalezaure

5. the workshop
1
materials
2
agenda
3
tips
Néstor González Aure - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nestorgonzalezaure

6. 1. materials
Néstor González Aure - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nestorgonzalezaure
• LEGO© SERIOUS PLAYTM starter kit (1 x participant)
http://shop.lego.com/en-ES/LEGO-SERIOUS-PLAY-Starter-Kit-2000414
http://www.amazon.com/LEGO-SERIOUS-PLAY-Starter-2000414/dp/B00GVDCVKW/
• LEGO© SERIOUS PLAYTM identity and landscape kit
http://shop.lego.com/en-ES/LEGO-SERIOUS-PLAY-Identity-and-Landscape-Kit-2000430
• One full sized printing (1,5mts x 1mts = 60inches x
40inches) of the Business Model CANVAS landscape.
http://www.businessmodelgeneration.com/downloads/business_model_canvas_poster.pdf
• Sticky notes of different colors
• Some markers
2 separated table
(one for building the models, and the
other to share and build the landscape)
whiteboard
projector
what we are going to use what we need to work
remember
this is a 4 to 6
people workshop

7. the workshop
1
materials
2
agenda
3
tips
Néstor González Aure - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nestorgonzalezaure

8. 5 - 6 hours workshop
8 hours workshop
the workshop can have 4 moments
lets begin by
setting the basis,
review the purpose
of the workshop
and braking the ice
time to build!
make lego models
and set the
landscape about
the business model
check/explore the
business model
and look for
relevant swot
issues
do we have enough
time?.. lets think
about possibles
events and see
what to do!
warmup
canvas
building
swot
analysis
play
emergence
Néstor González Aure - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nestorgonzalezaure
2. agenda

9. • explain the purpose of the workshop a talk a little about the CANVAS landscape (by this time the business
model canvas methodology it’s wide known, but it is a good idea review every block)
• review the principles of the LSP methodology
warmup
canvas
building
swot
analysis
play
emergence
Néstor González Aure - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nestorgonzalezaure
2. agenda
45 min
what we want here is the
participants get familiar
with the lego pieces,
recognize that every body
can build something and
get a metaphor, and in
my opinion, set a positive
state of mind and a good
pre-disposition for the
business model analysis/
building process
• building skills
1. The tower: ask the participants to build a tower as tall as they can, after that ask them to tell a story
2. Building form instructions: Ask the participants to build one of the Starter Kit predefined models
2.1 Modify the model: After build from instructions ask the participants to modify it in order to
make a model that represents a personal thought about the subject of the workshop, you can
use a question like this one ¿What do you like about your company/product/idea?
3. Build a model you can tell a story about: Finally you can ask an open-ended question like:
Think about a product/services feature you like, and build why you like it

10. • review every block of the CANVAS asking first for individual models (in the construction table) and the asking
the participant to place their models in the landscape printed (placed in the sharing table). This is the process:
1. Ask a key question (related to the canvas segment that is being analyzed), and ask the participant to build
as many models he/she can in 8-10 minutes
2. Ask the participants to take their individual models to the sharing table and place their models in the
correspondent canvas segment.
3. Every participant have to share the metaphor of their model. But after the first one, the facilitator will ask the
followings participants to identify similarities in the previous model, and “in real time” ask the participants to
integrate their models. Depending on the group dynamism,
you can ask for build a shared model, or simple made
a “mini landscape” grouping the similar models.
warmup
canvas
building
swot
analysis
play
emergence
Néstor González Aure - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nestorgonzalezaure
2. agenda
3-4 hrs
it is a good idea to have sticky notes
to set the keywords of every model

11. • there are some recommended questions by the BMC author, the facilitator can use them when asking
the participants to build their individual models. Some examples (remember always start the sentence
with: build as many models you can that represents:
1. value propositions: ¿what problems are we helping to solve, what needs are we satisfying?
2. customer segments: ¿who are our main customers?
3. channels: ¿how do we reach our customers? ¿how de we deliver our products/services?
4. customer relationships: ¿what type of relations we are establishing with our customers?
5. key activities: ¿what do we need to do to develop/deliver our value propositions?
6. key resources: ¿what do we need to have to develop/deliver our value propositions?
7. key partners: ¿who are the allies that help us to develop/deliver of our value propositions?
8. cost structure: ¿what are the key activities/resources most expensive?
9. revenue streams: ¿for what are our customers willing to pay?
warmup
canvas
building
swot
analysis
play
emergence
Néstor González Aure - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nestorgonzalezaure
2. agenda
3-4 hrs
as we don’t have
unlimited time, it is a
good idea to pair/group
some segments for each
building/sharing
iteration. This is an idea:
• 1
• 2
• 3+4
• 5+6+7
• 8
• 9

12. Néstor González Aure - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nestorgonzalezaure
2. agenda
this is how a workshop looks like
the process
the outcome

13. • now is time to identify some key success factors.
• the facilitator will ask the participants to build small models (you can use what if left of the starter kits),
about strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats they can identify by looking de Business Model
represented in the canvas landscape (as many as they can in 10-15 minutes)
• form the four external sides of the canvas, the facilitator will choose one for each element (s.w.o.t) and ask
the participants to put their models in the correspondent side.
• this time, the facilitator will ask randomly one participant to another
put ONE model, share their meaning. n the process the
facilitator could ask if some model have the same meaning
and past the next participant/model.
warmup
canvas
building
swot
analysis
play
emergence
Néstor González Aure - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nestorgonzalezaure
2. agenda
1 hr
this is a good exercise, very dynamic
and bring a moment of climax to the
exercise.. it is a good idea doing this
standing up, and the facilitator could
use the whiteboard to write de
keywords of models in a swot matrix

14. • now that we have the Business Model landscape, and the swot analysis in place... lets play some
emergence game!!!
• facilitator will ask the participants to write some “possibles events”.. related of course to any of the
elements reflected in the landscape. Some examples: “our key supplier rise their prices”, “there is a new
competitor with a similar value proposition”, “there is a new channel”, “our customers are asking for an
alternative way to pay for our service”
• the idea, is review the “hot topics” of our business
model and stress them out a little bit to look for
some statements about what to do, and if that is the
right choice or if it’s what we can/must/want to do....
warmup
canvas
building
swot
analysis
play
emergence
Néstor González Aure - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nestorgonzalezaure
2. agenda
2 hr
in order to generate “recall effect” about the state of
mind needed to face possibles events it is a good idea to
finish this exercise asking the participants to build one
small model that represent his “motto” and establish the
Simple Principal Guides... small phrases based
on the metaphor of every model

15. the workshop
1
materials
2
agenda
3
tips
Néstor González Aure - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nestorgonzalezaure

16. Néstor González Aure - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nestorgonzalezaure
3. tips
• make short pauses after every exercise, it helps to keep people focused, in flow, and with good
energy.
• if you don’t have 2 separate table, try to use a large one a use one half for building purpose and
the other half to make the landscape
• if you don’t have starter kits, you can use a window exploration bags for the warmup activities,
and do the rest of the workshop with the identity and landscape kit
• when you work with the value proposition and customer segments,
ask the participants to use LEGO DUPLO pieces, that helps to
represent great metaphors and is more visual
• have a good time.. and keep in mind the principles of LSP
(all about the model, everybody have to build and share,
trust the hands, and so on...)

17. Hi there!,
Thanks for take your time for read this presentation.
I’m Néstor, and I’m managing partner of ICA2 (http://www.ica2.com) a spinoff of the Universidad Autónoma
de Madrid and the Universidad Politécnica deValencia (Spain).
I work as knowledge & innovation management consultant.And I became a LSP certified training in order to
enhance our designing workshops (applied to: km models, innovation models, design thinking sessions,
business models of products/services/ideas insights gained from R+D processes, entrepreneurship and
intrapreneurship initiatives)
I’ve witnesses how the hand-brain connection driven by LSP boost the reflection/ideation/discussions
dynamics, so I’ve strongly recommend its use.
I prepared this material as an example of using LSP in the CANVAS business model generation logic (only for
academic and knowledge sharing reasons), so I hoped you enjoy it!.
For more info you can reach me following this link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nestorgonzalezaure or
writing me to nestor.gonzalez@ica2.com
Best regards... and let’s build!