I am a strong believer that imagination is a skill. Anyone can practice it and develop theirs into a well-honed tool. I’m also a strong believer that imagination is a skill that is needed to be a successful scientist, researcher, engineer, or any other STEM professional. Sadly, it is a skill that is often overlooked and not well supported

My workshops are based on the open-source LEGO SERIOUS PLAY method and take a playful approach to building imaginative skills. It works by building metaphorical models based on prompts and often leaves participants surprised at the level of insights it reveals.

Below are some examples of workshops I have developed or am developing:

Play your PhD

Imagination is a vital skill for a scientist. A lack or failure of imagination can lead to disaster, where a well-honed and applied imagination leads to innovation and success. In this workshop, participants will learn the value of imagination and techniques for building it as a skill.

This workshop is aimed at cohorts of PhD candidates and is well-suited for Centres of Doctoral Training (CDT)/Doctoral Training Programmes (DTP) induction and development events. It is my first workshop using methods inspired by the LEGO SERIOUS PLAY method (minimum of 90 minute sessions) and includes plenty of time for interaction and playful approaches.

Understanding Models (without maths)

Numerical models are vital tools for understanding the world around and for making decisions from incomplete data. However, models can never be perfect representations of the world. By their nature they are uncertain and they also contain biases and assumptions from their users.

Using methods inspired by LEGO SERIOUS PLAY, this workshop is creative, interactive, and maths-free. Participants will learn about the purposes, philosophies, and ethics involved in the real-world application of numerical models.