A Designfulness™ workshop exploring the human dynamics beneath collaboration, and how the way we show up shapes how we work together.

The experience

At Design Week Calgary 2026, I facilitated a workshop exploring how our internal state influences the way we connect, communicate, and create with others.

Through embodied practices and LEGO® Serious Play®, participants were invited to slow down, become more aware of how they showed up, and explore collaboration through a different lens. Rather than focusing only on tools or processes, the session created space to experience the human dynamics that shape how we work together.

What surfaced

The workshop explored how easily we move through work on autopilot, and how pausing can create space for more intentional communication. Through playful exploration, participants encountered different interpretations and perspectives, opening up opportunities for curiosity, imagination, and new ways of thinking.

It also highlighted the relationship between our own state of mind and the quality of our interactions with others.
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The shift

One participant described arriving stressed and leaving feeling calmer, more relaxed, and more connected with others. The experience prompted her to reflect on how slowing down, making space for play, and being more present could support clearer decisions and stronger working relationships.

One insight stayed with her:

“Pausing is not a reward after work.”

The workshop brought a central Designfulness principle to life: how we show up within ourselves influences how we show up with others. Presence creates space to notice; play opens new ways to explore and express ideas.

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The takeaway

Better collaboration doesn't always start with better tools or processes. It starts with how we show up.

When we make space to pause, become more present, and explore ideas through play, we create opportunities to communicate more intentionally, understand different perspectives, and build stronger working relationships.

The quality of our collaboration depends not only on what we do together, but on how we show up for one another.