Why LEGO belongs in market research with Garret Westlake

Market research often rewards speed, confidence, and verbal fluency. That leaves insight behind. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Molly is joined by Garret Westlake, Vice Provost for Innovation and Strategic Design at Virginia Commonwealth University, with special guest co-host Katie Bernal, Senior Director of Learning and Enablement at aytm. Garret explains how LEGO SERIOUS PLAY can be used as a legitimate market research methodology, why embodied and visual thinking matter, and how serious play creates space for insight from people who do not thrive in verbal-first research settings. The conversation explores inclusion, storytelling, innovation, and how AI can support creative sense-making without replacing human judgment.