‘Designing together’ is an effective way to collect data, effectively bring knowledge to the target audience and create social impact from the start of your research. But how do you approach it? 8D supports researchers in integrating a design approach into their research. From project design to creative product development and process guidance. Just what is needed.
Shaping a co-creation process with diverse stakeholders in such a way that it has both academic and societal impact is challenging and requires pioneering. As a result, participatory methodologies often remain underutilized: they take time and do not always offer predictable outcomes. Nevertheless, we see this approach as the key to solving complex, people-centered issues and embedding research findings sustainably in society.
Data collection through a design process actively engages participants and yields insights that are difficult to achieve through traditional methods, such as a questionnaire.
Collaborate on a form of information transfer that works for the target audience: from card game to VR prototype or video series, and everything in between.
Participatory research ensures that you reach your target groups early on; this increases the likelihood of long-term implementation of the results.
Doing a PhD on the development of a serious game? Or already publish during the design process of your research, for example based on prototype tests? It is possible and even more important: it ensures that research results end up in the middle of society. Over the past ten years, 8D has guided researchers in all phases of their careers in game-based research. Always with a tailored approach and with an eye for both scientific publications and societal impact. On our page ‘Games in scientific research‘ you will find a selection of examples from our portfolio: each and every one of them inspired researchers who took up the adventure with us!
Over time, we began to expand our expertise from game design to social design in a broad sense. Still, our knowledge of the psychology behind game principles comes in handy, but this is no longer a prerequisite for our projects: we simply choose the creative forms and co-design methodologies that best serve the achievement of both scientific and social goals. Always in consultation with our partners.
In the blog “What is social design and why is it relevant to researchers?” we will explore this design philosophy and its added value to the academic field.
Valuable insights from the research and innovation sector are still far from reaching people and society. Or the implementation of new knowledge or tools remains limited to one organization, while the issue is broader and many more people can benefit from it. Even across national borders.
8D wants to change this. We embed design thinking and participatory approaches in the research field. Not only in the Netherlands, but also far beyond. We have been design partners in more than twenty-five European research consortia, including within the Horizon Europe program.
Nienke Beerlage-de Jong is Assistant Professor at the University of Twente and a researcher in the field of infectious diseases and One Health, a field in which human, animal and planetary health are closely linked. She worked with 8D on a serious game about complex decision-making in zoonoses, diseases that can pass from humans to animals.
What academic and social impacts can a design-driven, co-creative approach offer researchers? This article explores this question through a concrete example from our portfolio. Collaborating with researcher and biomedical scientist Lise Beumeler, we created a VR game designed to support recovery after an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission. This development was part of her PhD project, and follow-up research with the prototype recently led to a new publication, making it an opportune moment to reflect on its outcomes.
Transdisciplinary research brings together scientists and societal actors such as designers, artists, and policymakers to tackle complex issues. Examples include ethical dilemmas surrounding technology, climate adaptation, or healthcare innovation. Despite its potential, implementation remains challenging in practice: how do you ensure equal collaboration? How do you bridge differences in working methods and language? We discussed these questions with Julia Hermann, Assistant Professor in Philosophy and Ethics of Technology at the University of Twente.