Using a real-life example from our portfolio, in this article we show how co-creation can enhance academic impact and societal relevance. The focus is on our collaboration with researcher and biomedical scientist Lise Beumeler, with whom 8D developed a VR game for recovery after being admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). This development was part of Beumeler’s doctoral program and has recently, through follow-up research with the prototype, led to a new publication. A good time to reflect on the overall impact of a participatory approach.
Recovering from an ICU admission can take months to years. In her doctoral research, Lise Beumeler, along with 8D, explored how gaming and technology can make this process more effective and enjoyable. Through a co-creative design process, virtual reality proved surprisingly well received by both patients and professionals.
To this, we developed a VR prototype, tested at Leeuwarden Medical Center. In a virtual living room, patients solve puzzles with arm and hand movements, as recommended by physical therapists. The prototype contains four levels, tailored to different levels of mobility.
What has been the social impact of the participatory approach and developing a prototype together with the shop floor and patients? During our collaboration with Beumeler and Medisch Centrum Leeuwarden, we saw the following valuable “by-products” of co-creation in research.
Increasing carrying capacity and confidence
At the beginning of the study, we recommended low-threshold, form-free testing. ICU patients and healthcare professionals tried various games and hardware, such as Kinect and VR headsets. This participatory approach not only ensured workable hardware, but also increased trust and support among the target groups. Intensivist Carina Bethlehem notes, “If we had directly introduced a rehabilitation game with the Oculus Go 2 VR glasses, there probably would have been resistance. However, initial testing showed that virtual reality – with some guidance – resonated well with patients, including the elderly. That first step was crucial for support.”
Participatory approach as inspiration for peers
During the process, much interest was shown in our design-oriented approach, which involves target groups early on. Instead of making a perfect product first, we collect creative input from the beginning. Johan (8D), Lise and student assistant Mirthe talked about this approach in the podcast Global Cast from the University of Groningen. Listen back to the podcast below:
Potential dissemination toward general public
Our hands-on approach already produces results during the process that are understandable and appealing to a wide audience, which facilitates communication about the research. The research on VR therapy in the ICU received wide media coverage, partly due to the topicality of the topic during the pandemic. At the suggestion of our communications department, an accessible article about the goals and approach appeared in the alumni magazine of the University of Groningen. This opened new doors, including an interview with Beumeler in Focus, the science program of NPO Radio 1.
Design and prototyping input contributed to the following scientific publications and follow-up studies.
I see you: unraveling pathways of recovery after critical illness
Lise Beumeler’s dissertation, published in 2023, addresses, among other things, the long-term physical and mental symptoms experienced by many patients after ICU admission, their impact on quality of life, healthcare utilization and work participation, and the burden on loved ones. The issue concludes with an exploration of the feasibility and safety of Virtual Reality training during and after ICU admission, which was based on collaboration with 8D.
Follow-up research with prototype
After the PhD program, researcher Mirthe de Vries, under Beumeler’s supervision, began follow-up research on the effects and feasibility of VR therapy with the prototype. The therapy was offered three times a week for 20 minutes in addition to standard care, and the effects on physical parameters such as balance and mobility were measured. In early 2025, the paper published The feasibility of virtual reality therapy for upper extremity mobilization during and after intensive care unit admission, to which 8D designer Johan contributed as co-author.
Because we noticed a great need for tips and advice on combining design, gaming and research, we organized a webinar in 2023 in cooperation with Campus Fryslan. Lise Beumeler and Johan van der Meulen answered questions about project design and testing and implementing healthcare technology. Watch the webinar Healthcare, Research and Serious Gaming online.
We regularly support researchers in strengthening and getting their applications honored. Every third Friday of the month, we host a free online Q&A session where you can ask all your questions. Sign up at johan@8d.nl to receive the time and dial-in link. Do you have specific questions or topics you’d like to discuss, such as how to incorporate co-creation into research? Feel free to add them to your sign-up email.
Design-driven research: what is the added value? Successful implementation of research results requires a perfect balance between user, the form of the intervention and the context in which it will be used. When all these elements are well aligned, research results end up where they really make a difference: in the middle of society.
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.
Social design offers a powerful approach to social issues, with collaboration with stakeholders at its core. The process provides researchers with not only interventions, but also new insights and valuable data. At 8D, we combine ten years of experience with a pragmatic, goal-oriented approach that supports researchers in achieving concrete results through co-creation and iteration. In this blog, we share three inspiring examples from our portfolio.