Imagine this: as a researcher, you’ve mapped out exactly what information teenagers lack about sexual health and safe sex. In your paper, you provide recommendations on how professionals and teachers can best discuss these topics with young people. Naturally, you hope these insights will reach them. But in reality, it’s mostly your academic peers who respond enthusiastically to your publication, while the people who need your knowledge most – or could actually put it into practice – remain largely untouched. How might this situation have developed differently?
Perhaps an offline intervention that translates these theoretical insights into an interactive, engaging format for young people or professionals would have amplified the impact of your research. At 8D, we see every day how seemingly ‘simple’ offline interventions – from board games to card games and picture books – can bridge the gap between theory and practice. They make abstract knowledge tangible, stimulate interaction, and remain literally visible and touchable, making it easier to continue engaging with new material or practices.
We design offline interventions in many forms, tailored to the purpose and target audience. Think educational board games, card games, picture books, role-playing games, team-building activities, and community-building tools. These interventions often pursue serious goals, such as:
By using physical tools, we create interventions that are approachable and relatable while effectively conveying academically grounded content.
A crucial part of our work is the art of omission. Physical products, such as card or board games, offer limited space for text and explanation. Meanwhile, we often work with researchers who want to communicate extensive theoretical frameworks. We support them by defining the core problem and applying design principles to sharpen: what information is truly necessary to achieve the goal, and how can we translate it into an interactive and memorable format? This translation – from dense theory to meaningful action – lies at the heart of our expertise.
AI+ Hospital is an educational board game that helps healthcare professionals think critically about the use of AI in care. Players work with realistic patient scenarios and reflect on AI from different perspectives: quality, ethics, finances, and empathy. Developed with DASH, the game complements the online course AIProHealth, aiming to turn AI knowledge into practical application and stimulate open discussions about AI’s opportunities and dilemmas in healthcare.
Care Trivia is a competitive card game that brings research results on social support procurement to life. Developed with Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen, the game translates complex policy information into interactive quiz questions and scenarios. It encourages contract managers and procurement officers to refresh knowledge and discuss dilemmas, fostering debate, deeper understanding, and improved interpretation of laws and regulations.
The MytheMakers Foundation aims to enhance social skills and foster social cohesion through role-playing games, while also making cultural heritage more accessible to young people. In collaboration with MytheMakers, 8D is developing a framework for new role-playing experiences. Co-creation is central to this process: young people contribute by brainstorming and testing concepts, designing characters, and helping to define the framework’s boundaries. Like the role-playing games themselves, this project promotes ownership, self-expression, and community building – both within youth care and beyond.
Om Tafel is a board game that helps young agricultural successors discuss the often-sensitive topic of family business succession. Developed with NHL Stenden and Animal Husbandry students, players assume roles within a fictional family, making complex issues manageable, fostering mutual understanding, and facilitating conversation both in education and at home.
“Warmlopen in Amersfoort” is a board game that encourages residents to reflect on sustainability and the energy transition. Developed with the Municipality of Amersfoort and eVRgreen Studio, it lets players experience how choices around insulation and heating systems influence each other. Each player role-plays as a neighbourhood with unique interests and resources, fostering collaboration and awareness of their role in the energy transition.
HOST is a discussion game that addresses workplace dilemmas in the hospitality sector, with special attention to neurodivergence and autism. Developed with a European consortium, the game presents realistic scenarios for teams to reflect on inclusivity, social situations, and interactions. It strengthens team cohesion and mutual understanding without stigma, supporting managers in creating more inclusive work environments where everyone thrives.
At 8D, we believe that knowledge only becomes truly valuable when it finds its way into practice and makes a real difference. Offline interventions such as board games, card games, and role-playing activities are powerful tools in this process: they transform theoretical insights into tangible, interactive experiences that resonate. Whether it’s facilitating conversations about family business succession, promoting inclusivity in the hospitality sector, or raising AI awareness in healthcare, our interventions make learning human, accessible, and immediately applicable. This way, together with researchers, professionals, and target groups, we ensure that insights do not remain confined to paper but grow into meaningful change.
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Participatory research can solve three bottlenecks that researchers face: data collection, effective knowledge transfer and dissemination. Potential forms are game-based research and design-based research. We are happy to inspire you with examples from our portfolio.
How can research findings be shared effectively with society? This article explores how participatory design supports effective knowledge transfer by aligning form, content and context. Real-world examples illustrate how design enhances the practical usability of academic insights.
How can research findings truly land in policy and practice? At 8D, we believe that effective dissemination strategies for researchers require design thinking and close collaboration with the target audience.
This is how we build knowledge dissemination that goes beyond project websites or isolated social posts. Our view: dissemination should be an integral and meaningful part of the entire research process, not just an afterthought.
