Dissemination strategies for researchers: driving real-world impact through design

In a scientific context, dissemination refers to the active sharing and distribution of research findings with relevant audiences. This includes fellow academics who build on insights, but also – and especially – citizens, professionals and policymakers who can apply new knowledge in practice. At 8D, we focus on the latter. We make scientific output usable and understandable for people outside the academic world. Not as a communication trick, but as a design challenge.

More than communication: design-driven dissemination strategies

Too often, dissemination is treated as a side note in the project plan. It’s outsourced to parties who launch a generic project website and add a few social media posts, usually on a newly created account with zero reach. This is not only a waste of resources, but also results in knowledge failing to reach the people who could actually benefit from it.

Our team views dissemination as a strategic part of research, with design thinking playing a key role. In fact, we often find that our design process for creating an effective dissemination tool also enriches other aspects of the research. The end product might be a website – but just as easily a card game, a VR simulation, a workshop, or something entirely new. Our approach is always format-free and goal-oriented: we create exactly what the target audience needs to engage with the research findings.

Co-creation as the key to successful knowledge sharing

Dissemination doesn’t need to wait until the end of a research project. In fact, the most impactful dissemination starts during the design phase. Through co-creation, we bring researchers, people with lived experience, and target users together at the table. This ensures that knowledge transfer is not a one-way street, but an interactive process in which the audience itself helps translate research into practical applications.

This approach – known as social design – allows knowledge to gain meaning early on in the context of the end user. It not only increases the relevance of the research, but also improves the chances that results will land sustainably in policy and practice. More reading advice for indept information about social design: ‘What is social design and why is it relevent for researchers?’ and ‘Examples of social design in research.’

Get inspired by our projects

Examples of creative dissemination strategies

Our goal is always for our tools and interventions to do more than inform. They activate, confront and engage, making knowledge stick or triggering real change. Examples of dissemination tools we’ve developed include:

Card and board games
Care Trivia, a card game for policymakers focused on social support legislation (Wmo), based on academic guidelines. Players actively process knowledge through real-life scenarios and discussion.
Narrative interventions that allow users to relate to stories and rehearse actions. Shkorey (https://www.shkorey.nl/), for example, is a narrative intervention about sexual health, co-created with the Eritrean community in the Netherlands.
Workshops, living labs and offline events where participatory dissemination and co-generation of knowledge take center stage. Examples include EFF-CoP, a large European collaboration building a knowledge community around food fraud, and Kinderfietsroutes, a gamified cycling route in the Dutch province of Groningen based on research into physical inactivity among children.
Digital simulations that allow stakeholders to safely and playfully explore the implications of research in their own work environments. For instance, the Ransomware simulation, based on research conducted by Campus Fryslân.
Digital tools and apps that translate research-based recommendations into practical solutions. Read with MEE, for example, offers interactive read-aloud stories aimed at increasing inclusive and multilingual literacy skills – a goal aligned with the expertise of Fryske Akademy and the Mercator European Research Centre.

Every dissemination strategy and tool we create is the outcome of a participatory design process, with the target audience and context leading the way.

Why researchers choose to work with us

Our added value lies not only in what we create, but in how we collaborate. Many of our partners have worked with 8D for years because our team:

Treats dissemination as a fully-fledged and meaningful part of the research;
Works format-free and creatively;
Always co-creates with the target audience and can guide complex participatory processes;
Designs solutions that align with the behavior, context and lived reality of end users;
Connects dissemination to activation and real-life change;
As an independent party, we are skilled at balancing interests and distilling complex messages down to their essence.

Transdisciplinary research: challenges and recommendations

Expert interview

innovation

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.

Read blog

Dissemination strategies for your research

Are you working on a research project and want to ensure your results reach beyond the final report? Get in touch with us at info@8d.nl. We’re happy to explore creative and effective ways to help your research make a real-world impact.

International partnerships

Participation in European consortia increases your impact. Discover our role as a design partner in international collaborations and European programs, where we actively expand our network and initiate new projects.

Research in the midst of society

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.

Effective knowledge transfer: turning research findings into societal value

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.