ESC game: equal cooperation starts with real understanding

The challenge

How do you ensure that residents and users not only 'participate in the discussion', but also really participate in the design? And how do you prevent people from dropping out because their input does not seem to matter? In many participation projects the focus is on a distant future, while residents live in the here and now. Without immediate added value and clear feedback, research fatigue sets in: people drop out and no longer want to participate.

Our approach

Thanks to the ESC grant, New Future Lab together with ESC is developing a card game that helps to shape relationships in co-creation processes more consciously. From practical experience, we know how important it is that people feel seen, heard and valued. Not 'research' for research's sake, but building tangible value together, here and now.

The game challenges designers, researchers and policymakers to reflect on six key components of equal collaboration, including creating direct added value for participants.

Systemic Co-Design helps us step out of the boxes. "It is the golden mean between thinking in silos and unfocused all-encompassing. It makes relationships, power and context visible, creating focused coalitions that really set something in motion.

The result: a practical game

With the card game "Participate? Rather not!" gives teams a practical tool to:

• Consciously build relationships rather than allowing them to happen by chance.
• Create immediate added value for participants in any process.
• Prevent research fatigue by focusing on appreciation and feedback.
• Critically examine and reflect on the current participation process.
• Building conscious relationships and adding value directly.

The game helps you think about the relationship between researcher and researchee even before starting a study. You can even play it together with your target group so that this relationship becomes an immediate topic of discussion.

Towards a common language

Co-design is only truly valuable when it leads to faster, working and tangible solutions. At New Future Lab, this often means participating in the neighborhood, investing in proximity, and taking residents' perspectives seriously. With the ESC network, we are working on a common language for these kinds of processes.

Wondering how we can use this approach in your project? Contact us and discover how equal collaboration can make a difference in your context as well. Mail to: info@newfuturelab.nl 

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Photos were taken by Floor Fortunati | City Deal Kennis Maken | TU Delft