Changing the rules: enabling research findings to play out using a board game
This design is based on a 2023 research report detailing the lived experiences of aspiring and current members of governance boards in the social change sector ~ with a focus on those from working-class backgrounds. Many participants described their encounters with boards or applying for board membership using language common to playing competitive games, e.g. words like 'chance', 'luck', 'rules', 'can't win' and 'rigged'. This led to the research and participants' voices being translated into an immersive game that allows different audiences not only to engage with the 'game', but to learn from people's experiences by getting close to how participants described thinking, feeling and operating in similar governance and social change spaces.
Below you'll see the board and game instructions, followed by four types of card you can pick up depending on where you land on the board. Each card is based on real-life experiences described by research participants, adapted slightly to anonymise the people who graciously shared their perspectives with us. To actually start the game, you have to be 'lucky' enough to roll a six (yes dice are involved...). This element perfectly illustrates the sense that participants articulated around feeling fortunate that they had spotted an advert to join a board or were told about the opportunity randomly, or to their surprise were actually chosen after a lengthy selection process.
If you'd like to test the game out for real, there is an online version here! You can pick up and read the cards, move counters on the board, play the game with others, and even roll dice. Good luck!
acknowledgements and thanks: Baljeet Sandhu and Folasade Akintola