We've used workshops games and simulations during our exploration into Living Well in the Digital Age around:

• Personal technology. Helping consultants and trainers develop their understanding of digital technology, and the tools they might use.
• Technology in later life. Showing how older people might adopt digital technology for health and well-being
• Tackling social isolation. Exploring how local partnerships could use digital technology to help tackle social isolation
• Planning a digital participation programme in a London borough

In May 2016 we helped design and run a major simulation, hosted by the Centre for Ageing Better, at which 50 people from the ageing field played through how digital tech and network thinking could benefit older people, represented by six personas. This was the culmination of the first phase on the Joined Up Digital Project.

Examples below of earlier games.

Our workshop games are generally card-based, with some or all of these components:

• A scenario - place, organisation, personal space
• Characters and organisations
• Challenges to be addressed
• Projects that may be developed to meet the challenges
• Activities to develop the projects
• Methods and tech tools to support the activities
• How-tos related to the methods
• Networks of relationships between individuals and organisations
• Planning sheets to capture stories, insights or development work

People usually work in groups to:

• Simulate the ways that people may communicate, collaborate or plan in different settings - in effect modelling ecosystems.
• Co-design programmes or projects
• Contribute to an exploration

We are developing the fictitious town or borough of Slipham as a base scenario, and putting materials on a Trello Board so they can be downloaded.

Here's some examples - a mix of blog posts and workshop reports:

Joined Up Digital: we ran a game event for the Centre for Ageing Better with 45 people from a range of organisations to explore how digital technology and network thinking can help people connect with local services, community activities and other opportunities.

How community enablers may use digital technology: in 2012 we used Slapham (later renamed Slipham) as the setting for this exploration into how community enablers can blend digital technology with face-to-face activity.

Community connectors: in December 2014 we ran an updated version of the community enablers game in Croydon.

A kit for collaborative business planning for community groups that started with a conference game for Community Matters, also in Slapham.

How older people can use digital technology for personal well-being: we ran a workshop with Age UK London around some fictitious characters.

Digital technology for consultants and trainers: we developed a game with the Management Development Network to explore how their members could best use computers, tablets and smartphones.

Designing a digital participation strategy for a borough: Slipham became a London borough for this workshop with Southwark Council. Full report.

Tackling social isolation in a locality: in this workshop a Slipham partnership plans how to use digital technology to tackle social isolation without special funding: austerity innovation. Full report.

There are earlier games here.