DGA TALKS: Design Thinking in Applied Game Design and Beyond

The Netherlands holds a unique position in applied games: nowhere else does such a large share of the industry focus on this field. Many Dutch companies have been active for decades, making the country a true pioneer in applied game development.

While applied games and entertainment games serve different purposes, they share key foundations: strong visuals, engagement, and fun. With the Applied Games Talks, the DGA creates a space for industry professionals to exchange best practices and inspire cross-pollination.

When: Thursday, November 20 2025, from 15.00 to 18.30
Where: Post-Plaza Hotel & Grand Café, Tweebaksmarkt 25 - 27, 8911 KW Leeuwarden

Program (times approximate):
14:00 – Arrival with coffee & tea
15:00–17:30 – Talks
17:30–18:30 – Networking drinks

The speakers (in alphabetical order)

Sophie Asveld
Innovation Specialist at Onda Innovaties / Hulan
How do you develop a healthcare innovation with gamification that is not only innovative, but also truly connects with the target audience? In this session, Sophie Asveld shares the techniques she uses to translate ideas into impactful healthcare innovations.

Tim Laning
Commercial Director at Grendel Games
Laptitude is Grendel Games' genre defining Laparoscopic Surgery Training Platform. It was designed and developed in 3 years time, with accessibility in mind. Learn what it takes to engineer a community driven hardware platform with strong video game design for a global paradigm shift in training.

Nathan van der Stoep
Indie Developer/Cognitive Neuropsychologist at Cosmocat/TNO
The world of gaming and cognitive neuroscience have a lot to give to each other. In this talk, I will discuss principles of human multisensory perception and how these are or could be utilized in game development.

Yuen Yen Tsai
Creative Coach & Facilitator/Trainer Design Thinking and Creative Intelligence at Make Me See
When you encounter challenging conversations with your client or stakeholders, use these 3 design thinking tools to re-open the conversation, re-connect and proceed.

A limited number of free tickets are available, so sign up quickly! If you can’t make it, please cancel your ticket so others on the waiting list can attend.