Co-design
Definition
Co-design takes the design process out of the studio and into the field. The idea is to use various playful design tactics to get stakeholders to engage with you directly in the design process. Making them not only the recipients of the design, but also active participants in its creation.
“Each time a change was trumpeted
in a journal or at a conference there was often a chorus of researchers ready to announce the change, as if the world had in fact switched to the new idea. But in the day-to-day practice of developing computer systems, as in most practices, changes are slow, and, in fact quite small. ”
— Joan Greenbaum & Kim Halskov Madsen, Small Changes: Starting a Participatory Design Process by Giving Participants a Voice Pg 289
Procedure
Preparation
Gather activity supplies
Make sure your participants are not concerned for their jobs when making criticisms or proposals
Bring recording device
In person
Make sure that you create a comfortable space and address your participate in a kind manner to set them at ease.
Ask your participant if you can record the interaction.
Explain the opportunity space and help them understand the overall goal of your research.
Often it is good to start with an easy and non confrontational prompt and just play it out for five minutes so the participant can get used to how the iteration process works.
Then begin by critiquing problems that the groups is facing. Once all of the critiques are on the table, sort them into the three most common themes found in the critiques. Move onto idea generation next, where no idea is too crazy. Lastly develop an implementation plan, which is where the too crazy ideas will either be modified or cannibalized by other ideas.
Analysis
In co-design even the analysis is group work. Make sure to get input and review from the participants.
The analysis and presentation method of the data should have already been done during the implementation part of the session so this should be done already.
Use Case
While researching the waste management procedures of the Eskenazi museum of art me and my teammates did a co-design session with one of the building managers. We sat down and discussed what issues they were currently having at the museum and what they would like to do better. We then ideated together came up with some interesting concepts.
Strengths
The great part about co-design is it gets people involved so that they feel invested in the whatever comes out of the process. This way its not a group of designers from the outside saying that you should do things differently, but rather your own organization figuring out its issues.
Weaknesses
Some problems with co-design are that it can sometimes be hard to find people who are both willing to critique their organization without consequence and are also low enough on the totem pole that they are close to the day to day activities.
Also, co-design sessions often take a long time.
