Talk presented by Penny Hagen and Natalie Rowland for UX Australia 2013 in Melbourne. In co-design those impacted by the proposed design are actively involved as partners in the design process. Co-design is being used in government, community and health sectors to extend traditional consultation methods and increase program reach and impact. Co-design approaches are also being used by corporates to engage internal stakeholders and customers, identify new service opportunities and improve existing ones. But what is it, why do it and how? When ‘doing’ co-design, the role of the designer becomes one of facilitator: enabling participation, designing the right triggers, questions and scaffolds in which meaningful and effective participation can occur. Getting this right can be challenging and raise a few interesting questions along the way. In this presentation we will share our approach to co-design developed over the last eight years working with a range of organisations in Australia and New Zealand. The presentation will draw upon case studies such as the design of HIV testing services with Australian men, the design of service strategies and mental health programs with young people and mental health professionals and an organisational wide co-design training for program for librarians, aimed at preparing them to become co-designers themselves. The presentation will cover the key principles and framework we apply in designing co-design workshops, favourite activities for involving and priming groups of people for productive participation as well as tips and considerations for doing co-design in dynamic, sensitive and political situations. We will also explore questions raised by co-design such as: How creative can ‘users’ be? What level of influence do ‘users’ have? What happens to the expertise of the ‘designer’? How far can we/should we take it? How do you know when you (or the organisation you are working with) are ready adopt a co-design approach?

1. @pennyhagen
@redrollers
DOING CO-DESIGNCO-DESIGN WHAT?
A democratisation of the design process
OING CO-DESIGN
CO-DESIGN WHAT?
A democratisation of the design process

2. design
expertise?
DOING CO-DESIGN

3. DOING CO-DESIGN
user creativity

4. organisational
readiness?
DOING CO-DESIGN

5. DOING CO-DESIGNWHAT, WHY, WITH WHO AND HOW?
@pennyhagen
@redrollers

6. CO-DESIGN WHAT?
UK Design Councils
Double Diamond Design Process
DISCOVER DEFINE DEVELOP DELIVER

7. CO-DESIGN WHAT?
A democratisation of the design process

8. CO-DESIGN WHY?
PRAGMATIC
INNOVATION
POLITICAL
Users are experts of their own domain. Involving them is likely to accomplish a better outcome.
Leads to new perspectives and alternate ways of doing things.
People have the right to participate in the design of things that impact them.
Adapted from Greenbaum, J., & Madsen, K. H. (1993). 'PD a personal statement'. Which describes three arguments for Participatory Design, pragmatic, theoretical and political. Source: Communications of the ACM. Special issue on graphical user interfaces: the next generation, 36(6), pp. 47.
Adapted from Greenbaum, J., & Madsen, K. H. (1993). 'PD a personal statement'. Which describes three arguments for Participatory Design, pragmatic, theoretical and political. Source:
Communications of the ACM. Special issue on graphical user interfaces: the next generation, 36(6), pp. 47.

9. CO-DESIGN WHY?
PRAGMATIC
INNOVATION
POLITICAL
Users are experts of their own domain. Involving them is likely to accomplish a better outcome.
Leads to new perspectives and alternate ways of doing things.
People have the right to participate in the design of things that impact them.
Adapted from Greenbaum, J., & Madsen, K. H. (1993). 'PD a personal statement'. Which describes three arguments for Participatory Design, pragmatic, theoretical and political. Source: Communications of the ACM. Special issue on graphical user interfaces: the next generation, 36(6), pp. 47.
Adapted from Greenbaum, J., & Madsen, K. H. (1993). 'PD a personal statement'. Which describes three arguments for Participatory Design, pragmatic, theoretical and political. Source:
Communications of the ACM. Special issue on graphical user interfaces: the next generation, 36(6), pp. 47.

10. CO-DESIGN WHY?
PRAGMATIC
INNOVATION
POLITICAL
Users are experts of their own domain. Involving them is likely to accomplish a better outcome.
Leads to new perspectives and alternate ways of doing things.
People have the right to participate in the design of things that impact them.
Adapted from Greenbaum, J., & Madsen, K. H. (1993). 'PD a personal statement'. Which describes three arguments for Participatory Design, pragmatic, theoretical and political. Source: Communications of the ACM. Special issue on graphical user interfaces: the next generation, 36(6), pp. 47.
Adapted from Greenbaum, J., & Madsen, K. H. (1993). 'PD a personal statement'. Which describes three arguments for Participatory Design, pragmatic, theoretical and political. Source:
Communications of the ACM. Special issue on graphical user interfaces: the next generation, 36(6), pp. 47.

11. CO-DESIGN WHY?
PRAGMATIC
INNOVATION
POLITICAL
Users are experts of their own domain. Involving them is likely to accomplish a better outcome.
Leads to new perspectives and alternate ways of doing things.
People have the right to participate in the design of things that impact them.
Adapted from Greenbaum, J., & Madsen, K. H. (1993). 'PD a personal statement'. Which describes three arguments for Participatory Design, pragmatic, theoretical and political. Source: Communications of the ACM. Special issue on graphical user interfaces: the next generation, 36(6), pp. 47.
Adapted from Greenbaum, J., & Madsen, K. H. (1993). 'PD a personal statement'. Which describes three arguments for Participatory Design, pragmatic, theoretical and political. Source:
Communications of the ACM. Special issue on graphical user interfaces: the next generation, 36(6), pp. 47.

12. CO-DESIGN WHO?

13. CO-DESIGN HOW?

14. CO-DESIGN HOW?
CO-DESIGN HOW?

15. CO-DESIGN TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
EVERYONE IS
CREATIVE. WE JUST
NEED TO PROVIDE
THE RIGHT TOOLS
AND SUPPORT
LIZ SANDERS

16. CO-DESIGN TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
CO-DESIGN TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES

17. CO-DESIGN TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
CO-DESIGN TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES

18. CO-DESIGN TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
CO-DESIGN TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES

19. CO-DESIGN TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
CO-DESIGN TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES

20. CO-DESIGN TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
CO-DESIGN TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES

21. CO-DESIGN TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
CO-DESIGN TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES

22. CO-DESIGN TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
CO-DESIGN TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
SCAFFOLDS

23. CO-DESIGN ENGAGEMENT
WHAT
WHO
design
expertise?
DOING CO-DESIGN
CO-DESIGN WHO?

24. CO-DESIGN ENGAGEMENT
WHAT
WHO
CO-DESIGN ENGAGEMENT
WHAT
design
expertise?
DOING CO-DESIGN
CO-DESIGN WHO?

25. CO-DESIGN ENGAGEMENT
WHAT
WHO
CO-DESIGN ENGAGEMENT
WHAT
design
expertise?
DOING CO-DESIGN
CO-DESIGN WHO?

26. Co-designing youth mental
health services with young
people and mental health
professionals
CO-DESIGN
Co-designing mental health services
with young people and mental health
professionals.
CO-DESIGN
Co-designing mental health services
with young people and mental health
professionals.
Co-designing online youth
mental health services with
young people and mental
health professionals

27. CO-DESIGN IMMERSE

28. CO-DESIGN IMMERSE

29. CO-DESIGN GENERATE
Ideal Journey: Online Ideal Online Help Seeking Journey

30. Co-designing HIV
testing services with
Australian men.
CO-DESIGN AFAO
AUSTRALIAN
FEDERATION
OF AIDS
ORGANISATIONS
CO-DESIGN AFAO
AUSTRALIAN
FEDERATION
OF AIDS
ORGANISATIONS

31. CO-DESIGN SENSITISE

32. CO-DESIGN GENERATE

33. CO-DESIGN AUT LIBRARY
Co-designing co-design
with library staff.

34. CO-DESIGN IMMERSE

35. CO-DESIGN GENERATE

36. design
expertise?
CO-DESIGN SUMMARY
FACILITATING ENGAGEMENT
DESIGNING THE DESIGN PROCESS, SCAFFOLDS,
TOOLS AND TRIGGERS
UPSKILLING & CAPACITY BUILDING

37. design
expertise?
CO-DESIGN SUMMARY
FACILITATING ENGAGEMENT
DESIGNING THE DESIGN PROCESS, SCAFFOLDS,
TOOLS AND TRIGGERS
UPSKILLING & CAPACITY BUILDING

38. design
expertise?
CO-DESIGN SUMMARY
FACILITATING ENGAGEMENT
DESIGNING THE DESIGN PROCESS, SCAFFOLDS,
TOOLS AND TRIGGERS
UPSKILLING & CAPACITY BUILDING

39. design
expertise?
CO-DESIGN SUMMARY
FACILITATING ENGAGEMENT
DESIGNING THE DESIGN PROCESS, SCAFFOLDS,
TOOLS AND TRIGGERS
UPSKILLING & CAPACITY BUILDING

40. user creativity
CO-DESIGN SUMMARY
HOW CREATIVE CAN USERS BE?
HOW MUCH INFLUENCE CAN USERS HAVE?
IT DEPENDS...

41. user creativity
CO-DESIGN SUMMARY
HOW CREATIVE CAN USERS BE?
HOW MUCH INFLUENCE CAN USERS HAVE?
IT DEPENDS...

42. organisational
readiness?
CO-DESIGN SUMMARY
A WILLINGNESS TO HAND OVER SOME CONTROL
A DESIRE FOR CHANGE
AN ABILITY TO RESOURCE IT
A COMMITMENT TO FOLLOWING THROUGH

43. CO-DESIGN ENGAGEMENT
WHAT
WHO
CO-DESIGN WHO?
CO-DESIGN ENGAGEMENT
WHAT

44. CO-DESIGN ENGAGEMENT
WHAT
WHO
CO-DESIGN WHO?
CO-DESIGN ENGAGEMENT
WHAT
MUTUAL FRAME

45. organisational
readiness?
CO-DESIGN SUMMARY
A WILLINGNESS TO HAND OVER SOME CONTROL
A DESIRE FOR CHANGE
AN ABILITY TO RESOURCE IT
A COMMITMENT TO FOLLOWING THROUGH

46. organisational
readiness?
CO-DESIGN SUMMARY
A WILLINGNESS TO HAND OVER SOME CONTROL
A DESIRE FOR CHANGE
AN ABILITY TO RESOURCE IT
A COMMITMENT TO FOLLOWING THROUGH

47. organisational
readiness?
CO-DESIGN SUMMARY
A WILLINGNESS TO HAND OVER SOME CONTROL
A DESIRE FOR CHANGE
AN ABILITY TO RESOURCE IT
A COMMITMENT TO FOLLOWING THROUGH

48. organisational
readiness?
CO-DESIGN SUMMARY
A WILLINGNESS TO HAND OVER SOME CONTROL
A DESIRE FOR CHANGE
AN ABILITY TO RESOURCE IT
A COMMITMENT TO FOLLOWING THROUGH

49. organisational
readiness?
CO-DESIGN SUMMARY
A WILLINGNESS TO HAND OVER SOME CONTROL
A DESIRE FOR CHANGE
AN ABILITY TO RESOURCE IT
A COMMITMENT TO FOLLOWING THROUGH

50. CO-DESIGN DOING CO-DESIGN
ACKNOWLEDGE HOW
YOUR CURRENT TOOLS
AND METHODS ARE
ALREADY DOING THE
WORK OF BUILDING
DESIGN CAPACITY IN
OTHERS...
AND CONSIDER, ARE
THERE ANY
OPPORTUNITIES TO
EXTEND THE ROLE
THAT USERS PLAY IN
HELPING TO DEFINE
THE PROBLEM OR THE
SOLUTION IN YOUR
PROJECTS?
design
expertise?
DOING CO-DESIGN
CO-DESIGN WHAT?
A democratisation of the design process

51. CO-DESIGN DOING CO-DESIGN
ACKNOWLEDGE HOW
YOUR CURRENT TOOLS
AND METHODS ARE
ALREADY DOING THE
WORK OF BUILDING
DESIGN CAPACITY IN
OTHERS...
AND CONSIDER, ARE
THERE ANY
OPPORTUNITIES TO
EXTEND THE ROLE
THAT USERS PLAY IN
HELPING TO DEFINE
THE PROBLEM OR THE
SOLUTION IN YOUR
PROJECTS?
design
expertise?
DOING CO-DESIGN
CO-DESIGN WHAT?
A democratisation of the design process

52. CO-DESIGN DOING CO-DESIGN
ACKNOWLEDGE HOW
YOUR CURRENT TOOLS
AND METHODS ARE
ALREADY DOING THE
WORK OF BUILDING
DESIGN CAPACITY IN
OTHERS...
AND CONSIDER, ARE
THERE ANY
OPPORTUNITIES TO
EXTEND THE ROLE
THAT USERS PLAY IN
HELPING TO DEFINE
THE PROBLEM OR THE
SOLUTION IN YOUR
PROJECTS?
design
expertise?
DOING CO-DESIGN
CO-DESIGN WHAT?
A democratisation of the design process
Thank you

53. CO-DESIGN REFERENCES
Ingrid Burkett Co-designing for Social Good: The radical potential of co-design for civil society
organisations https://secure.csi.edu.au/site/Home/Blog.aspx?defaultblog=https://blog.csi.edu.au/
2013/02/co-designing-for-social-good-the-radical-potential-of-co-design-for-civil-society-
organisations/
Don Lenihan and Lynelle Briggs Co-Design: Toward A New Service Vision http://
www.humanservices.gov.au/spw/corporate/publications-and-resources/resources/co-design-
toward-a-new-service-vision-for-australia.pdf
Health Codesign : A toolkit for co-design in healthcare http://www.healthcodesign.org.nz/
Penny Hagen et al. Participatory Design of evidence-based online youth mental health promotion,
intervention and treatment. http://www.yawcrc.org.au/news/article/199#
Liz Sanders Website: www.maketools.com
Liz Sanders Book: Convivial Toolbox: Generative Research for the Front End of Design
Liz Sanders Article: A Framework for Organising the Tools and Techniques of Participatory Design
http://www.maketools.com/articles-papers/PDC2010ExploratoryFrameworkFinal.pdf