WHAT IS CO-DESIGN?
Creativity is sacred, and it lives within each of us
Co-design, or collaborative design, engages our collective imagination to build the world we want to live in.
Our processes are led by and benefit communities impacted by injustice. We are proud to be contributors to the Design Justice Network Principles, which guide our practice.
The co-design process
Co-design is a deep commitment to relationship-building, flexibility, mutual learning, and accountability to community. Because of this, we witness change happening through the co-design process rather than at the end of it.
Here is what co-design looks like in theory, though each process is unique.
1. Gathering (1-3 months)
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The first step is to gather members of your community. We’ll help you assemble a group of co-design participants who will shape the design process and the outcome. No design experience is needed.
2. LISTENING (1-2 months)
Next, we will facilitate conversations with your organization and the co-design group to develop a shared understanding of the problem or challenge we are attempting to address.
3. INSIGHT (2-3 months)
This is when the magic happens. Through hands-on co-design activities and meandering conversations, we will uncover compelling and often unexpected ideas.
4. Development (4 Months+)
We will hone the raw idea into finished form, with ongoing input from your organization and the co-design group. The final outcome might be a digital product, a printed resource, a piece of art, or something else.
5. RELEASE (1 month)
Now is the time to get the finished work into the world. We’ll celebrate with you, support your launch strategy, and we’ll also help you create a feedback loop for future iterations.