What is co-design?
Co-design is increasingly used as the go-to engagement tool within the health and social services sector, specifically within the circles of Government, Primary Health Networks, Local Health Networks (such as Health and Hospital Services and Local Health Districts), and Not-For-Profit organisations. Despite its growing popularity, co-design can mean different things to different people.
In this blog, we explore a variety of 'co-design' definitions from experienced co-designers, distil their definitions into a set of common elements and give you our take on what 'co-design' means to us here at Beacon Strategies.
What is co-design?
Without going into a lesson on the history of co-design, 'co-design' is a term that is used interchangeably with many other related terms — even ones that don't align with 'co-design' in its truest form (... consultation anyone?).
So let's do some digging and check out some 'co-design' definitions from co-design thought leaders, organisations and, yep — the dictionary.
"To design something together with one or more other people." — Cambridge Dictionary
"Co-design is designing with, not for. It’s about making things and learning together. Co-design is a movement, mindset (read more) and an expanding set of methods and tools." — KA McKercher
"'Co-design' refers to a participatory approach to designing solutions, in which community members are treated as equal collaborators in the design process." — Sunlight Foundation
"Co-design brings citizens and stakeholders together to design new products, services and policies." — Victorian Government Human-Centred Design Playbook
"Co-design enables consumers to become equal partners in the improvement process for health services." — New South Wales Government Agency For Clinical Innovation
"The community services sector has adapted co-design to combine lived experience and professional expertise to identify and create an outcome or product. It builds on engagement processes such as social democracy and community development where all critical stakeholders, from experts to end users, are encouraged to participate and are respected as equal partners sharing expertise in the design of services and products.” — National Council of Social Services
"Co-design reflects a fundamental change in the traditional designer-client relationship. The co-design approach enables a wide range of people to make a creative contribution in the formulation and solution of a problem. This approach goes beyond consultation by building and deepening equal collaboration between citizens affected by, or attempting to, resolve a particular challenge. A key tenet of co-design is that users, as 'experts' of their own experience, become central to the design process.” — Design for Europe
"The ‘co’ in co design stands for community or conversation. It’s about bringing together people and professionals to jointly make decisions, informed by each other's expertise. It’s not a community only activity or a professional only activity. The ‘design’ in co-design is about making and testing, and this is the part of co-design that’s most often neglected. What most people would have experienced is co (minus) design i.e. co-design.” — The Australian Centre for Social Innovation
"Co-design is about engaging consumers and users of products and services in the design process, with the idea that this will ultimately lead to improvements and innovation. — Dr. Ingrid Burkett, Centre for Social Impact UNSW
"Co-design is a process that involves key stakeholders in defining, developing, implementing and reviewing a necessary change (to improve access, inclusion and participation).'“ — People With Disabilities Western Australia (Government of Western Australia)
"Co-design involves bringing health practitioners, consumers and carers together with equal respect, combining their knowledge with the shared aim of improving health services where consumers are no longer seen as passive recipients.” — Metro-Regional Intellectual Disability Network Co-design kit
Common elements in definitions of co-design
By examining the co-design definitions of thought leaders and organisations, you will see that co-design can be distilled into a set of common elements. They are:
Broad applicability: co-design is relevant across different sectors, aiming to understand needs and develop solutions
Needs-driven: co-design is built on understanding the needs and experiences of lived experience folks
Inclusive participation: co-design invites all stakeholders to be part of the process, ensuring involvement of broad stakeholders (whilst prioritising lived experience)
Equal decision-making: co-design gives everyone an equal say in shaping solutions, from consumers and community members to experts.
Solution-oriented: moves beyond soliciting opinions to include stakeholders in shaping the actual solutions, blending both professional and lived experience.
Implementation focussed: puts emphasis on taking the agreed-upon solutions from concept to action, often involving steps like making prototypes or running pilot tests.
Let's go into each of the common elements of co-design definitions in more detail.
Broad applicability
Co-design is versatile and can be utilised across a range of sectors, from healthcare and social services to government and community initiatives. Its principles are not confined to a specific industry or problem, making it a flexible tool for improvement or innovation. This broad applicability ensures that co-design can adapt to different challenges and settings, increasing its potential impact.
Needs-driven
Central to needs-driven co-design is the deep understanding of the lived experiences of individuals. This approach prioritises the necessities and experiences of the people most affected by the service or product being developed. It ensures their insights and requirements drive the creation process. This understanding fosters a tailored and empathetic response to development, enhancing the relevance and effectiveness of the outcomes for those it aims to serve. Engaging with the actual needs of individuals ensures the solutions are genuinely responsive and beneficial to their real-world context.
Inclusive participation
One of the cornerstones of co-design is its inclusivity. It calls for the involvement of all stakeholders, from professionals to end-users, ensuring that a wide range of perspectives are considered. This inclusivity enables a more comprehensive and empathetic approach to problem-solving. By incorporating multiple viewpoints, the process is more likely to yield results that are genuinely beneficial for all involved.
Equal decision-making
In a co-design process, every participant is an equal partner in decision-making. This flattens traditional hierarchies and fosters a collaborative environment. Whether you are a consumer, a community member, or an expert in the field, your voice has equal weight in shaping the outcome. This democratic approach increases the chances of finding solutions that meet the diverse needs of all stakeholders.
Solution oriented
Co-design goes beyond simply gathering opinions or feedback. It actively engages all participants in the process of shaping solutions. This collaborative approach draws on both professional expertise and lived experience, producing more nuanced and effective outcomes. Active engagement ensures that the developed solutions are both grounded in real-world experiences and informed by expert knowledge.
Implementation focussed
The co-design approach is action-oriented. Once solutions are developed, the focus shifts to implementing them. This often involves steps like creating prototypes, running pilot tests, or rolling out new services. The aim is to bring the collectively-designed solution into practical existence. The focus on implementation ensures that the co-design process results in tangible changes that improve services or products.
Taking all of the above into consideration it is clear to see that co-design is distinctly different from 'consultation' but we appreciate there still is some grey between other related definitions i.e. human human-centred design, experience-based co-design, participatory design, co-creation, co-production — the list goes on.
What does co-design mean to Beacon Strategies?
We like to keep things simple here at Beacon Strategies. Co-design to us is working with the people who directly use a program, product or service to design a response that meets their needs — and then working with funders and service providers to make it happen.
In embracing co-design, Beacon Strategies acknowledges the value of lived experience alongside professional insight. This balanced approach ensures that the programs and services we co-design are not just theoretical, but are tailored to real-world needs.
Head across to our co-design home page, where you can access our co-design online course, co-design readiness assessment, co-design cost calculator and more co-design blogs.
