{ "id": "http://connectivity-hub.com/terms/5770d7e9-d56b-48cf-b31b-eb559b92265a", "type": "Concept", "prefLabel": { "en": "Co-design" }, "altLabel": { "en": [ "co-designing" ] }, "definition": { "en": "Co-design is a design-led process that uses creative participatory methods. It sees the design decisions forming part of any given service or project made ‘with’, not ‘for’, the people those decisions will ultimately impact upon (The Co-production Network for Wales, 2022).\n\n

Source: Co-production Network for Wales, 2022. Accessed 18 February 2026.

\n\nCo-design is the process in which actors from different disciplines share their knowledge about both the design process and the design content in order to create shared understanding on both aspects and to achieve the larger common objective: the new product to be designed (Kleinsmann and Valkenburg, 2008 in Steen, 2013).\n\n

Source: Steen (2013). Accessed 25 February 2026.

" }, "historyNote": { "en": [ "Sanders, E. B.-N. and Stappers, P. J. (2008) ‘Co-creation and the new landscapes of design’, CoDesign, 4(1), pp. 5–18. doi: 10.1080/15710880701875068.\n\nMarc Steen; Co-Design as a Process of Joint Inquiry and Imagination. Design Issues 2013; 29 (2): 16–28. doi: https://doi.org/10.1162/DESI_a_00207\n\nMcKercher, K. A. (2025). What is co-design? Beyond Sticky Notes. https://www.beyondstickynotes.com/what-is-codesign" ] }, "scopeNote": { "en": [ "Co-design brings together lived experience and expertise, cultural knowledge and technical experience to learn from each other and make things better. It is part of wider social movements to share power, achieve justice and equity, and, importantly, to further self-determination. There are many histories and practices of co-design. There isn’t one right way (McKercher, 2005). \n\nThe terms co-design and co-creation are often used interchangeably. Sanders and Stappers (2008) take co-creation to refer to any act of collective creativity, i.e. creativity that is shared by two or more people. Co-creation is a very broad term with applications ranging from the physical to the metaphysical and from the material to the spiritual. Whereas co-design refers to the collective creativity as it is applied across the whole span of a design process.", "Co-design brings together lived experience and expertise, cultural knowledge and technical experience to learn from each other and make things better. It is part of wider social movements to share power, achieve justice and equity, and, importantly, to further self-determination. There are many histories and practices of co-design. There isn’t one right way (McKercher, 2005). \n\n

Source: McKercher (2025). Accessed 18 February 2026.

\n\nThe terms co-design and co-creation are often used interchangeably. Sanders and Stappers (2008) take co-creation to refer to any act of collective creativity, i.e. creativity that is shared by two or more people. Co-creation is a very broad term with applications ranging from the physical to the metaphysical and from the material to the spiritual. Whereas co-design refers to the collective creativity as it is applied across the whole span of a design process (Sanders and Stappers, 2008).\n\n

Source: Sanders and Stappers (2008). Accessed 18 February 2026.

\n\nCo-design is also viewed as a component of the co-production process. The process is a cycle that includes co-planning (might be co-creating or co-commissioning), co-design and co-decision-making, co-delivery and co-implementation, and co-evaluation (The Co-production Network for Wales, 2022). \n\n

Source: Co-production Network for Wales (2022). Accessed 18 February 2026.

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