Background
Researchers and practitioners in creative domains (from product design to digital media and from architecture to service design) have been moving towards new models for participation and engagement which focus on co-creation, co-production or co-design (e.g. Sanders and Stappers, 2008; Lee, 2008). Co-design, the direct engagement of users and stakeholders in design activity throughout the life cycle of a project, is seen as a way for supporting and enhancing creativity and leading to better, more sustainable solutions. Co-design is also becoming an important theme in community research (e.g. Durose et al, 2012). Despite the existence of guidelines and principles of Community Based Participatory Research (e.g. Durham Community Research Team, 2012), co-design and co-delivery of research is still a sporadic practice in many sectors. This project aims to use and reflect on co-design strategies that can effectively incorporate the principles of shared vision, equitable involvement, trust, capacity building and relevance (Wright et al, 2001).
This project focuses specifically on community organizations that are involved in co-design (whether buildings, spaces, products or services). Such organizations themselves engage in research and co-production of knowledge with their communities but they often miss the chance to systematically reflect on the effectiveness of their methods. Through our academic-community partnership we identified the issue of building capacity and extending reach by effectively using and mobilizing existing assets as a key challenge of co-design practice. This is in fact an overarching challenge which community groups, community organisations and academics are faced with as they co-create knowledge and practices. Despite their differences, all of the involved actors recognize that through their partnership and interconnections they can create new opportunities for innovation and build their capacity to address complex issues. However building this capacity is a challenging task, because of limited resources, but also differences in culture, terminology/language used and methodology/practice. So it requires co-construction of knowledge between different domains (e.g. between practitioners and academics), sectors (e.g. built environment and health services) and scales (e.g. from local to national). This challenge sets our scope and motivation for this project. Click here to read about the project team and partners.
The project is divided in two phases. Phase 1 running from Feb-May 2013 focusses on co-creation of a research project (including defining aims and objectives, a workplan and ethical principles of collaboration). Phase 2 running from Jul 2013-Jun 2014 focusses on research co-production and co-delivery. Check out the project activities and outputs for more information.
Bibliography
Alexiou, K. and Zamenopoulos, T. (2012) Collaborative Design Workshops: networked ideas and people, Preliminary Report for The Role of Complexity in the Creative Economy project. Download from http://www.complexity-creative-economy.net
Boes, S. (2006) Rationales for role playing in design, In Design Research Society International Conference in Lisbon. IADE
Bowman, S.L. (2010) The functions of role-playing games: How participants create community, solve problems, and explore identity. Jefferson, NC: McFarland.
Durose, C.,Beebeejaun, Y.,Rees,J.,Richardson, J & Richardson, L (2012) “Towards Co-production in Research with Communities” Report, Connected Communities
Durham Community Research Team (2012) Community-based participatory research: ethical challenges: https://www.dur.ac.uk/beacon/socialjustice/researchprojects/cbpr/
Lee, Y. (2008) “Design participation tactics: the challenges and new roles for designers in the co-design process”. Co-Design 4(1): 31-50.
Sanders, E. B-N. and Stappers, P.J. (2008) “Co-creation and the new landscapes of design”. Co-Design 4(1): 5-18.
Wright, K.N., Wright, S., Williams, P., Lieber, E. Carasco, S.R and Gedjeyan, H. (2011) “The Ties that Bind. Creating and sustaining community-academic partnerships”. Gateways: International Journal of Community Research and Engagement 4: 83–99.
This project focuses specifically on community organizations that are involved in co-design (whether buildings, spaces, products or services). Such organizations themselves engage in research and co-production of knowledge with their communities but they often miss the chance to systematically reflect on the effectiveness of their methods. Through our academic-community partnership we identified the issue of building capacity and extending reach by effectively using and mobilizing existing assets as a key challenge of co-design practice. This is in fact an overarching challenge which community groups, community organisations and academics are faced with as they co-create knowledge and practices. Despite their differences, all of the involved actors recognize that through their partnership and interconnections they can create new opportunities for innovation and build their capacity to address complex issues. However building this capacity is a challenging task, because of limited resources, but also differences in culture, terminology/language used and methodology/practice. So it requires co-construction of knowledge between different domains (e.g. between practitioners and academics), sectors (e.g. built environment and health services) and scales (e.g. from local to national). This challenge sets our scope and motivation for this project. Click here to read about the project team and partners.
The project is divided in two phases. Phase 1 running from Feb-May 2013 focusses on co-creation of a research project (including defining aims and objectives, a workplan and ethical principles of collaboration). Phase 2 running from Jul 2013-Jun 2014 focusses on research co-production and co-delivery. Check out the project activities and outputs for more information.
Bibliography
Alexiou, K. and Zamenopoulos, T. (2012) Collaborative Design Workshops: networked ideas and people, Preliminary Report for The Role of Complexity in the Creative Economy project. Download from http://www.complexity-creative-economy.net
Boes, S. (2006) Rationales for role playing in design, In Design Research Society International Conference in Lisbon. IADE
Bowman, S.L. (2010) The functions of role-playing games: How participants create community, solve problems, and explore identity. Jefferson, NC: McFarland.
Durose, C.,Beebeejaun, Y.,Rees,J.,Richardson, J & Richardson, L (2012) “Towards Co-production in Research with Communities” Report, Connected Communities
Durham Community Research Team (2012) Community-based participatory research: ethical challenges: https://www.dur.ac.uk/beacon/socialjustice/researchprojects/cbpr/
Lee, Y. (2008) “Design participation tactics: the challenges and new roles for designers in the co-design process”. Co-Design 4(1): 31-50.
Sanders, E. B-N. and Stappers, P.J. (2008) “Co-creation and the new landscapes of design”. Co-Design 4(1): 5-18.
Wright, K.N., Wright, S., Williams, P., Lieber, E. Carasco, S.R and Gedjeyan, H. (2011) “The Ties that Bind. Creating and sustaining community-academic partnerships”. Gateways: International Journal of Community Research and Engagement 4: 83–99.