NewslettersNovember 24th, 2020
PG #71: Design changes the designer
My year has been characterised by two projects. Both involved co-design within two vastly different, but equally complex contexts: mental health and education. They left me more enamoured than ever with this approach to design, but more importantly, they asked me to look at my world through a different lens.
Co-design has a few closely connected themes:
- Facilitators need to understand and acknowledge the power differentials that exist within groups, in order to better facilitate collaboration.
- Creating and maintaining an inclusive environment is crucial.
- Every participant must feel valued and be able to participate in a meaningful way.
- The safety and care of all participants throughout the co-design process is absolutely paramount.
Exploring these themes has made me a different designer and it’s not a stretch to say the impact on me has been profound. They will continue to influence and characterise my approach to my work into 2021 and beyond.
I believe that co-design, if understood and implemented correctly, can impact organisations in the same way they’ve impacted me personally.
– Ernez Dhondy & the PG Team
Read the rest of issue #69 here