group roles 

Language will be important. Words change things. What are we talking about when we recognise the lived experience of the people that are taking part and their valuable role?  As well as being clear about the participation of the ‘outside’ facilitators from the relational activism team and the local leadership - allies of the change. Ponder how to express conscious and grateful acknowledgement of all contributions?

Reflections

• Is there privilege in the room, and how is this being considered? (McKercher 2020) 

• Are all participants credited as “knowledgeable” with important knowledge to bring? (Sage Handbook of Action Research, 2015) 

definition of the group 

The naming of the group as a collective will be key, particularly as the group may have ambition beyond this task and the finished project. The naming process should feel inclusive of everybody in the co-design process with consideration of different factors. Such as, if the group is made up of parents, that will be important to recognise. However, if the terms are limited, e.g., simply “parent group” or “young peoples” group, that may limit how the group is viewed. The function of the group, e.g., to consult, advise, to co-design, may need to be explicit in its name.

Reflections

• The naming process should be given thought, and this topic could be broached at the end of the first session for everyone to consider and settle in the second perhaps. 

•  ‘Catchy’ names can help settle the concept and help people hold it in mind. 

connection

Here we are really thinking about the connection of the service and this co-design initiative to the community and the strength of the investment of everyone in it. Beginning with the value position of the community as an enabler for cooperation and connectivity. Community is continuity, ongoing stories. So, we start with curiosity and encouragement of creative expressions of the local community. This has to be a good starting place for service design.  

reflections

• Good co-design can be seen as a bridge, connecting the “Life World” of Communities which is fluid and dynamic, with the “Service World”, which is structured and funding dependent (Burns and Fruchtel, 2014).

the space 

The workshops and spaces for co-design will be creations of everyone involved, e.g. ‘professionals’ and ‘parents’, ‘lived’ and’ learned’ experience. It is vital to create a space in the co-design that appreciates everyone taking part and which is an enabling space to have the necessary meaningful conversations. Sometimes, the ‘professionals’ (privileged) will need to purposefully lead and facilitate this, describe the context, make acknowledgements, and leave the floor clear for ‘parents with lived experience’ to lead. A good venue, food and refreshments, the maximum “radical” hospitality is important. (New Town Culture, Goldsmiths report, 2020) 

reflections

• Sometimes we can catch the exhilarating feeling of moving into a new space with others, and it feels great.

• A Belief that everyone has a right to space. (adrienne maree brown, Holding Change, 2021). 

• People facing difficulty can't constantly be expected to make the running on change all the time; allies are needed.

format and boundaries

Position is important. A circle of chairs on a venue floor can be powerful.  A circle is a visible, practical way of arranging participants to demonstrate the invitation for all to be included. A circle can be a cue to slow down, listen, and feel our bodies' presence with others. Holding that circle closed may be important at times to generate confidentiality.  Boundaries and boundary setting - establishing the mission - are essential, as is control over them. The act of crossing a boundary together with another person or as part of a group can generate energy and hope.

reflections

• Asking ourselves, what power is here in the space, who has it? Where does it come from? 

• The closed circle has positive power. However, a fixed circle could become unproductive or even harmful, and widening the circle or allowing movement can be important.  

transformation

The Co-design should aim for transformational, not transactional change/project development (McKercher 2020).  Not losing sight of what has gone before, but also going beyond this. The values need to be held, displayed, and re-confirmed in the workshop moments. The relational mix of lived and learned experience can bring energy and creativity and give the values and mission life. Coming at the co-design process with a sense of occasion, attending to the ceremony of it. (New Town Culture, Goldsmiths report, 2020) 

reflections

• Epictetus, the Greek Philosopher, said, “Don’t explain your philosophy. Embody it.” 

discomfort

Sometimes not knowing is a precious type of knowledge, but it is not always valued. To say you don't know can be an invitation to others, a sign of your faith in the community. The co-design process is likely to be an ‘outside of the comfort zone’ experience for many, if not all, of the participants at different times.  ‘Professionals’ have really got to take the hit if they can and prioritise the comfort of the lived experience participants.  A kind of Hopeful disruption can follow when we come together in a design space that is traditionally bounded and privileged for professionals (Four Bars, 2021). 

reflections

• There may be moments when things don’t work, but we would do well to remember Kelly Ann McKercher’s wisdom that ‘Failed ideas make great compost.’ (McKercher 2020)

feedback and story

We live in feedback loops; we will want to invite all participants to reflect on past experiences and have that inform the Co-design.  A useful and related aim of the process can be to speed up these feedback loops and stay engaged and responsive to feedback, on the past and the present Co-design ideas and the process itself. We may need to work hard on listening, and even create fresh organisational cultures and systems of feedback. 

reflections

• Support and aftercare - In the circle and afterwards important.

• Storytelling along the way could be key in exchanging experience. If you want to connect with someone, you have to be open to sharing a part of yourself as well. Making sense of each other by showing vulnerability helps us build compassion and break down barriers, rather than creating new ones. (relational activism, SSIR, 2019)