Co-design in Change
Co-design is an approach to change in which the people affected by a change help shape it from the start, working alongside the change team rather than commenting on a finished design. It draws on participatory design and has been applied to public policy and services. Co-design builds ownership but does not remove the sponsor's decision rights.
Quick facts
- Type
- Practice (participative design of change)
- Origin
- Participatory design; co-creation in design research (Sanders & Stappers, 2008); public policy (Blomkamp, 2018)
- Used when
- The people affected hold knowledge the design needs, and their commitment matters
- Related models
- Appreciative inquiry · Stakeholder engagement · Arnstein's ladder of participation
- Exam relevance
- APMG CM Foundation, Organizational Context & Approach (OA0101); Practitioner (OA0210, OA0306)
What is co-design in change management?
Co-design means designing a change with the people it affects, not for them. Staff, customers or other stakeholders work with the change team to define the problem, generate options and shape the solution, from early in the process.
The idea comes from participatory design and design research. Sanders and Stappers (2008) describe co-design as collective creativity shared by designers and people not trained in design. Emma Blomkamp (2018) reviews its use in public policy and describes it as a design-led process that uses creative and participatory principles and tools to bring different kinds of people and knowledge into problem solving.
Co-design is therefore a way of sharing design work, not just a way of collecting opinions.
How is co-design different from consultation?
Consultation asks people to comment on a design that is largely finished. Co-design gives them a hand in shaping it.
| Inform | Consult | Co-design | |
|---|---|---|---|
| When people join | After the decision | When a draft exists | When the problem is being defined |
| Their influence | None on the design | Can suggest changes | Shape options and the solution |
| Who decides | Sponsor | Sponsor | Sponsor, on the basis of a shared design |
Arnstein's (1969) ladder of citizen participation is an early model of this spectrum, from token involvement to shared power.
Co-design therefore sits higher on the participation ladder than consultation, though the sponsor still owns the final decision.
What principles guide co-design?
Co-design practice commonly follows principles such as these, several of which echo Blomkamp (2018):
- Involve people early, while the problem is still open.
- Value lived experience as expertise alongside technical knowledge.
- Be clear about the scope and about who makes the final decision.
- Use creative, visual methods such as journey maps and prototypes, so everyone can contribute.
- Iterate: test rough ideas and improve them together.
- Close the loop: show participants what was done with their input.
Co-design therefore depends as much on honest framing as on workshop techniques.
How do you run a co-design workshop?
At Harbourside Council, a housing repairs team co-designs a new way to log and schedule repairs.
- Frame the challenge. State the problem, the fixed constraints and what is open to change.
- Invite a mix of people: frontline staff, schedulers, tenants and a sponsor representative.
- Explore the current experience with a journey map of a typical repair.
- Generate options in small mixed groups.
- Prototype and test the most promising options on paper or in a short trial.
- Agree next steps, including who decides and when participants will hear back.
A co-design workshop therefore works best as one step in a series, not a one-off event.
Why does co-design build commitment, and what are its limits?
People who help shape a solution understand it and feel ownership of it. The people who do the work also bring practical knowledge, so the design better reflects how the work is really done. Both make adoption smoother.
Co-design has limits. It usually takes more time up front, which is repaid later through easier adoption rather than avoided. It does not transfer the sponsor's accountability or decision rights to participants. Blomkamp also warns of co-optation and growing cynicism when participation is poorly run or only for show.
Co-design is therefore most effective when its scope and decision rights are clear from the start.
Co-design vs. stakeholder engagement: what is the difference?
| Co-design | Stakeholder engagement | |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Designing the solution together | All activity to inform, consult and involve stakeholders |
| Who takes part | A selected group of people affected | Every stakeholder group, at different depths |
| Level of influence | High: participants shape options | Varies from information only to partnership |
| Typical methods | Workshops, journey maps, prototypes | Briefings, surveys, forums, one-to-one meetings |
Co-design is one deep form of stakeholder engagement, used where the people affected should help shape the change itself.
Exam focus
At Foundation level (OA0101) expect recall of what co-design means, designing the change with the people affected, and why it strengthens commitment. A common trap equates co-design with asking for comments on a finished design, or claims it removes the sponsor's decisions or always shortens the change. At Practitioner level (OA0210, OA0306) the topic is assessed by application to a case study.
Practise this syllabus area →FAQ
What does co-design mean in change management?
Co-design means designing a change together with the people who will be affected by it. They help define the problem, generate options and shape the solution from the start, instead of reviewing a design that is already finished. The sponsor keeps accountability for the final decision.
What is the difference between co-design and consultation?
Consultation asks people to comment on a draft or finished design, so their influence is limited to suggested changes. Co-design involves them while the problem is still open, so they shape the options and the solution. Both are useful; co-design gives far more influence.
Does co-design slow change down?
Co-design usually takes more time at the start, because more people are involved in defining and testing the solution. That time is often repaid through smoother adoption, fewer redesigns and less resistance later, but co-design should not be sold as a way to make change faster.
Who makes the decisions in co-design?
The sponsor or another accountable leader still makes the final decisions. Co-design shapes the options and evidence they decide on. Being clear about this from the start avoids raising expectations that participants will have the final say, which can damage trust.
Sources
- Blomkamp, E. (2018). The Promise of Co-Design for Public Policy. Australian Journal of Public Administration, 77(4), 729–743.
- Sanders, E. B.-N. & Stappers, P. J. (2008). Co-creation and the new landscapes of design. CoDesign, 4(1), 5–18.
- Arnstein, S. R. (1969). A Ladder of Citizen Participation. Journal of the American Institute of Planners, 35(4), 216–224.
- APMG International — Change Management certification (syllabus topics OA0101, OA0210)
- Last reviewed