HomeMy WebLinkAbout5/18/2022 DMCC Board of Directors Meeting - CoDesign Toolkit (2)AUTHORS &
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
AUTHORS
Jess Roberts
Culture of Health by Design LLC & University of Minnesota
Kevin Bright
Destination Medical Center & City of Rochester
Wafa Elkhalifa
Destination Medical Center
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The design practice that Jess Roberts has been leading for the past decade
has informed the content and structure of this co-design guide. This work
was made possible by support of the Destination Medical Center Econonmic
Development Agency (DMC EDA) and the McKnight Foundation.
This work is under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0
International License.
INTRODUCTION
WELCOME TO THE COMMUNITY OF ROCHESTER, MINNESOTA’S
COMMUNITY CO-DESIGN TOOLKIT!
This document is meant for practitioners or organizations hoping to implement a community
co-design engagement process for the development of a place, program, or initiative. The
primary purpose of this toolkit and process is to provide the information needed to explore a
co-design process within your own community. While there are certainly other engagement
methods that prioritize the involvement of historically excluded populations that are effective,
this guide is focused on community co-design, a type of human-centered design (HCD)
approach that looks to create opportunities and structure for shared decision-making.
The primary objectives of the co-design process are the following:
Meaningfully include diverse voices in the conceptual and design development process
through paid positions where community members develop the project’s key principles
and measurements for its success.
Community members are selected because they or their community is most impacted by
the project and have the least amount of access to influencing its development.
The requests, conversations, and questions of communities acknowledge and utilize
previous research and community input to scope the co-design effort.
Co-design explorations are grounded in the lived experiences and assets of the
communities most impacted by the project’s development.
Through a series of facilitated meetings and individual explorations, the co-designers
and their communities, inform a set of guiding principles that the design team can use to
develop a more equitable and community-centric outcome.
The co-design process explained in this toolkit was advanced, tested, and refined by a group
of government, non-profit, and private organizations in Rochester, Minnesota. A steering
committee comprised of Olmsted County and City of Rochester staff, Rochester-area non-
profits and individuals interested in developing an approach to encourage, compensate, and
prioritize the inclusion of diverse populations in Rochester in project development. At the
time of the development of this approach, the City of Rochester and Destination Medical
Center Economic Development Agency (DMC EDA) recognized that their current engagement
approaches were not reaching and providing easy or accessible ways for marginalized
communities to participate in the development of publicly-funded projects. So, with the help
of the Steering Committee members above, we set out to create a process that achieved our
inclusion goals and apply it to a pilot project that the DMC EDA was involved in. Since March
2020 and its application to the design of a downtown public park, this process has been used
on nine other local or regional projects. The impact of the co-design
process has grown and is shifting how community leaders think
about community engagement and equity. The continued expansion
of co-design is leading to more direct investment in local expertise
and experiences, fostering and strengthened relationships between
public agencies and the communities they serve.
In Rochester, we have found the co-design process to be very
useful. While we understand community co-design will not solve
all problems that ail a community, it is an accessible framework to
reframe many of the inequalities that plague many communities. This
deeper form of engagement with the communities who can benefit
the most, leads to better project outcomes and, in the long-term,
helps build trust of community with governmental agencies and
other community organizations.
The toolkit is organized in the following manner to help a
practitioner understand a community co-design’s purpose:
Community Co-Design Attributes and Distinctions
The Benefits of using a co-design process
Recruitment of co-designers
Facilitating co-design meetings
Evaluating the process itself
Co-design project examples
Our collective hope is that with this toolkit, background, and
examples, practitioners will develop a comfort to pilot a co-design
process themselves. From our experience, the co-design process is
fiercely human-centered and offers real and practical opportunity to
move beyond talk to action. We hope to see your community join us
on our journey as we work to build a more equitable Rochester, all
people at a time.
Warm Regards,
Community for Health Steering Committee
CONTENTS
01 Purpose & Background
IN THIS SECTION we will cover the who,
what, where, and how to this guide,
including:
• Who might find this action-focused guide
valuable
• What types of project might benefit most from
this approach
• Where and when it will have the most value to a
project, program, or policy
• Why this approach versus others
• How to use this guide (action-oriented and
dynamic rather than a static toolkit).
02 Setting Context
IN THIS SECTION we will fully describe the
co-design approach and value proposition,
including:
• Definition and intention of a co-design process
• Detailed co-design sequence
• Literature and case studies that informed
approach
• Importance of equity in public projects,
programs, and policy
• Barriers to traditional engagement approaches
and how co-design addresses them
• How co-design compares/differs from other
engagement and research approaches
• Project and organizational prerequisites for
successful co-design
• Outline key terms and definitions.
03 Recruitment
IN THIS SECTION we will describe the
importance of, and approach to, effective
recruitment for the co design process
(recruitment of community co-designers).
We will cover:
• The importance of a diverse (racial,
geographical, age, socioeconomic,
etc.) group of co-designers
• Co-design team
• Stakeholder mapping
• The required competencies for community
co-designers
• How to leverage existing relationships
• Growing long-term relationships and
community networks.
04 Facilitation
IN THIS SECTION we will cover the
planning and logistics necessary to
schedule, facilitate, and support an effective
co-design effort. Specifically, we will review:
• Roles, responsibilities, and how to manage
team dynamics
• Logistics and helpful tools for scheduling,
supporting co-designers, and ensuring a safe
and healthy collaborative environment
• Developing principles of success (know you
are on the right track)
• Facilitation tools and best practices
• Synthesis and developing co-designer guidance
• One-on-one coaching
• Compiling and sharing outcomes.
05 Evaluation &
Dissemination
IN THIS SECTION we will describe
equitable evaluation development
strategies that ensure project
outcomes reflect community value
and lead to continuous improvement.
Specifically, we will describe:
• Developing community-centric
definitions of “success”
• Capturing feedback from all stakeholders
• Evaluation of project outcomes,
• Evaluation of co-design process
• Developing community-centric
communication and marketing strategies.
06 Case Studies
IN THIS SECTION we will detail
several case studies (including
Discovery Walk) to help illustrate co-
design done well regardless of what
the approach was called.
07 Appendix
IN THIS SECTION
Appendix A: Co-Design
Structure Explained.
Appendix B: Co-Design Case Studies
PURPOSE &
BACKGROUND
Effective and equitable co-design is not a set of tools,
but a way of collaborating directly with, and investing
in, community members being most (and often
disproportionately) impacted by challenges. Instead
of outlining prescriptive steps, this guide is intended
to act as a compass for community organizations to
unleash the untapped creative capacity of community
members to navigate the most persistent and complex
issues facing their community.
Instead of asking how “I” might lead a co-design
project, think of this guide as a way to develop the
appropriate conditions and structure for equitable
co-design to take place and be successful. Each
project will take on a little different approach
with different stakeholders around the table, as it
should. You will find ways, as we have, to adapt this
working guide and make it something unique to the
communities you are working with. Most importantly,
do not let political polarization or analysis paralysis get
in the way of doing something. The work of co-design
is difficult and can be messy so use this guide to
bring community together around goodwill
and action.
Equitable co-design is not traditional community
engagement. Equitable co-design aims to address
the most persistent inequalities through addressing
disproportionate power structures. Co-design is not
a good fit for every project or every project team, so
before proceeding, please review the pre-requisites
for effective and equitable co design in “Assessing
Organizational Readiness.”
01 Purpose & Background Page | 5
TERMS & LANGUAGE
Equitable Engagement
Incorporating all stakeholders equitably in the co-design
of policies, programs, and projects in the public realm from
conceptualization through implementation. Recognizing the
failure of our systems to be inclusive of diverse perspectives
and correcting for these shortcomings through intentional
improvements to design processes and practices. DC
Traditional Engagement
Seeking transactional or intermittent input from population or
affinity groups for the purpose of incorporating feedback and/
or garnering support for policies, programs, or projects being
developed in the public realm. DC
Community Stakeholders
Every individual who cares about the community and considers
it their own. Those interacting with and impacted by the systems
and structures that make up a society. DC
Power Structures
Formal and informal systems that function simultaneously
to control access to power by privileging, normalizing, and
valuing certain identities over others. Power structures reflect
the institutional nature of power, and the ways that culture
underwrites the privileging of certain categories of people. DC
01 Purpose & Background
Diversity
The amount of variation or difference represented (racial,
gender, ability status, geography, etc.) Diversity describes a
state where a broad and deep level of difference exists. DC
Inclusion
The level of support that individuals from a diversity of
backgrounds feel. Inclusion is an action wherein deliberate steps
are taken to ensure participation by all. It is the act of harnessing
the power of diversity. DC
Equity
The condition under which individuals are provided the
resources they need to have access to the same opportunities,
as the general population. Equity accounts for systematic
inequalities, meaning the distribution of resources provides
more for those who need it most. Conversely equality indicates
uniformity where everything is evenly distributed among people.
Source: National Association of College and Employers
Page | 6
Diversity Council (DC)
Privilege
Unearned social power (set of advantages, entitlements, and
benefits) accorded by the formal and informal institutions of
society to the members of a dominant group. Privilege tends to
be invisible to those who possess it, because its absence (lack of
privilege) is what calls attention to it.
Source: University of Washington School of Public Health Exclusive access or
access to material and immaterial resources based on the membership to a
dominant social group. DC
Systemic Racism
A system in which public policies, institutional practices,
cultural representations, and other norms work in various, often
reinforcing ways to perpetuate racial group inequity. It identifies
dimensions of our history and culture that have allowed
privileges associated with “whiteness” and disadvantages
associated with “color” to endure and adapt over time. It has
been an enduring feature of the social, economic and political
systems in which we all exist.
Systemic disadvantage(s) of one social group compared to
other groups, rooted and perpetuated through discriminatory
practices (conscious or unconscious) that are reinforced through
institutions, ideologies, representations, policies/laws and
practices. When this kind of inequality is related to racial/ethnic
discrimination, it is referred to as systemic or structural racism.
Source: University of Washington School of Public Health
Tokenism
Tokenism is the practice of making only a perfunctory or
symbolic effort to be inclusive to members of minority groups,
especially by recruiting people from underrepresented groups in
order to give the appearance of racial or gender equality within
01 Purpose & Background
a workplace or educational context. Wikipedia
Tokenism involves the symbolic involvement of a person in an
organization due only to a specified or salient characteristic
(e.g., gender, race/ethnicity, disability, age). It refers to a
policy or practice of limited inclusion of members of a minority,
underrepresented, or disadvantaged group.
Source: Psychology.iresearchnet.com
Lived Experience
Knowledge and skills developed over time through an individual’s
personal history, resulting in unique and valuable wisdom.
Learned Experience
Professional, technical, and tactical knowledge and skills acquired
through formal education and practice.
Culture
Implicit and explicit values and ways of knowing that allow groups
to bind together and perpetuate themselves
The values, beliefs, traditions, behavioral norms, linguistic
expression, knowledge, memories, and collective identities that
are shared by a group of people and give meaning to their social
environments. Culture is learned and inherited behavior that
distinguishes members of one group from another group. Culture
is not static and can change over time.
Source: American Sociological Association
Page | 7
01 Purpose & Background
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Humility & Inclusivity
Directly focus on the lived experiences of communities
most impacted by a challenge.
HOW: Partner with community members that have been
most impacted by and have the most at stake in
addressing challenges.
Radical Collaboration
Diversity of ideas, experiences, and cultures is
fundamental to identifying new ways of addressing
community challenges.
HOW: Create an equitable, inclusive, and transparent
process that leverages the collective creativity
(diversity) of the community to reframe
persistent problems.
Leverage Assets
Leverage existing community passion, creativity,
relationships, and efforts (community assets).
HOW: Create efforts that draw from, support, and
enhance existing community programs and
organizations, not replace or replicate them.
Action-Focused
Don’t let uncertainty or differing perspectives
be the excuse for doing nothing. All breakthroughs in
human history have two things in common: 1) they started
somewhere and 2) almost none of them started in the
right way or place.
HOW: Create iterative opportunities for stakeholders to
offer insights and feedback in real-time when they
can directly inform and refine the work.
Page | 8
Source: CULTURE OF HEALTH BY DESIGN
01 Purpose & Background
BACKGROUND
A diverse team of community partners and stakeholders
tailored, prototyped, and refined this equitable co-design
framework over several years. The start-point for this work
arose from an environmental scan that reviewed best practices
and projects from around the country, specifically drawing
from the following projects/approaches:
• Live Well San Diego
• Imagine Austin
• RWJF County Health Rankings
• Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index
• Healthy Montgomery
• Santa Monica Bloomberg Project
• Health Impact Assessment (HIA)
• Human Centered Design (HCD)
• Equity-centered Collective Impact
Page | 9
02 Setting Context
SETTING
CONTEXT
Too often, community engagement is
practiced by simply “going through the
motions,” where the outcome is about
checking a box rather than shifting the
underlying inequities being reinforced
through this approach. Not all community
engagement is equal, in fact community
engagement occurs along a continuum,
ranging from passive at one end to
partnership and empowerment at the other.
The aspiration of any public project, program,
or policy should be to continually and
actively share decision-making power with
community design partners, not for them.1. INFORM
To provide the public with
balanced and objective
information to assist them in
understanding the problem,
alternatives, opportunities
and/or solutions.
2. CONSULT
To obtain public feedback on
analysis, alternatives and/or
decisions.
3. INVOLVE
To work directly with the public throughout
the process to ensure that public concerns
and aspirations are consistently
understood and considered.
4. COLLABORATE
To partner with the public in each aspect of the
decision including the development of alternatives
and the identification of the preferred solution.
5. EMPOWER
To place final decision making
in the hands of the public.
Increasing impact
on the decision
Spectrum of Public Participation
(International Association for Public
Participation)
Page | 10
ROCHESTER SPOTLIGHT:
For local projects like Discovery Walk, we
targeted the involvement and collaboration
of communities and individuals who had the
most to gain from a new public park in the
community and historically had not participated
in public projects. More information on this
project can be found in the case study section.
02 Setting Context
WHAT IS EQUITABLE
CO-DESIGN?
No one person or organization can address the complex or wicked
problems facing communities today, especially because they
disproportionately impact some communities over others. Equitable
co-design is about a rigorous and meaningful opportunity for
all community members to have a “say” in the community of the
future by leveraging shared lived experiences to reframe seemingly
intractable community challenges and disparities.
Co-design is about challenging the imbalance of
power held within groups of individuals, who make
important decisions about others lives, livelihoods
and bodies. Often, with little to no involvement
of the people who will be most impacted by
those decisions. Co-design seeks to change
that through building new relationships,
capability and capacity for boundless
curiosity. It uses inclusive convening
to share knowledge and power.
- “Beyond Sticky Notes.” Kelly Ann McKercher
Page | 11
ROCHESTER SPOTLIGHT:
It is difficult to imagine that red-lining or other
discriminatory practices would have occurred if it followed
the principles of a co-design process. Prioritizing the
involvement of (and listening to) people most impacted by
a particular planning effort can be a great way to prevent
inequitable processes and outcomes.
02 Setting Context
WHY EQUITABLE
CO-DESIGN?
Like many places around the country, Minnesota is home to high
quality of life, but it is also home to significant and persistent
disparities in who can access a high quality of life. Relying on the
same small group of decision-makers to address these disparities
has only maintained the status quo at best and expanded
disparities at worst. We can expect little to change unless we “flip
the script” and look to directly invest and engage with the same
communities experiencing these disparities most acutely.
How are those most impacted by disparities involved?
• How are community demographics reflected in
the design process?
• How are community demographics reflected in
the decision-making process?
• How is community participation being
professionally compensated?
• How are community demographics reflected
in how projects, programs, and/or policies are
evaluated?
EDUCATION & EMPLOYMENT
3rd grade reading proficiency
8th grade math proficiency
High school graduation rate
Bachelor’s degree or higher
Proportion of adults working
0% 50% 100%
MINNESOTA COMPASS KEY MEASURES: RACIAL GAPS
White population Population of color
HEALTH
Low weight births
Diabetes*
Obesity*
Without health insurance
0% 50%
HOUSING
Cost-burdened
Homeownership
0% 50%
Homeless
adults
6/10,000
64/10,000
ECONOMY
Poverty
0% 50%
Median
household
income
$65,000
$42,400
*Derived for purposes of this article; data are not broken out this way by source
(Centers for Disease Control).
Page | 12
02 Setting Context
BARRIERS
TO ADDRESS
for equitable engagement
An underlying challenge to equitable engagement is to create equitable and meaningful
opportunities for community members to participate. Regardless of investment or resources,
equitable engagement will be inaccessible to those most impacted by a proposed project,
policy, or program if structural barriers are not fully addressed.
COMMUNITY BARRIERS
Power differentials in decision-making
Existing community networks
Over-valuation of learned experience
Lack of lived experience to inform policy,
program and project design
Distrust of government, institutions, and
public processes
PARTICIPATION BARRIERS
Lost wages
Language barriers
Meeting location
Speak for community / tokenism
Transportation availability and costs
Childcare availability and costs
Time of day
Page | 13
02 Setting Context
MAKING THE CASE
While many organizations and government agencies are increasingly
focused on equitable workplaces, policies, programs, and spaces, it can
be difficult to move beyond mission statements. Some lack effective
methods to move to action, but others fear that more equitable problem
solving approaches might cost more or require more time.
The reality is that at a time of increasingly complex issues and limited
budgets, co-design offers a cost-effective and almost untapped
opportunity for fresh thinking and innovation.
SAFE AND COST-EFFECTIVE SCALE:
Because the process is iterative and
incremental, teams avoid over-investing
in concepts that might be ripe with costly
assumptions that do not reflect the
communities impacted by a challenge.
CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION:
By definition, creativity is about bringing
together a diversity of thought, experiences,
and perspectives. The most effective way
to reframe persistent challenges is to look
beyond the “usual suspects.”
SHARED RISK:
Equitable co-design is a structure for truly
interdisciplinary collaboration which not
only improves outcomes, it distributes the
risks of “going it alone.”
COMMUNITY-CHAMPIONS:
Because community members are a central
part of the co-design process, transparency
and project marketing is baked into the
process. Additionally, by investing in
people, not just projects, the co-design
process builds long-term relationships and
capacity within community networks that
can be reliably utilized in the future.
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE:
Having a cost effective and scalable
method for equitable community
engagement and innovation will result in a
unique competitive advantage.
BROAD IMPACT:
Co-design, done well, will not just address
existing disparities, it will create more
universal design criteria for future projects,
policies, and programs (for example, ADA
requirements created more accessible
environments for those with mobility
limitations as well as older individuals and
those with strollers, etc.)
Page | 14
02 Setting Context
EQUITABLE
CO-DESIGN
Traditional engagement models tend to
amplify inequalities because they rely
on the same decision-makers taking the
same approaches to address the same
issues, resulting in the same outcomes.
Engagement approaches are often
well-intentioned, following what are
assumed to be in the best interest of the
community, but there are distinct and
important differences between traditional
engagement strategies and more equitable,
co-design approaches.
TRADITIONAL ENGAGEMENT
Community responds to
pre-determined options
Engage the most readily
accessible community members
(usual suspects) as token
representatives of community
Prioritize learned expertise
Decisions are made on behalf
of community
Uncover what people think
Engagement is project-based
(short-term)
Attempt to control for diversity
of experiences, perspectives,
& cultures
Focus on the number of
engagements
Page | 15
Asking yourself: who may benefit most
from this project? Do all stakeholders
(individual or collective) have an easy
(obstacle-free) and meaningful way to
offer insight?
TIP:
CO-DESIGN
Community collaborates to identify,
develop, and implement efforts
Engage less accessible community
members as conduits to
under-represented community
experiences
Prioritize lived experiences
Decision making with community
at all phases of design process as
possible (shared power structure)
Uncover what people feel
Directly invest in community
members, relationships, trust building,
and network building (long-term)
Leverage diversity as a prerequisite
to creativity and innovation
Focus on the depth of engagements
02 Setting Context
START WITH WHAT IS KNOWN
TIMELINE: Prior to engagement planning and recruitment
Often overlooked, understanding what is already known about a particular issue, especially input and feedback from community, is an important
place to start your project. Be sure to spend time reviewing literature and research that has been done to best identify the scope and scale of
the problem and most importantly, the communities being most disproportionately impacted. Failing to leverage and honor previous work done
in the community risks framing the wrong problems, recruiting the wrong stakeholders, and creating outcomes that are duplicative and ineffective.
The easiest place to start to better
understand challenges, those that are being
disproportionately impacted, and best
practices is to review existing peer reviewed
literature. Literature reviews can help hone
your project, policy, or programming scope
and inform your stakeholder mapping.
Example: Start with a simple “Google
Scholar” (or similar) search to identify
research done on the challenge you are
starting with. Pay special attention to
local and recent research.
Most community issues have been directly explored
with communities through surveys, focus groups,
and/or community listening sessions. These data can
help contextualize the information or gaps identified
in the literature review. Failing to honor community
input and time by asking the same questions that
have been asked of communities in the past will
damage the trust and relationships needed for
effective co-design.
Example: Reach out to regional non-profits
to identify applicable past community
engagement efforts. Also look for on-going
engagement data sets, such as those found
in Community Health Needs Assessments
(which occur every three years
in Minnesota).
Reviewing regional, national, and international case
studies related to the challenge you are tackling
can help you more clearly articulate project goals.
Be careful to approach case studies with a critical
eye, as some read more like a marketing brochure
than a collection of lessons learned. The intention
of reviewing case studies is not to find full scale
projects to replicate, rather to develop a set of
principles to help guide your efforts.
Example: Compile a diversity of case studies
related to the challenge you are addressing
and look to find common lessons (success
and barriers).
CASE STUDY REVIEWSCOMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
ACTIVITIESLITERATURE REVIEWS
Page | 16
ROCHESTER SPOTLIGHT:
In Discovery Walk, the team relied on existing
parks master plans and Community Health Needs
Assessments, among other data to understand what
the community has defined as challenges and assets,
so that the work of co-design was informed by
existing community insights.
02 Setting Context
DETERMINE PROJECT READINESS
TIMELINE: Prior to co-design engagement planning and recruitment
Regardless of the structure, tools, prep or resources, without certain conditions in place or the ability to
put them in place, the co-design effort is likely to be unsuccessful. These requirements should help you
determine which efforts are a good fit for co-design and maybe more importantly, which ones are not.
BUILDING ON ASSETS
While understanding gaps in community resources is important, it tends to focus
on factors/conditions that take away from health rather than the those that
contribute to health. It is important to honor community efforts, history, and
people to support and enhance existing community programs and organizations,
not replace or replicate them. The last thing most communities need is “another
project.” Co-design should leverage existing community passion, creativity,
relationships, and efforts (community assets) to build solutions that stick.
IDENTIFYING WORK THAT MATTERS (THE RIGHT EFFORTS)
The fatal flaw to many co-design/equitable community engagement efforts
is that they focus on the issues that are just not the issues that matter most
to those being disproportionately impacted by them. It is important to
leverage and honor all the community assessments and conversations that
have already occurred to focus on what matters (not starting from scratch).
Additionally, if the effort doesn’t offer the opportunity for community co-
designers to affect the outcomes (in real and direct ways), don’t bother.
POWER-SHARING INFRASTRUCTURE
Regardless of the level of engagement, if those
holding disproportionate power are responsible for
managing, synthesizing, and designing outcomes,
you are more likely to reinforce inequitable
systems than change them. Co-design requires
more than sentiment, it requires sharing financial
resources and decision-making power throughout
the end-to-end design process.
DIVERSITY OF LIVED EXPERIENCES
Lived experiences have been
significantly devalued especially when
compared to other forms of learned
expertise – understanding how policies,
projects, and programs manifest in the
real lives of real people, especially those
of under-invested demographics, offer
almost untapped potential.
RELATIONAL NETWORKS
You cannot shortcut or fake relationships and
often we are confronting long-seeded distrust of
institutions and communities that have evaluation
burnout in our design efforts. Relationships
and trusted networks are foundational in the
identification of community co-designers and
their ability to access voices that tend to be
missed in traditional engagement approaches.
Power-sharing
infrastructure
Relational
Networks
Efforts
that
Matter
Diversity
of Lived
Experiences
Asset
Orientation
Source: CULTURE OF HEALTH BY DESIGN
Page | 17
02 Setting Context
ASSESSING
ORGANIZATIONAL
READINESS
Tools & Tactics
ORGANIZATIONAL CHECK-LIST
Before launching a community co-design effort, make sure that
the proposed project is the right project and at the right stage to
benefit from community involvement or you risk alienating both
the community and project leadership. First it is important to
ensure that you 1) have a defined project team (who are the key
stakeholders) and 2) that the project team is on the same page
about what you’re trying to understand and/or inform through
this process. A “readiness” checklist can be an effective way to
understand where there are disagreements on the project team
and identify if this effort is a good fit for the co-design process
as well as who those community co-designers might be.
Give a copy of the checklist to each of the project team
leadership members to fill out individually first. Then come
together to see where there is agreement or disagreement about the
nature of your project and the appropriateness of a co-design process.
Use the tool as a discussion guide rather than a tool that will offer a black
and white outcome.
TIP:
Organizational Check-list
On a scale of 1-10, to what degree are project leadership
engaged/invested in this project? Describe in detail.
On a scale of 1-10, to what degree are impacted community
members engaged/invested in this project? Describe in detail.
On a scale of 1-10, how willing are project leadership to
collaborate and share decision-making power? Describe in detail.
On a scale of 1-10, what is the level of existing momentum
around this project? Describe in detail.
To what degree are resources and decision-making power tied to
project outcome (what is the level that community co-designers
would be able to affect the outcome)? Describe in detail.
How has this project been informed/will be informed by
existing community data (surveys and town halls for example)?
Describe in detail.
To what degree does the project timeline allow for meaningful
engagement and execution of community feedback and input?
Describe in detail.
On a scale of 1-10, how likely is this project to positively impact
under-served populations? Describe in detail.
Page | 18
RECRUITMENT
WHAT IS CO-DESIGN RECRUITMENT?
An important part of the co-design approach is your ability to
bring together a diverse and traditionally under-represented set
of perspectives, experiences, and values. To do so, you need to
actively recruit community members through existing community
relationships and remove barriers to participation including
having to apply to participate in the work.
03 Recruitment Page | 19
ROCHESTER SPOTLIGHT:
For the Rochester Bloomberg Mayors Challenge Project and Discovery Walk,
the Project Teams consulted with community-based organizations (CBO’s) like
the Diversity Council and County Public Health Department to identify co-
designers. Given their trusted relationships with community members, they
helped encourage the participation of their networks.
03 Recruitment
WHY EQUITABLE
CO-DESIGN RECRUITMENT?
TRADITIONAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Traditional approaches tend to engage the “usual suspects” who are
often treated as universal token representatives of the communities
they are part of. This approach offers a very limited, and often
inaccurate, perspective on community experiences and values.
COMMUNITY CO-DESIGN
In a co-design approach, the community co-designers (who are from
under-represented communities) are conduits to difficult-to-reach
community networks (friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, etc.).
In this way you have access to a much broader and more diverse
collection of perspectives and experiences from those that would not
be accessible through other methods. In short, the co-design process
is a cost effective, equitable, and mutually beneficial way to include
community in any project.
Page | 20
Part of the focus of co-design is to create a communication
and personals links with your organization/agency where
they did not exist in the past. Identifying and prioritizing the
involvement of communities’ who have the most to gain from
a project and currently least access to provide perspective,
should be central to your recruitment approach.
TIPS:Early and accessible options to influence project/
policy design is essential for successful co-design.
Too often, organizations will offer listening sessions
during workhours and only when the project is
nearing completion.
Source: CULTURE OF HEALTH BY DESIGN
03 Recruitment
RECRUITMENT SEQUENCE
Stakeholder
Mapping
Identify all possible
project stakeholders,
both those that will be
most impacted by the
effort as well as those
that have the most
ability (decision-making
power) to impact the
outcomes.
Prioritizing
Stakeholders
Not everyone will be able to
participate in the co-design
effort, so you should look
to prioritize a diversity of
perspectives, experiences,
and influence. Including
diversity of age, race,
gender, geography, physical
and mental ability, etc.
Outreach
Once key stakeholder
groups have been
identified, look to leverage
existing personal and
organizational relationships
to identify community co-
designers that meet target
stakeholder criteria and are
good a good personality fit
for working in collaborative
and diverse environments.
Expectation
Setting
Connect with community
co-design candidates
to gauge interest and
availability. Offer a project
overview and outline
individual expectations for
participation.
Page | 21
Asking community-based organizations (CBOs) for their help to identify individuals
who are collaborative, open to difference in opinion, connected within their
communities, and invested in the project/policy being addressed is critical to
recruiting co-designers.
TIPS:
03 Recruitment
PROJECT
STAKEHOLDERS & ROLES
Project Team
The project team is responsible for oversight,
guidance, and support of the co-design
process. The project team encompasses the
key decision-makers and project leadership.
The project team is foundational in supporting
the co-design process and ensuring that the
co-design outcomes are translated into real
and meaningful outcomes.
Community Partners
Community partners are the backbone
of the co-design process. Community
partners offer feedback and insights
to guide the development and
implementation of the co-design process.
Community partners are also critical in
connecting with community co-designers.
Community
Co-Designers
Community co-designers will share
experiences, facilitate community interviews,
discuss ideas, and communicate project
outcomes to project and city leaders
throughout the co-design process.
Page | 22
SETTING
EXPECTATIONS
Community co-designers
Know that co-design is a process not a product
Debate and disagreement is part of the process—consensus
is not necessarily a focus
Quality and depth of engagement over quantity of input.
Know that not all ideas or priorities will be acted upon/
implemented, but everything will be shared through
appropriate channels
Know that every project has constraints and limitations
(political, financial, geographical, etc.)
We all have different lived experiences and cultures that
inform our perspectives and values – diversity is the biggest
advantage of this approach
Know that you will be a co-researcher/designer and we
will not expect you to be a universal representative of the
communities you identify with
Individuals must be curious and mission-driven (not over-
invested in a singular approach or outcome)
Individuals must have comfort with ambiguity
Paid professional wages
03 Recruitment Page | 23
SETTING
EXPECTATIONS
Project Team
Know that co-design is a process, not a product.
Debate and disagreement is part of the process–
consensus is not necessarily a focus.
Quality and depth of engagement over quantity of input.
Do not have community members respond to
predetermined ideas and be open to pursuing issues/
questions that may not have “immediate” solutions
Dedicate to learning/following lead of community—
primary role is to listen and ask questions
Co-designers have lived experience expertise which is
different but equally important to learned expertise
Focus effort on, and dedicate resources to, input and
feedback (do not explore issues you are not willing to
address/change)
This project is part of a long-term investment into
individuals and communities, beyond this project
On-going communications/relationships (beyond
co-design phase)
03 Recruitment Page | 24
SETTING
EXPECTATIONS
Community leaders/
decision-makers
Play a supportive role: advance and advocate for
co-design processes and outcomes.
Ensure continued community involvement beyond the
co-design process (through development and delivery
phases of effort and post-project).
Incorporate principles of co-design process to insure
more democratic process to public projects and
policies across city/region.
Invest in people, not just projects.
Support community champions to support
decisions/projects
03 Recruitment Page | 25
03 Recruitment
STAKEHOLDER
ANALYSIS
Tools & Tactics
STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS
The most important part of the co-design process is
identifying key stakeholders, both those who are most
impacted and have the least decision-making power
and those that are least impacted and have the
most power or influence on the project outcomes. A
Stakeholder analysis can be an effective way to bring
a project team together and identify perspectives
that have historically been left out of the process.
A stakeholder map is a tool that prompts discussion
around which voices are most important to access and not
currently part of the work. Consider a diversity of perspectives
(such as a minority business owner, or person seeking to develop a
downtown business) from communities that might have different lived
experiences that could provide particularly keen and unique insight for a project.
TIP:
LESS IMPACTED
LOW ACCESS
LESS IMPACTED
HIGH ACCESS
HIGHLY IMPACTED
LOW ACCESS
HIGHLY IMPACTED
HIGH ACCESS
LOW ACCESS TO PROCESS & IMPLEMENTATION HIGH
LO
W
I
M
P
AC
T
E
D
B
Y
R
E
C
O
M
M
E
N
D
A
T
I
O
N
S
H
I
G
H
Page | 26
Source: groupmap.com
03 Recruitment
JOB
DESCRIPTION
Tools & Tactics
JOB DESCRIPTIONS SHOULD:
Describe project background and objectives
Outline co-design participant responsibilities,
including time commitments
Describe co-design format and sequencing
Illustrate a high-level timeline
Clearly define compensation and pay schedule.
JOB DESCRIPTION
Most community co-designer candidates will want
information about the project as well as expectations
for participating. A job description is a straightforward
way to share essential details about the co-design
project without overwhelming candidates. The
case studies included in the appendix of the toolkit
include information around compensation details and
payment for each effort.
When recruiting community co-designers, rely on a warm
handoff through existing individual and organizational
relationship. Share the job description with potential to gauge
interest and availability and to identify concerns or questions before
you interview co-designer candidates.
TIP:
Page | 27
03 Recruitment
COMPENSATION
Tools & Tactics
COMPENSATION
Compensation may not feel like a tool, but it is critical to ensure that
community co-designers can fully participate in the process and
address challenges, such as childcare and transportation. Professional
level compensation shifts power dynamics and demonstrates an
equitable valuation of lived experience.
The most efficient and equitable way to compensate participants is in
lump sums, with half being paid at the beginning of the project and half
being paid at the end of the project. Depending on the project scale
and state and federal tax regulations, co designers may be required
to fill out W-9 tax forms and report their earnings to the IRS. This can
impact individual’s state or federal benefits, so be sure to explore these
impacts and make adjustments as necessary.
If working with immigrant populations or those
with significant distrust of institutions, you can adjust
compensation levels and subsequent hours of effort to stay below
reporting levels. Additionally, be sure to offer support in filling out
W-9s and secure ways for submitting them.
TIP:
Page | 28
FACILITATION
WHAT IS CO-DESIGN FACILITATION?
It is important that the co-design process follows
the lead of your community co-designers as much
as possible. To do so, co-design facilitation is about
collaborating with and empowering co-designers
to share questions, insights, and feedback and feel
safe in doing so. The facilitation process is about
asking the right questions at the right times and
in a curious manner to best elicit and capture the
lived experiences of the communities that your co-
designers are part of.
WHY CO-DESIGN FACILITATION?
Traditional forms of engagement can tend to over-
simplify problem solving by ask community, 1) what’s
the problem and 2) what do you need to address
it? This assumes that community members fully
understand the full scope of complex influences
driving a particular challenge and that the solution
is a simple tweak of existing programming or policy.
The main objective of this approach is to create
a unique call-to-action grounded in the lived
experiences of those most impacted.
04 Facilitation
The co-design facilitation process is not focused
on specific solutions, instead it looks to create
and prioritize compelling design challenges
and develop detailed guiding principles for
successfully addressing the challenge.
Page | 29
TIPS AND EXPECTATIONS
OF CO-DESIGN
FACILITATION
GROUP NORMS: Establish ground rules for communication of
co-designers and listening. Make these expectations explicit
at the outset of each design studio.
HUMILITY: Regardless of how passionate a facilitator might be
about an issue, they cannot truly know an experience that is
outside of their own.
ASKING FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS: The foundation to
creativity is asking fundamental questions of the systems we
have long taken for granted.
SUPPORT AND RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING
WITH CO-DESIGNERS: Do not under-estimate the importance
of building rapport with co-designers. Spend time prior to
and during the co-design process with each co-designer to
learn more about them.
BE CURIOUS AND NOT JUDGMENTAL: Instead of responding
to experiences or ideas, better understand where they are
coming from.
CREATE INVITING AND SAFE ENVIRONMENTS:
Co-designers must feel safe in sharing lived experiences,
create multiple opportunities (inside and outside of group
meetings) for this to happen.
PERFECTION IS A BARRIER TO GOOD: Consensus is not the
objective. The iterative format of the co-design process allows
teams to ”learn their way forward” and not become paralyzed
by having to be “right.”
KEEPING IT LIGHT (where applicable): Try to not make the
process feel like “work.” Lend hope through honoring experiences
and creating an optimistic and at times humorous environment.
04 Facilitation
CREATE MULTIPLE WAYS FOR CO-DESIGNERS TO SHARE:
Each co-designer will have different skill sets and levels of
comfort with the work. Be sure to allow multiple ways for
co-designers to share (for example, visual versus written).
FOCUS ON WHY, NOT WHAT: The main role for facilitators
is to better understand the “why” behind community
experiences and responses (for example, if a community
member relies on their neighbor for health information
you could ask, what do you find most valuable when you
seek health information from your neighbor? Or have them
describe a recent positive experience receiving health
guidance from their neighbor in detail.)
HOLDING AND NAVIGATING TENSIONS: Tensions are
where innovations live. Do not avoid tensions, instead
explore them to better understand the challenge and
possible solutions.
BALANCED PARTICIPATION: No one voice should dominate
the co-design process. Ensure that all experiences and
perspectives are honored.
RECORDING AND TRACKING DISCUSSIONS: Be sure to
capture and illustrate each co-design session. Share the
notes with co-designers to ensure that their priorities were
captured accurately.
INVOLVING DECISION-MAKERS/PROJECT
STAKEHOLDERS: Be sure to involve those with decision-
making power in the co-design process, but do so carefully.
Decision-makers should be in attendance, but only to listen
and ask questions of co-designers.
RAPID FOLLOW-UP WITH CO-DESIGNERS: After each
co-design session, facilitators need to follow-up with next
steps that are grounded on the previous discussion within
48 hours.
Page | 30
04 Facilitation
CO-DESIGN STRUCTURE
A co-design structure is an iterative sequence of in-person (or virtual) studio sessions followed by community co-designer exploration sprints. The
studios are where a diverse collection of community co-designers (who are all professionally compensated as designers and researchers) come
together and collectively interpret information and insights from their community conversations (sprints) as well as co-develop promising solution
concepts to test with community members in subsequent sprints. Co-design is the space and authentic opportunity for community perspectives,
hopes, fears, and values to be a central part of the design and decision-making process. As a way to help bring this theory to practice, an example
of the Discovery Walk Project has been included in the Appendix that outlines the Project Team’s process and documents for recruitment of co-
designers, studio agendas, sprint questions, and explorations, and the final documents.
DESIGN TEAMS
Design teams are a collection of co-designers
that self-identify across a diversity of
communities, values, cultures and lived
experiences, especially those most difficult
to reach in more traditional research and
engagement efforts. Co-designers will draw
on their trusted and intimate relationships
with community members to offer deep
insights and perspectives that would
otherwise be inaccessible.
STUDIOS
Studios are the spaces/times for
co-designers to come together and
collectively interpret information, co-develop
and test promising solution concepts, and to
work with decision makers and community
leaders to translate community vision into
action. The studios are workshops for sharing
what participants/teams have learned
through the previous sprint and co-develop
an approach for the next sprint.
SPRINTS
Sprints are where participants/teams
explore the questions, ideas, and
community input that arise during
the design studios. Sprints are the
opportunity for co-designers to explore
questions and test ideas within their
trusted networks and generate insights
and ideas to share at the next studio.
INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT
Design facilitators connect one-
on-one with co-designers in each
iteration to offer guidance and
develop customized approaches
and tools that are culturally
appropriate and effective at better
understanding community history,
needs, and values.
Source: CULTURE OF HEALTH BY DESIGN
DESIGN STUDIO
On-going
INDIVIDUAL
SUPPORT
SPRINTDESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 3
INDIVIDUAL
SUPPORT
SPRINTDESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 2
INDIVIDUAL
SUPPORT
SPRINTDESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 1
Page | 31
INDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 4
ONGOINGINDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 3
INFORMSINDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 2
INFORMS
04 Facilitation
ITERATIVE STRUCTURE
The iterative structure for co-design allows for longitudinal and in-depth engagement
with community stakeholders which allows for the emergence of insights that would be
inaccessible through other methods, regardless of investment of resources or time. This
structure is rigorous enough to move the work forward while being open enough to allow for
unexpected insights to emerge which is critically important when looking for co-designer’s
experiences to drive the process.
Each iteration informs the focus and scope of the next (following co-designer’s lead), but
there are general priorities that should be covered in each iteration. This guide outlines a
general co-design sequence, but this process and number of iterations will depend the
project scope, objectives, and timeline.
Source: CULTURE OF HEALTH BY DESIGN
Approx. 3 weeks
INDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 1
Approx. 3 weeks Approx. 3 weeks Approx. 3 weeks
INFORMS
Page | 32
INDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 4
ONGOINGINDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 3
INFORMSINDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 2
INFORMS
04 Facilitation
ITERATIVE STRUCTURE
PRE-KICK-OFF
INDIVIDUAL CHECK-IN: Prior to the launch
of the co-design process, one-on-one check-
ins with each co-designer will build trust
and relationship between facilitators and
community co-designers. These check-ins are
intended to make co-designers as comfortable
as possible with what to expect over the
coming weeks and offer guidance for what to
do if they have questions or issues arise at any
point of the process.
INDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 1
INFORMS
ITERATION 1:
SET CONTEXT AND BUILD RELATIONSHIPS
STUDIO #1: The kickoff studio is an opportunity for community co-designers
to get to know each other and build familiarity with the project, project team,
expectations and timeline. Community co-designers learn about 1) project priorities
and proposed outcomes, 2) Identify interview approach and community members
to interview during first sprint, and 3) review and practice interview approaches
and documentation.
INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT CHECK-IN: The individual check-ins are short one-on-one
meetings between facilitators and community co-designers to, 1) answer questions
about the previous studio and/or next steps and 2) adapt the discussion/synthesis
approach and tools to align with personal and cultural preferences.
INDIVIDUAL SPRINT #1: The first sprint is where community co-designers will
interview those in their personal and professional networks. The first sprint is
focused on getting a broad understanding of perspectives and experiences
related to the project challenge.
Page | 33
INDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 1
INFORMS
04 Facilitation
ITERATIVE STRUCTURE
ITERATION 2:
CO-DEVELOP INSIGHTS AND PRIORITIES
STUDIO #2: The second studio brings together community co-designers and
invited community stakeholders and project leadership to share and synthesize the
conversations from sprint #1. Studio attendees will 1) synthesize community feedback
into priority areas/themes, 2) identify key ideas/questions for further exploration, and
3) determine whose perspectives might be missing/might lend unique insights.
INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT CHECK-IN: The individual check-ins are short one-on-one
meetings between facilitators and community co-designers to, 1) answer questions
about the previous studio and/or next steps and 2) adapt the discussion/synthesis
approach and tools to align with personal and cultural preferences.
INDIVIDUAL SPRINT #2: In the second sprint, community co-designers will hold
more focused interviews with an expanded number of community members (those
in personal/professional networks). The second sprint is focused on prioritizing and
contextualizing the themes/insights that have emerged in the first iteration.
Page | 34
INDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 4
ONGOINGINDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 3
INFORMSINDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 2
INFORMS
INDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 2
INFORMS
04 Facilitation
ITERATIVE STRUCTURE
ITERATION 3:
REFINE CONCEPTS AND DEVELOP GUIDING PRINCIPLES
STUDIO #3: Like the second studio, the third brings together community co-designers and invited
community stakeholders and project leadership to share and synthesize the conversations from sprint #2.
Studio attendees will 1) incorporate community feedback to refine project, policy, program concepts 2)
begin developing guiding principles to successful solutions, 3) create an approach to best capture feedback
on concepts and guiding principles, and 4) discuss best way to share findings with community partners and
project leadership.
INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT CHECK-IN: The individual check-ins are short one-on-one meetings between
facilitators and community co-designers to, 1) answer questions about the previous studio and/or next steps
and 2) adapt the discussion/synthesis approach and tools to align with personal and cultural preferences.
INDIVIDUAL SPRINT #3: In the third sprint, community co-designers will gather feedback from the
community members (those in personal/professional networks) they spoke to over the first two sprints. The
third sprint is focused on gaining feedback on prioritized concepts and discussing guiding principles for
successful solutions.
Page | 35
INDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 1
INFORMS INDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 4
ONGOINGINDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 3
INFORMS
INDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 3
INFORMS
ITERATIVE STRUCTURE
INFORMS
04 Facilitation
ITERATION 4 AND BEYOND:
FINALIZE CONCEPTS AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND DEVELOP
COMMUNICATION PLAN
STUDIO #4: The forth studio (or subsequent studios) is focused on translating the work
of the previous 3 iterations into actionable guidance. Community co-designers will 1)
share community feedback on developing concepts and guiding principles, 2) share
individual reflections on the process and outcomes, and 3) offer final recommendations.
INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT CHECK-IN: The individual check-ins are short one-on-one
meetings between facilitators and community co-designers to, 1) answer questions
about the previous studio and/or next steps and 2) adapt the discussion/synthesis
approach and tools to align with personal and cultural preferences.
INDIVIDUAL SPRINT #4: If needed, the forth and subsequent sprints will be used to
further refine concepts and guiding principles. Additionally, future sprints can be used
to gather feedback on specific project, policy, and program criteria.
Page | 36
INDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 2
INDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 1
INFORMS INDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 4
ONGOING
04 Facilitation
FACILITATION
TOOLS
Tools & Tactics
SYNTHESIS & SETTING AGENDAS
The co-design structure was developed around the idea that those with
direct lived experience of a challenge must be part of the collection
and interpretation of community input and feedback. The facilitators’
role in this work is to follow the co-designer’s lead by exploring
what emerged in previous iterations and using those insights to
develop criteria to guide the next iteration without driving to
predetermined (or personally-preferential) outcomes.
Following each design studio, the project team should meet and
develop a document that community co-designers can use to
discuss, document, and synthesize with individuals within their
networks. The document should be shared with co-designers
within 48 hours of the last design studio and should:
1 Document and prioritize the concepts and insights as
outlined by community co-designers.
2 Develop a set of open-ended questions to further explore
and/or refine emerging concepts.
3 Develop criteria to guide synthesis of co-designer discussions.
Project teams should use to develop an agenda and to
determine other stakeholders to invite to the next design studio.
KEY QUESTIONS
The following are a set of questions to guide
project team debriefs including the development of
community co-designer materials and setting future
design studio agendas:
WHAT DID WE HEAR?
• Did anything surprise us? What questions did
the feedback raise?
• Did anything that you heard or observed verify
or falsify your assumptions going in?
WHAT ARE THE KEY EMERGING THEMES?
• How might we learn more about the emerging
themes? What perspectives might be missing?
• How might we better understand how
communities experience and prioritize these
emerging themes (for example, if creating
space that feels “welcoming” what does this
look like in stakeholders’ daily lives).
• What questions will help community
co-designers learn more/further develop
emerging themes?
Page | 37
04 Facilitation
FACILITATION
TOOLS
Tools & Tactics
DISCUSSION & SYNTHESIS GUIDE
Ensuring that community co-designers feel comfortable and
prepared to hold community conversations and synthesize those
conversations is a key for successful co-design. The discussion and
synthesis guide will guide the work that community co-designers
do in each independent sprint. After the first co-design iteration,
the discussion and synthesis guide will be developed in response
to the information that emerges in the previous design studio (see
tools and tactics “synthesis and setting agendas”).
When outlining co-designer discussion questions, make sure they:
Are questions that are grounded in lived experiences.
Are open-ended, do not suggest solutions, and cannot be answered with
one-word answers.
Are questions that draw from previous experiences (negative or positive).
Ask why to better understand the reasons behind answers.
Example Questions: Describe the last time you genuinely felt healthy and why or
Where do you go, or who do you rely on most for information? Why?
TIP:
Page | 38
Source: CULTURE OF HEALTH BY DESIGN
for the co-design conversation guide
EVALUATION &
DISSEMINATION
WHAT IS EVALUATION & DISSEMINATION?
The most important part of any effort, is in the ability to
demonstrate value and do so in an accessible, transparent, and
community-centered way. The key objectives of evaluation in
co-design should be two-fold, 1) how is this process informing
the project, program, or policy, and 2) how is the co-design
process improving DEI awareness and access to professional
networks for co-designers participating in the process?
05 Evaluation & Dissemination Page | 39
WHY EVALUATION
& DISSEMINATION?
Effective evaluation and dissemination is critical to the co-design
process as it will help to refine the project and process in real-
time and ensure continuous transparency and accountability to
those most impacted by the project, program, or policy. Just as
community perspectives are critical to involve in the co-design of
effective solutions, community co-design of evaluation criteria and
strategy is critical to ensure that community objectives and values
are built into defining success.
05 Evaluation & Dissemination
Any project or initiative is only as good as the stakeholder’s
ability to “tell the story” of that project or initiative’s value/
impact. Evaluation should organize around three key questions:
1 What impact do we hope to achieve? How are we defining
“impact” and with whom?
2 What is the mechanism by which we will achieve that impact?
(this is the question to be answered in the co-design sessions)
3 How will you know when you’ve achieved impact?
The following criteria should be used to initiate, guide and
formalize an evaluation of the Discovery Walk project.
Evaluation cannot happen only at the end of a project,
but throughout the process
Metrics that are not only measurable but meaningful to
key stakeholders, especially those most impacted by the
issues being addressed
Metrics should be able to be adapted to better meet
community and/or co-designers’ descriptions and
priorities of value
Co-designers develop (and vet with key stakeholder
groups) project success criteria and how, when, and
where it will be collected
Focus on monitoring data that can improve/strengthen
project and implementation (informs project changes/
revisions throughout implementation not just after
implementation)
Page | 40
CAPTURING
PROJECT
OUTCOMES
It is important to note that in the co-design process,
traditional measures of ”success” may not be relevant.
Instead, start with what the co-design process has identified
as “value” and look for ways to measure it.
Once you have co-developed criteria for success, you must
take care to fully capture project progress and outcomes
from a variety of stakeholders (see stakeholder mapping). Be
sure to create accessible and diverse opportunities (including
co-designers collecting feedback from community members)
for stakeholders to contribute their feedback across the
duration of the effort. The key questions you should be
looking to answer through your evaluation is
1) where did you start and why
2) what did you learn through the co-design process
3) what did the community co-designer input and feedback
lead to (decisions)
4) what impact did this work have on the project.
PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
For the Bloomberg Project, questions were asked of co-
designers both about the development of the concept, but
also about their personal thinking as the project progressed
to measure project and individual outcomes. Some examples
of the evaluation are included in the appendix.
05 Evaluation & Dissemination
Brief Check-list for
Equitable Evaluation
Evaluation must start with what community co-designers
have identified as value, not just what can be measured.
Evaluation cannot be a “one-time” effort and should be co-
developed by those that are part of the engagement effort.
Evaluation must be continual and iterative (incorporate
stakeholder and community feedback on-going).
The evaluation process must focus on building trust and
relationships, especially with those most often missing from
the design/evaluation process.
Evaluate not just what is being delivered but how it is
being delivered
All efforts must continually communicate how community input
was incorporated/affected final decisions, including why input/
feedback might not have been incorporated.
Evaluation must place equal value on lived experiences as
learned expertise.
Evaluation and communication plans should be built in parallel.
Evaluation should take place in locations and in ways that are
culturally/community appropriate and accessible.
‘Not everything that can be counted counts and not
everything that counts can be counted’
- Attributed to Albert Einstein
Page | 41
COMMUNICATION
& MARKETING
The last thing you will want to do once you have captured community-centric data is to put it into a dense
report that few will have access to and even fewer will read. Instead, leverage the same community co-
designers that have been part of the co-design process and evaluation to help communicate progress and
outcomes of the work. They can tap their same trusted personal and professional networks to get information
to those most impacted by the project in the ways, times, and places that are most appropriate.
Community co-designers are your greatest assets when communicating project priorities and concepts
to project leadership and local decision-makers as they offer rich lived experiences (context), community
perspectives, and impact statements that can be missing in other forms of communication.
Strategic Communication:
05 Evaluation & Dissemination
COMMUNICATION WITH PROJECT-
SPECIFIC STAKEHOLDERS
Co-designers and other community
partners as conduits to communicating
with communities.
Describe benefits of co-design project and
process to under-represented communities
and project leadership alike.
Demonstrate link between community
input and outcomes (where did co-design
approach make the biggest impacts).
Detail future opportunities for community
to participate in similar approach.
COMMUNICATION WITH
STAKEHOLDERS WHO MAY
BENEFIT FROM THE PROCESS
Co-designers as spokespeople for process–
describe and contextualize process and impact.
Describe how co-design differentiates
from traditional design and engagement
approaches.
Detail key project results that were unlikely
to occur through other means.
Outline project outcomes that might be
applicable to other projects.
Describe what other efforts might benefit
most by co-design approach.
COMMUNICATION WITH
DECISION-MAKERS
Co-designers as spokespeople for process–
describe and contextualize process and impact.
Describe how community, especially those
most impacted, have directly benefited from
project and process.
Describe how co-design process improved
DEI awareness and access to professional
networks for co-designers.
Outline project outcomes that might be
inform broader policy changes.
Detail long-term benefit and cost-savings
possible through community co-design.
Describe benefit of growing community
capacity for co-design (co-design network).
Page | 42
EVALUATION
TOOLS
Tools & Tactics
STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS
Open and continual feedback from your co-designers is critical
to best support them and ensure a successful co-design
outcome. Interviews should be done:
At the start of the effort to understand expectations,
hopes, and concerns
At the midpoint of the effort to gauge progress, concerns,
and priorities
At the conclusion of the effort to capture priorities,
expectations of project team, individual experience,
interest and capacity for future development, and requests
of the project team or other community leadership.
05 Evaluation & Dissemination
Don’t send out a generic survey to your co-designers,
instead set up a one-on-one interview with them at a place
and time of most convenience. To avoid biased responses, this
should be facilitated by someone not directly involved in the project,
but still has some familiarity with the co-designers.
TIP:
KEY QUESTIONS
What would you say is the most important insight/
concepts to emerge thus far? Why?
What do you think about this approach? How (if at all) is
it different from approaches you have seen/been part
of in the past?
What part of the process has been most rewarding thus
far? What part has been most difficult? Why for either?
What other projects or efforts do you think would
benefit from this approach in the future?
What do you think communities and/or community
leaders could learn from this approach?
What, if anything, have you learned from others
participating in this process (so far)?
Is there anything about this process you might use in
your own community/work? What and how?
What do you think needs to happen with this project to
make your time feel worth it?
What about this effort are you most skeptical of? Why?
Page | 43
APPENDIX A
CO-DESIGN STRUCTURE
Page | 44
1 Discovery Walk Project Introduction
2 Co-designer Job Description
3 Co-Designer Recruitment Collaboration
with Community-Based Organization
(CBO) Example
4 Co-Designer Recruitment Initial
Interest Example
5 Design Studio #1 Example Agenda
and Exercise
6 Design Studio #2 Example Agenda
and Exercise
7 Design Studio #3 Example Agenda
and Exercise
07 Appendix
DISCOVERY WALK
Discovery Walk covers a four-block distance along 2nd Avenue SW in
downtown Rochester, from Soldiers Field Park to Annenberg Plaza. It is
part of Destination Medical Center’s Discovery Square sub-district and
connects with Heart of the City public space—all within a 10-minute
walk. Destination Medical Center, in partnership with University of
Minnesota Design Center worked with seven Community Co-Designers
to help guide the design process of Rochester Minnesota’s Discovery
Walk. Co-Designers are connectors to under-represented community
members with very different perspectives—cultural, religious,
mobility, mental health, and socio-economic. The Community Co-
Designers engaged with their communities to discuss how design
and programming can be inclusive. The co-designers will continue to
have a consulting role in the design process to ensure that the project
maintains a focus on health, equity, and collaboration, early and
throughout the design of public projects, policies and programs.
The following sections are meant to display the process used for the
co-design process for Discovery Walk including the notes used to
recruit potential co-designers, as well as the iterative approach
of the design studios that demonstrate the questions utilized to
understand the key priorities of community. In design studio 3, you
will find prescient emerging themes from community that were
integrated into the design thinking of the project.
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1
07 Appendix
INDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 4
ONGOINGINDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 3
INFORMSINDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 2
INFORMSINDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 1
INFORMS
CO-DESIGN SEQUENCE - DISCOVERY WALK
CO-DESIGN
JOB
DESCRIPTION
CO-DESIGNER
RECRUITMENT
CO-DESIGN JOB DESCRIPTION
Drafting a job description for your project’s co-designer role is an important step to provide a
clear understanding of what are the duties and the commitments expected from the co-designer.
This is the co-designer job description used for the Discovery Walk project.
JOB DESCRIPTION
As part of the “Community for Health” effort and to create a healthier and more equitable Rochester region, we are seeking
to identify community members (community co-designers) that would take an active role in informing the design features
for a linear urban park (Discovery Walk). Community co-designers will offer insights from their own experiences as well as
research and share the experiences of the communities they are part of to work closely with Discovery Walk designers?
and city leadership to create a park that offers equitable opportunities for health and wellness for all residents.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Community co-designers will participate in four (4) in-person meetings where each community co-designer will share
experiences, develop interview questions, discuss ideas and communicate (with the help of the project team) project outcomes
to project and city leaders. Strong candidates will be able to work well with other community co-design participants (5-10 total).
Community co-designers will participate in 3 research and design explorations which will occur between each in-person
meeting (approximately 2 weeks). Participants will individually hold interviews or conversations within the communities they
associate with (this could be with co-workers, neighbors, friends or family). Participants will take notes and bring them to the
in-person meetings to share with other community co-designers and project leadership.
TIME COMMITMENT
While accommodations will be made for un-scheduled events such as personal or family illness, each candidate should be
able to contribute the time needed to participate in this project. Candidates can expect the project to run from the week of
February 10th to the middle of April.
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2
07 Appendix
INDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 4
ONGOINGINDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 3
INFORMSINDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 2
INFORMSINDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 1
INFORMS
CO-DESIGN SEQUENCE - DISCOVERY WALK
CO-DESIGN
JOB
DESCRIPTION
CO-DESIGNER
RECRUITMENT
IN-PERSON MEETINGS
Candidates will need to attend four (4) two-hour in-person meetings which are tentatively scheduled for the weeks in the table
below. In-person meetings will take place at a time and location that is most convenient for all community co-design members.
Refreshments (or a meal if held during lunch/dinner times) will be available at all in-person meetings and transportation and
daycare will be made available for community co-design participants as needed. If there are other limitations to participating,
please share these concerns with the Community for Health Team in order to find accommodations.
In-Person Session #1 Week of February 10th
In-Person Session #2 Week of March 2nd
In-Person Session #3 Week of March 16th
In-Person Session #4 Week of April 6th
RESEARCH AND DESIGN EXPLORATION
Between each in-person meeting, candidates will spend 1.5—2 hours to hold interviews or discussions with members of their
community (the types of interviews and questions will be determined during the in-person meetings). Candidates will also
schedule one 30-minute phone call with the project team.
In total, Candidates can expect to spend 14 – 18 hours total over the 2-month project.
COMPENSATION
Each community co-design participate will be compensated $20 per hour. Payment will occur at each in-person session for the
previous design session and research and design exploration.
Page | 4707 Appendix
CO-DESIGNER RECRUITMENT COLLABORATION WITH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION (CBO)
The example shows a community organization reaching out to invite a community member to
participate as a co-designer in the Discovery Walk project.
Wafa, hello and happy 2020 to you! I hope this will be a year of great action and advancement in all the important work that you do.
Realizing that you are very busy, I am hoping that you will give heartfelt consideration to this request for your participation as a Co-
Designer on the Discovery Walk project. I cannot think of a better person to become involved in this effort, both in terms of improving
program outcomes and advancing professional growth.
The team coordinating this initiative is exceptional. The potential for changing HOW we, as a community, do things and WHO is
involved in design and benefit is tremendous.
Below is an introductory statement from the team and I am attaching a description of the commitment as well. I would love to talk with
you about this and find a way to get you engaged. Your voice would be a most meaningful addition. Thank you for considering and
potentially joining the effort. Please contact me with questions! J D
As part of DMC’s America’s Community/City for Health effort, we are piloting a process to more directly involve community
members in the design and development of community-centered projects, policies and programs. The first project we will pilot
is Discovery Walk, which is a downtown park that will connect the center of the city to a nearby public park. Our hope is that we
will not only be able to demonstrate improved community-defined value in the design of Discovery Walk but learn and refine a
community-guided design approach that can be applied to other regional projects, policies and programs in the future. To do
this well, we will rely on a diverse and respected group of paid community co-design partners. With that in mind and given your
engagement in the community, we would love for you to consider participating in this effort as a community co-designer in
this project.
Dee Sabol
Diversity Council Executive Director
507.282.9951 | diversitycouncil.org | DeeS@diversitycouncil.org
Mobile 719.338.2943 | 1130 1⁄2 7th Street NW, Rochester MN 55901
Page | 48
3
07 Appendix
INDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 4
ONGOINGINDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 3
INFORMSINDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 2
INFORMSINDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 1
INFORMS
CO-DESIGN SEQUENCE - DISCOVERY WALK
CO-DESIGN
JOB
DESCRIPTION
CO-DESIGNER
RECRUITMENT
CO-DESIGNER RECRUITMENT INITIAL INTEREST EXAMPLE
This is an example of a co-designer recruitment email encouraging the participation of a local
community leader in the process. The example shows a project team member/facilitator reaching out
to a co-designer with specific information regarding the co-design sessions.
Dear Wafa,
We are following up on your willingness to participate as a Co-Designer on the Discovery Walk project. As a valued voice and
perspective of the community, we could not be happier that you are considering joining this effort!
You should have received a description of commitment (job description) for this effort (from Dee). If not, or if you have questions about
involvement, please let us know. We will be looking to schedule our sessions together at times and locations that work for everyone, so
please let us know what your preferences are or if you require additional support such as transportation or childcare. We are looking to
schedule our in-person meetings the following weeks:
In-Person Session #1 Week of February 10th
In-Person Session #2 Week of March 2nd
In-Person Session #3 Week of March 16th
In-Person Session #4 Week of April 6th
Finally, before our first meeting together, a member of our team, Jess Roberts, would like to schedule a short call to answer any
questions or concerns you might have and to just learn more about you and the communities you serve/are part of. Please let us know
which of the following times might work for a 30-minute call:
Thursday, January 21, 11:00am – 3:30pm
Monday, January 27, 9:00am – 12:00pm
Thursday, January 30, 2:00pm – 7:00pm
Best,
Jess Roberts
Jess Roberts
he/him/his
Founder & Lead | CULTURE OF HEALTH BY DESIGN
Minnesota Design Center | University of Minnesota
robe0412@umn.edu | 651.503.4584
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07 Appendix
INDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 4
ONGOINGINDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 3
INFORMSINDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 2
INFORMSINDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 1
INFORMS
CO-DESIGN SEQUENCE - DISCOVERY WALK
CO-DESIGN
JOB
DESCRIPTION
CO-DESIGNER
RECRUITMENT
DESIGN STUDIO #1 EXAMPLE AGENDA AND EXERCISE
This is an example agenda for Discovery Walk’s first design studio. The example shows the agenda of
the first co-design session for Discovery Walk project.
DMC “COMMUNITY FOR HEALTH” COMMUNITY CO-DESIGN SESSION #1 (KICK-OFF)
TOTAL 120 MINUTES
OVERVIEW/PURPOSE
The kickoff (the first studio session) is an opportunity for community co-designers to get to know each other and build familiarity
with the project, project team, expectations, and timeline. Community co-designers will:
Share relevant experiences and perspectives on health and public spaces
Learn about the CHNA priorities identified through community conversations in 2019
Identify interview questions and community members to interview during sprint
Review and practice appreciate inquiry approaches and documentation
WELCOME AND DINNER | 25 MINUTES
Welcome and Introductions
Community co-design participants introduce themselves:
Name, organization (if applicable) and community(ies) you identify with
How would you describe your mission in life – what gets you up in the morning?
What unique perspective do you feel you bring to this group?
Given what you know—what most excites you about participating in this project?
Design team/steering team members introduce themselves
Page | 50
5
07 Appendix
INDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 4
ONGOINGINDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 3
INFORMSINDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 2
INFORMS
CO-DESIGN SEQUENCE - DISCOVERY WALK
CO-DESIGN
JOB
DESCRIPTION
CO-DESIGNER
RECRUITMENT INDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 1
INFORMS
PROJECT OVERVIEW AND TIMELINE | 25 MINUTES
Review project purpose, objectives, deliverables, roles, and timeline (20 minutes)
Describe role of design/steering team members (as facilitators)
Outline expectations and guidelines for collaboration (respect and privacy)
Hand out photo/media releases and describe purpose of capturing co-design experience (evaluation strategy)
Hand out and discuss stipend information and forms
Gather signed stipend forms (time + travel)
Hand out first half stipends
Review and discuss CHNA process and priorities (5 minutes)
DISCUSSION (HEALTH AND PUBLIC SPACES) | 50 MINUTES
Review input from DMC annual event (5 minutes)
Discuss purpose and approach of informational interviews
Community co-designers (and facilitators) interview one another (15 minutes)
See “Discussion Guide” (the group will revise based on conversation)
Large group report out and next steps (30 minutes)
What did people hear?
What was similar/different from your own perspectives/experiences
What, if anything, surprised you?
Discuss revisions to questions for community interviews
Who should we be talking to? What voices are missing?
CONCLUDE | 15 MINUTES
Next steps and scheduling “check-in” calls
Discuss next meeting(s) times and location
Discuss comfort with including other community stakeholders (identified by participants) and community leadership
Page | 5107 Appendix
DESIGN STUDIO #2 EXAMPLE AGENDA AND EXERCISE
This is an example of Iteration 2 of the Iterative Structure. The example shows the key questions that
were provided to the Discovery Walk co-designers at the end of the kick-off session. The tips for the
co-designers to align the questions and the discussions with personal and cultural preferences.
“CONVERSATION STARTER” QUESTIONS
Key Questions:
Where do you go and/or what do you do to feel most healthy? Why?
PROBE: Where do you go and/or what do you do to feel more connected? Why?
What, if any, community spaces do you feel contribute most to your mental health? Why?
What do you believe are the 2-3 most important characteristics of a “mentally healthy community?”
PROBE: What do you believe are the 2-3 most important characteristics of a “connected community?”
PROBE: If these answers are different, why do you think that is?
What, if any, community programs have you found to best support your/your family’s mental health? How?
What are the biggest barriers to utilizing community spaces and/or programing in your community?
How might community spaces better support mental health and connectedness?
PROBE: How might community programming better support mental health and connectedness?
Tips
Page | 52
6
The intent is to stimulate stories and ideas from the
participant, not to get through the list of questions.
Try not to think of solutions during your conversations,
instead be curious and ask follow-up questions.
Probe deeper (tell me more about that, what was that
like for you, can you remember a time when…).
Do allow for silence. Your participants may need time
to think and reflect.
Don’t suggest answers to your questions. Absorb what participants
say and how they say it. Don’t think about next question.
Pay attention to non-verbal cues.
Listen. Be present.
Be curious.
Just jot down the most important ideas/comments while talking—you
do not need to have a full transcript of the conversation.
07 Appendix
INDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 4
ONGOINGINDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 3
INFORMS
CO-DESIGN SEQUENCE - DISCOVERY WALK
CO-DESIGN
JOB
DESCRIPTION
CO-DESIGNER
RECRUITMENT INDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 2
INFORMSINDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 1
INFORMS
DESIGN STUDIO #3 EXAMPLE AGENDA AND EXERCISE
This is an example of Iteration 3 and Iteration 4 of the Iterative Structure. The example shows
the identified concepts that been emerged from the Discovery Walk co-design sessions and the
co-designers conversations.
DISCOVERY WALK CO-DESIGN
Design Session #3 Synthesis
The following have been identified (by the Discovery Walk community co-designers) as the most promising Discovery Walk design and
operational concepts and ideas. The concepts have been organized to inform spatial programmatic and policy design:
Spatial: ideas and criteria that inform how park the park looks or how space is designed or utilized.
Programmatic: ideas and criteria that inform how the park might operate/function.
Policy: ideas and criteria that inform how local or regional rules or regulations might support healthy interactions, spaces
and activities at the park
SPATIAL
Year-round function: Community members noted that one of the most persistent issues driving isolation and being mentally unwell
was the long, cold and dark winter. This was especially the case with immigrant populations that had moved from warmer climates. The
community members noted the need for indoor spaces in the park or to be built out in future development along the park:
Indoor spaces that could offer year-round warmth and light (similar to Como Observatory in St. Paul, but smaller scale)
Lighting – community members mentioned how lighting can change a space, especially throughout the dark months
Blue “happy” lighting
Wrapping all trees with lights
Healing space: Community members recognized that a good number of patients and their families receive a difficult diagnosis or “bad
news” when visiting Mayo Clinic. They felt that it would be important to acknowledge that in the park space adjacent to the clinic:
Reflective “bad news” spaces – spaces that would allow for quiet and privacy for patients and/or families dealing with bad news.
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07 Appendix
INDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 4
ONGOING
CO-DESIGN SEQUENCE - DISCOVERY WALK
CO-DESIGN
JOB
DESCRIPTION
CO-DESIGNER
RECRUITMENT INDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 3
INFORMSINDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 2
INFORMSINDIVIDUAL DESIGN SPRINTS
IN-PERSON DESIGN STUDIO
Iteration 1
INFORMS
Accessible: Those with mobility and/or cognitive challenges require spaces that adequately support their day-to-day realities:
Immediately accessible parking (parents of children with autism noted the importance of having parking spaces that can be
accessed quickly in case their child became overwhelmed and overstimulated).
Bench cut outs—cut outs allow those in wheelchairs to sit next to friends/family who are not in wheelchairs.
Path bump outs—bump outs allow those in wheelchairs to “get out of the flow of movement” and pause at gathering/reflecting spaces.
SPATIAL + PROGRAMMATIC
Broadly welcoming: Community members noted that the most important way to help individuals feel welcome is to create familiarity
with park spaces and programming such as:
Signage with multiple languages (community members mentioned how important it was to feel “recognized”
by the community—to “be seen”)
Flags and colors that represent a diversity of cultures
Plantings that are native to different global locations (where applicable)
Games and programming that are native to a diversity of cultures
Free WIFI and charging stations—younger community members noted that opportunities to “stay connected” is
important to draw young people
No cell phone zone—While young people may seek opportunities to remain digitally connected, other community
members felt that too much technology contradicts what a “park should be.”
Interactive and Dynamic: Communities noted that in order for Discovery Walk to attract and maintain visitors, it must have
programming and spaces that allow for visitors to interact with (perhaps “leave their mark” in some way) and must offer a diversity
of experiences for a diversity of audiences over time:
Ground-level green space that “you can interact with”
Adult sandbox and/or gardening
Digital displays that allow for park-goers to offer input/feedback and see their responses (similar to “pop-up city”
walls—see image)
Page | 5407 Appendix
Graffiti wall or performance space for amateur artists
Water play for adults and children
Spaces/programming that support and separate those seeking introverted or extroverted experiences
Activities calendar (a real-time calendar displaying opportunities to improve health/reduce isolation across Rochester
and Olmsted County)
Friendship and connection: Community members discussed that it is difficult to promote social connectedness when you do not
meet new or different people. They felt there should be opportunities to induce meeting new people:
Friendship benches
“instagramable” or “snap chatable” spaces and programing (to draw and engage young people)
Local activities (activities such as ice fishing to expose new residents to new experiences/networks)
Spaces for groups (community members noted that they feel most comfortable coming to the park with family and/or friends)
Game/trivia nights
Multi-generational exercise classes
Safety: Multiple communities cited not feeling safe as a primary reason they would avoid visiting a park. Community members
identified the following safety topics as important to address:
Programing/spaces for children to play but be monitored.
Limited and/or fully separated vehicle and pedestrian movement.
Group spaces/opportunities—some communities will only attend in groups or families as they can feel unsafe
because of cultural differences or time of day they visit.
Monitoring systems/personnel (call boxes for example)—Young people and some cultural communities tend to want
to visit parks late in the day after dark but not if they feel “alone.”
Adequate lighting
Page | 5507 Appendix
PROGRAMMATIC
Connecting healthcare and public: Community members recognized that while community members have identified mental illness
and isolation as key public health concerns, they also noted the challenges of burnout being experienced by clinicians. Clinician
members noted that re-connecting with purpose and getting out of the clinic are important ways to address both burnout and
support community in addressing their own health concerns:
“Walk with a Doc”—clinicians walk with or get lunch with community members on a regular basis
“Clinic in the park”—Dr. Jennifer Rho operates a mobile clinic staffed by clinical residents that could provide direct
service in the park or adjacent spaces
POLICY
Affordable and accessible: Community members, specifically younger and older individuals with fixed or no incomes, noted that
downtown activities all have associated costs that can make it difficult to utilize downtown. To vitalize the park, older and younger
community members may require incentives (and associated marketing) such as:
Parking fee holidays
Immediately accessible parking (parents of children with autism noted the importance of having parking spaces that
can be accessed quickly in case their child became overwhelmed and overstimulated)
Reduced event fees
Group or event deals on coffee/restaurants
Reduced cost for actives such as movies
Rental fee holidays—cost associated with renting park space in the past has been a barrier. Community members
felt that free rental periods or free rent for purposes that align with the city’s mission would bring more and a more
diverse audience to the park and downtown.
07 Appendix Page | 56
07 Appendix Page | 57
Community participation: Some community members mentioned a desire to participate in the building of the park and/or gardens
within the park to help make it their own and ensure that the community’s “fingerprints” are on the finished product—similar to
habitat for humanity opportunities.
Non-smoking policy: Community felt that if Discovery Walk is a park for health, there should be a full ban on smoking and vaping.
Year-round accessibility: While the park will be designed to be accessible for those with limited mobility, the community (those
with limited mobility) cited the need to keep sidewalks clean in the winter is equally important to accessibility:
Snow removal ordinances and policing
Installation of snow melting systems
Pets: Some cultural communities find spaces with pets (primarily dogs) as unwelcoming for a variety of cultural and religious
reasons. They suggest limited times or areas of the park to be accessible to pets and sufficient pet stations (poop pick up stations).
Alcohol: In the past some cultural communities have felt un-welcome at events where alcohol was present. Additionally, other
community members mentioned how spaces can feel unsafe when alcohol is served/over-served, thus some strategic restriction on
alcohol sale/use in the park space may be warranted.
Cultural connectivity: Important to reducing social isolation is finding ways for individuals and communities to connect with one
another and not just within existing social networks. Because communities are and will continue to become more diverse, bringing
people together in meaningful ways to better understand each other’s perspectives, values, traditions and practices is critical.
APPENDIX B
CO-DESIGN CASE STUDIES
Page | 58
1 Rochester Bloomberg Mayors Challenge:
Equity in the Built Environment
2 Discovery Walk:
Co-Designing Public Space Case Study
3 Main Street Grant Revitalization Program:
Co-Designing an Equitable Application Process
4 Channel One Food Bank:
Co-Designing Service Delivery Case Study
07 Appendix