Integrated Co-design: A Model for Co-designing with Multiple Stakeholder Groups from the ‘Fuzzy’ Front-end to Beyond Project Delivery

Jeremy Arthur Stuart Kerr, Michael Whelan, Okansa Zelenko, Keely Harper-Hill, Clare Villalba

As co-design is increasingly applied across multiple sectors, there is a greater need for practical guides to support extended, low-cost and diverse implementation. This paper proposes a model, integrated co-design, developed by research through design, which provides a process for conceptualising and implementing co-design projects aiming to collaborate with multiple stakeholder groups. It supports a holistic application of co-design across all stages of a project, from the initial scoping and key ideation phases to beyond project completion. The model was iteratively developed through the design of inclusionED, a nationwide learning and teaching community-based platform aiming to implement research findings of the Autism CRC in schools across Australia. Within this project, multiple stakeholder groups, including teachers, specialist educators, students on the autism spectrum, parents, and policy-makers, were engaged throughout the design process and in ongoing resource development. The integrated co-design model provides a series of strategies for multiple stakeholder group engagement and participation, including methods for designing for co-design, facilitating blended co-design, applying asynchronous co-design, and working with participants requiring customised collaborative experiences to support their involvement, including co-designing with people with cognitive difficulties and trauma.