Het lectoraat Co-Design van Hogeschool Utrecht doet met een systemisch-inclusieve ontwerpende aanpak praktijkgericht onderzoek, om complexe maatschappelijke vraagstukken te helpen oplossen. Binnen die onderzoeken stellen we vragen over het ontwerpproces en de mensen die daarbij betrokken zijn. Hoe kun je goed co-designen in de weerbarstige werkelijkheid? Wat kan helpen in die ontwerpende aanpak? Hoe kunnen mensen die niet zijn opgeleid als ontwerpers volwaardig meedoen in het ontwerpproces, en wat hebben zij daarvoor nodig aan ontwerpend vermogen? De kennis over ontwerpend vermogen die we de afgelopen vier jaar hebben opgedaan, delen we in dit boekje. We hebben dat proces getekend en beschreven als een reisverhaal van Co, die ons meeneemt op een boot over een rivier, door stroomversnellingen en langs landschappen. Met bijdragen van: Marry Bassa, Anita Cremers, Tanja Enninga, Anita van Essen, Christa van Gessel, Berit Godfroij, Joep Kuijper, Remko van der Lugt, Caroline Maessen, Lenny van Onselen, Dirk Ploos van Amstel, Karlijn van Ramshorst, Carolijn Schrijver, Fenne Verhoeven, Danielle Vossebeld, Rosa de Vries
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The numerous grand challenges around us demand new approaches to build alternative sustainable futures collectively. Whereas these so-called co-design processes are becoming more mainstream, many multi-stakeholder coalitions lack practical guidance in these dynamic and systemic challenges based on entangled relationships, interactions, and experiences between stakeholders and their environments. Although scholars and practitioners convey a lot of co-design theories and methods, there does not seem to be a practical instrument beyond methods that supports new coalitions with an overview of a co-design process to come and in making shared and fundamental co-design decisions. Therefore, this paper proposes the empathic Co-Design Canvas as a new intermediate-level knowledge product existing of eight co-design decision cards, which together make up the Canvas as a whole. The Canvas is based on an existing theoretical framework defined by Lee et al. (2018), an empirical case study, and a diversity of experiences in education and practice. It aims at supporting multi-stakeholder coalitions to flexibly plan, conduct, and evaluate a co-design process. Moreover, the Canvas encourages coalitions to not only discuss the problematic context, a common purpose, envisioned impact, concrete results, and each other’s interests and knowledge, but also power, which can create trust, a more equal level playing field and empathy, and help manage expectations, which is greatly needed to overcome today’s grand challenges.
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Reflections: Systemic (Co) Design is still relatively unknow to practitioners As well as to academics in the economic domain Dialogue requires active involvement and experiencing diverse perspectives through a variety of methods/tools Artifacts contribute to the continuity of the dialogues Gathering data (and interpreting data) remains complex The insights generated by the workshops connect practice and research guiding both learning and research Designers play an essential role in reflexivity and thus promote learning
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Design, Design Thinking, and Co-design have gained global recognition as powerful approaches for innovation and transformation. These methodologies foster stakeholder engagement, empathy, and collective sense-making, and are increasingly applied to tackle complex societal and institutional challenges. However, despite their collaborative potential, many initiatives encounter resistance, participation fatigue, or only result in superficial change. A key reason lies in the overlooked undercurrent—the hidden systemic dynamics that shape transitions. This one-year exploratory research project, initiated by the Expertise Network Systemic Co-design (ESC), aims to make systemic work accessible to creative professionals and companies working in social and transition design. It focuses on the development of a Toolkit for Systemic Work, enabling professionals to recognize underlying patterns, power structures, and behavioral dynamics that can block or accelerate innovation. The research builds on the shared learning agenda of the ESC network, which brings together universities of applied sciences, design practitioners, and organizations such as the Design Thinkers Group, Mindpact, and Vonken van Vernieuwing. By integrating systemic insights—drawing from fields like systemic therapy, constellation work, and behavioral sciences—into co-design practices, the project strengthens the capacity to not only design solutions but also navigate the forces that shape sustainable change. The central research question is: How can we make systemic work accessible to creative professionals, to support its application in social and transition design? Through the development and testing of practical tools and methods, this project bridges the gap between academic insights and the concrete needs of practitioners. It contributes to the professionalization of design for social innovation by embedding systemic awareness and collective learning into design processes, offering a foundation for deeper impact in societal transitions.
