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# What makes co-creation work
- URL: https://www.co.school/notes/what-makes-co-creation-work/
- Published: 2025-08-09T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-11T04:05:50.000Z
- Description: Let's talk about what co-design needs, to be effective.
- Author: Kevan Gilbert
- Tags: Notes, Co-design partnerships

Co-creation is all about collaboratively partnering to create what has yet to be envisioned or built. It is distinct from theory, different from solo work, and separate from independent development. Co-creation is often:

- **Project-based.** It's about making something. A service, a brand, a product, a document, an organization. It's not just "thinking about it" or academically exploring the idea of something. The emphasis is on creation.
- **Collaborative.** It's easier than ever to make something on your own, with AI-assisted tools. Building it in partnership with others, with the intention of testing it with real humans, helps get you out of that isolating cycle. That's the co.

## What does co-design need, to be effective?

- **A facilitator**, to listen to the perspectives, synthesize them well, and help the plan keep making progress.
- **Leaders**: engaged team members, able to make decisions, in your domain.
- **Community members.** Whether "users" or folks close to the community's core, the humans and relationships at the heart of this are a key ingredient for co-design.
- **Tangible outputs.** Pencils and paper, napkin sketches, physical room layouts, clickable web mockups, cardboard cut-outs. Making the imagined become physical is a key part of prototyping.
- **Tests.** Knowing what you're looking for matters. How will you know if the work is effective? What feedback do you need?
- **Time.** If you only have a week, that's fine; if you have a season in which to grow, even better.