Conducting Co-Design Sessions
Because the co-design approach is iterative, it is necessary for all design engineers, developers, and target users to assemble for mapping future steps. Conducting these sessions is all about careful planning. First, confirm all attendees and ensure they are notified of the dates and times.
Participating attendees should include:
1. Two facilitators, one of whom is a note-taker
2. At least two target users (7-8 maximum)
3. One or more development engineers to gain insight and user context
Make sure the participants gather in a comfortable place during the workshop, with adequate table space and whiteboards. Use flip-charts and post-it notes to capture details and concepts. Digital cameras can be used to capture notes and concepts sketched on the whiteboard.
The first step to a successful co-design session begins with defining goals:
1. Start with an introduction that gives a quick review
2. Clearly communicate objectives and expectations
3. Identify what each participant expects as an outcome of the workshop
4. Reference using existing diagrams
5. Discuss existing system and domain issues
6. Validate the workflow
7. Identify and document the usability goals the design must meet
Once all participants are familiar with the goals, begin the co-design exercise.
1. To start things, use some unfinished concepts or compelling products as good/bad examples
2. Prompt users for suggestions and encourage them to illustrate the concept
3. Tape concepts and screens to the wall for maximum visibility and retention
Co-design is an iterative process and it is important to keep revisiting things learned in the co-design to optimize user input. It is also important to use this knowledge to refine initial designs. After developing a high level product prototype, conduct a usability study to test the refined design. Usability tasks are used to measure the:
1. Effectiveness
2. Efficiency
3. Satisfaction
of the design without leading or influencing users. Information and feedback from target users can be used again to refine the design before expensive development begins. Depending on the size and complexity of the design effort, these steps are often iterative to cover different features and/or design enhancements.