Co-Creation seems to have become the industry buzzword of the day. It’s an incredible useful tool when used correctly, but can lead to real issues if not used carefully. Before we get to tips on implementing Co-creation, it’s probably useful to define it!

The Cambridge Dictionary defines co-creation as ‘to make or invent something new together with one or more other people.’ At its heart, co-creation is a collaborative project, usually between a service provider and their service users. 

So, what are the benefits of using co-creation? 

• Stakeholder Buy-in – By including your key stakeholders or service users in the design of new initiatives, they are more likely to be invested in the project. Greater stakeholder investment often leads to greater likelihood of the project succeeding.

• Better Fit for Users – By working closely with users at every stage of designing your initiative, you are more likely to end up with a product that meets the needs of the users. Have you ever created a product, thinking it was exactly what people were asking for, only to find that it wasn’t what they wanted? This can be avoided by intentional use of co-creation

• Stronger Stakeholder Relationships – Making your stakeholders feel that their thoughts and opinions are both heard and valued leads to greater trust. This can lead to stronger relationships with users, and greater success in future projects that require their input. 

So, co-creation has clear benefits. But can it be used in all sorts of projects? The simple answer is no. There are going to be some situations where co-creation is not possible, or not appropriate. The common example I use is in a medical scenario. If you were a doctor, you wouldn’t ask your patients to help co-create a new surgical technique, because it isn’t in their skill set.

Projects that require specialist knowledge, or where there is a strict legal, governance, or regulatory framework that has to be kept to, can be unsuitable for co-creation. Of course, that doesn’t rule out seeking stakeholder input through things such as surveys, focus groups etc.

Ok, so you think you’re project is a good fit for co-creation? Great, here are my top tips, in no particular order:

• Start by being very clear in defining your goals – What are you hoping to achieve? Why is co-creation a good idea for this project? Is this a new product, or are you looking to improve an existing one?

• Identify the right stakeholders – Who is going to be most impacted by the outcome of this project? These are often the people who have the most to contribute to the process. Try and ensure you get a diverse range of people involved, of different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives, to make sure you’ve considered the problem from all angles.

• Choose your method – Is it going to be partially co-created (i.e. designed in-house with regular input from stakeholders) or fully co-created. If it is going to be a fully co-created project, how will you regularly seek input, clarification and feedback from the group. This is where away weekends, online calls or hackathons can be very beneficial.

• Be transparent – Make sure you are clear on the level of input and commitment that this project will need. If some decisions are not within the control of the group, explain the steps involved, and make sure to update them on any decisions that are made, in good time.

• Be adaptable – Be open to all ideas. You may go into a project with a rough mental image of what you expect the outcome to be, but you have to be willing to change that, based on the input from the group.

• Document everything – Make sure you capture everything. All the ideas, the things that you’ve enjoyed, the things that worked really well, and the things that didn’t. Being able to look back, and learn from every project is key.

• Celebrate! – Make sure you celebrate with your stakeholders at key milestones and at the end of the project. Make sure that they know how valued their input is and how they have helped shape the project.

• Start Small – Co-creation is really fun, and can be very exciting. Make sure you don’t get carried away on your first project. Start small, maybe with an improvement to one feature or service, and learn from that. Then you can move up to larger scale projects, confident in the skills you’ve developed.

Are you an organisation looking to co-create more on projects? Get in touch for advice or if you’re in need of a facilitator.