UX
Co-design Workshops
A practical UX method for bringing users, stakeholders, and teams together to shape ideas collaboratively and align early around direction.
How to use co-design workshops to generate stronger ideas, align teams and stakeholders, and create shared direction from the start.
Quick take
If you want better ideas and stronger alignment, design with people, not just for them.
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What it is
Co-design workshops are a UX method where users, glossaryStakeholderA stakeholder is any individual or group with an interest in a product, project, or outcome, including internal teams and external parties.Open glossary term, and teams collaborate to generate ideas, explore solutions, and shape experiences together.
Instead of designing in isolation, co-design brings different perspectives into the glossaryProcessA process is a defined sequence of steps used to achieve a specific outcome.Open glossary term, combining user glossaryInsightAn insight is a meaningful understanding that explains why something is happening and what it means.Open glossary term with business and technical knowledge.
Workshops typically involve structured activities such as sketching, glossaryPrioritisationPrioritisation is the process of ranking tasks, features, or initiatives based on their importance, impact, and effort.Open glossary term, and problem-solving exercises.
The focus is not on polished outputs, but on shared understanding and direction.
The goal is to create better solutions through collaboration and ensure glossaryAlignmentAlignment is the shared understanding and agreement between teams, stakeholders, and objectives.Open glossary term from the start.
Co-design workshops are most useful when better outcomes depend on combining user perspective with team expertise early in the process.
When to use it
Use this method when collaboration adds value.
It is most useful when:
It is less useful when:
Co-design workshops are often used in discovery and early design stages.
Key takeaway
Use co-design workshops when progress depends on shared understanding, diverse input, and faster alignment around where to go next.
How to run it
Set up properly.
Before you start, be clear on the problem or objective, who needs to be involved, and what outcomes you want.
Prepare activities and materials in advance.
Run the method.
Co-design workshops are structured and facilitated.
Set glossaryContextThe surrounding conditions that shape behaviour and decisions.Open glossary term and goals. Introduce the problem clearly. Run collaborative activities (e.g. sketching, ideation). Encourage participation from all attendees. Capture ideas and glossaryInsightAn insight is a meaningful understanding that explains why something is happening and what it means.Open glossary term.
Focus on collaboration, not perfection.
Capture and make sense of it.
The value comes from shared input.
After the workshop: review and group ideas, identify glossaryPatternA reusable solution to a common design problem.Open glossary term and themes, prioritise concepts, and align on next steps.
Use this to guide design and glossaryPrioritisationPrioritisation is the process of ranking tasks, features, or initiatives based on their importance, impact, and effort.Open glossary term.
What to look for
Focus on:
Where it goes wrong
Most issues come from:
If it’s not structured, it won’t deliver value.
What you get from it
Done properly, this method gives you:
Key takeaway
It helps you design better solutions, together.
Get in touch
If this sounds like something you need, we can help you run co-design workshops that bring the right people together and drive meaningful outcomes.
No guesswork. No assumptions. Just collaboration that works.
FAQ
Common questions
A few practical answers to the questions that usually come up around this method.
What are co-design workshops in UX?
They are collaborative glossarySessionA session is a single period of user interaction with a product, from entry to exit within a defined timeframe.Open glossary term where users and teams design solutions together.
When should you use co-design workshops?
Use them when exploring ideas or aligning teams.
Who should be involved?
Users, glossaryStakeholderA stakeholder is any individual or group with an interest in a product, project, or outcome, including internal teams and external parties.Open glossary term, designers, and relevant team members.
What do you get from a co-design workshop?
Ideas, glossaryAlignmentAlignment is the shared understanding and agreement between teams, stakeholders, and objectives.Open glossary term, and direction.
Do co-design workshops improve UX?
Yes. They bring in real perspectives and improve outcomes.