Community engagement through the process of co-design is a priority for the California State Library as outlined in the LSTA 5-Year plan. Although co-design concepts are not new, there is some confusion about what exactly co-design is, and both how and when to do it. CALL asked Audrey Barbakoff to develop a resource to help in your co-design journey, and it’s called The Co-Design Trail Guide.
The Guide was developed out of conversations with the California library community. As Audrey says in the introduction – “Co-design is not a linear process; it’s a journey with twists, turns, and loops. California library workers wanted a resource that would let them start where they are and go in whatever direction they needed to. Therefore, this trail guide is not meant to be a linear resource either. While you can work through it start to finish, you can also skip pieces, jump ahead, and go back.”
The Co-Design Trail Guide will be organized into five phases, plus a backpack of resources.
Trail Overview: An introduction to co-design.
Base Camp: Lay the groundwork by building foundational concepts to prepare you for your co-design journey.
Trailhead: Take the first steps in your co-design project by laying a strong foundation for co-design, ideally before launching into a project. (Hint: it’s all about relationships!)
On the Trail: The nuts and bolts of making a co-design project happen.
The Loop: Iterate and sustain co-design efforts, with a focus on building a lasting culture of collaboration that extends beyond a single project.
Backpack: A list of resources to help you on the journey.
The Trail Guide will be an ongoing resource for California library workers to use as they approach co-design in their community. Look for it coming soon online!