Community engagement through the process of co-design is a priority for the California State Library over the next 5 years as seen in their LSTA 5-Year plan. But are you still struggling to figure out the why, how and when behind this process? Although it has been around in various forms for some time, there is a lot of misunderstanding and confusion around what co-design is, as well as how to implement it. Because of that, we asked Audrey Barbakoff to help us develop – along with your input – a helpful resource to assist you in your co-design journey, and it’s called The Co-Design Trail Guide.
The Guide was developed out of conversations with you, the California library community, and is specific to your interests and needs. As Audrey says in her introduction to the Guide – “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!