Conversation with Emily

How do we create meaningful experiences when we co-design?

Co-design is increasingly being used as a transformative approach to designing services, strategies, policies and systems. On its good days, co-design is a creative and participatory way to address complex challenges, facilitating different forms of lived and professional experiences and expertise to collaborate and design positive outcomes. On its bad days, co-design can be disingenuous, leaving participants wondering what their time contributed to and why they were involved.

What can we do differently?

→ Register here for this online lunch-time session

Generations of change

The Terra Nullius myth has caused over 200 years of dispossession in Australia, and the pursuit of political magnanimity has been limited by colonial power. We continue to ask: how can we confront massacre and misery while accepting the gift that is 60,000 years of human civilisation?

Since the Mabo decision in 1992, the traditional protocol of acknowledging Country as a visitor has evolved as a learning process. From public events or school assemblies to opening sessions of the Federal Parliament, an Acknowledgement of Country in its most sincere form is now an act of humility and respect. Sans tokenism or trepidation, it’s an honourable ritual.

It can be likened to a fourth tense, affirming that Indigenous people were here, are here, and will be here, simultaneously: the past is in the present is in the future. Acknowledgement of Country sees those who have lived before us, those who live with us, and those who will live after us — helping pave the way for decolonisation. If we’re reflecting and connecting with history, people and Country when we meet and gather, we acknowledge our richly storied place.

Where will our acknowledgement stories lead us, and how will the next generation of change decolonise their ways of knowing?

Takes on improving 
access to justice

1.
The Stanford Legal Design Lab run by the brilliant Margaret Hagan is a peek into how we might approach justice in the 21st centre. Their Medium is a particularly great place to get lost for an hour. 

2.
This brilliant podcast of Kristy Tippet interviewing Father Greg Boyle of Homeboy Industries will have you thinking differently about how we might break the cycle of re-incarceration.

3.
In Canada, if an Indigenous-identifying person is charged with a crime, the judge must apply the Gladue Principles – a set of precedents considering the effects of colonisation and intergenerational trauma and how they might mitigate a criminal sentence. 

→ Here is some work we’ve done with the Supreme Court of Victoria

Things I’ve learnt producing archetypes from human behaviour

1.
Using a mix of research tools can help people to externalise and visualise their experiences. This makes conversations more engaging and allows others to share their thoughts in their own way.

2.
Take time to get into the detail of the defining moments of experience. This is especially true in mapping complex experiences or those that happen over a long amount of time, with lots of different people involved.

3.
We heard many personal stories that confirmed diligent research design and care are essential, whatever the topic or sector. Life events, crime, climate change and loss, are all connected to how and why people make big life decisions.

4.
Human behaviour doesn’t always neatly fit into boxes but finding the right framework can pay off when it comes to creating archetypes.

● A POEM FROM OUR TEAM

Let's do a warm-up.
Now, who would like to go first?
Noone? Guess I'll start.

● A MOMENT FOR REFLECTION

How can we prepare our team and our workplace for ongoing disruption due to climate change triggered crises?