CO.DESIGN4ALL FRAMEWORK
Making Sense of Co-design
Simply download our free tools today
Our free resources are taken from each phase and stage of our Co.Design4All Framework.
We get you started by providing project plans, stakeholder maps, minute templates and easy techniques to use when engaging others. If you feel poorly equipped, our resources will give you a head start. Expose yourself to proven tools which use insights from many recognised authors or our years of trial and error with just one click.
Each tool comes with an explanation about where it should be used and how long it will take. Quick instructions and downloadable templates make it easy for you to get started right now. Explore our 19 FREE tools by clicking on the links below and start becoming a co-design advocate today.
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Membership Benefits
Our free resources are a small but useful subset of the entire Co.Design4All toolkit. To access the remaining tools we have developed a flexible membership structure to enable anyone from students to practitioners to access the right array of supports.
If you are leading an organisation through change or embracing co-design or place based initiatives, we also offer business and organisational memberships. These are designed to make it easier for everyone involved in an entity to use the same language, the same variety of templates and achieve the same improvement in results. It is easier to build trust with stakeholders, efficiencies across projects and competencies in your team if everyone is working the same way.
Explore a Membership which suits your situation today.
EXPLORE OUR MEMBERSHIP LEVELSCO.DESIGN4ALL FRAMEWORK
Resources For You To Use
Sometimes you need a little bit of structure to organise your thoughts, a project or for a meeting. To get attention from stakeholders, to look professional with project sponsors or simply to drive some collaboration, these tools will give you the basics to get started with any co-design project. They can be used time and again. Get into a rhythm so that people attending meetings know what to expect and can trust their investment of time will be well worthwhile. Rather than losing momentum because things get lost, are not clear or risks are overlooked, these free resources will ensure that every effort you put in will reap rewards.
Try the FREE Co.Design4All tools today
CO.DESIGN4ALL FRAMEWORK
PHASE 1 DISCOVER – Free Tools
The Discover Phase is designed to scope the problem and get stakeholders animated enough to invest further time working together to agree on a solution. Before you can get traction, you need to plan your approach. We provide a simple project planning template to make that possible.
Having gathered data you then need to set about talking to others about that data and what you are seeing. They will hopefully have their own data, definition of need and perspectives on what has happened and could happen. This will be really important to understand. Different players can have varying perspectives based on where they sit in the ecosystem. It is always best to get this background before you bring them all together into a room. We provide a tool to support stakeholder mapping to ensure you are talking to the right folks. To support meetings we provide a conflict of interest declaration so that everyone knows the background each attendee brings. To enable meeting conduct we offer a minute taking sheet and action planner to capture who agrees to follow up on what between meetings.
Your project idea will probably be taking shape and key players will be emerging after you have started your consultations. You can then set out to develop the persona for the project. This makes it easier for the project to be named and communicated in a way which makes sense to those you will be working with.
Along the way you will have started to sense what could get in the way of success. Our Risk Register template allows you to capture these potential challenges and define mitigating strategies. These can be talked about in future meetings. It can also open doors to get access to resources so that your project is not stopped dead in its tracks when a risk rears its ugly head and you have no bandwidth to respond. Having sufficient trust with your partners is vital for getting honest input, access to resources and momentum built. We offer a trust building technique to enable you to develop trust early in your project.
Like what you see? There is so much more available inside the Co.Design4All framework. Become a member and you will have access to tools, case studies, support and guidance on how to co-design for your business, projects or community.
Go To Phase 1 FREE ToolsCO.DESIGN4ALL FRAMEWORK
PHASE 2 DESIGN – Free Co.Design4All Tools
Design is the next phase in the Co.Design4All Framework. It is necessary because most people have never really been part of a good co-design activity. They need to understand that projects are never linear and events able to be controlled. The VUCA Matrix can be used to highlight what is changing in the world and why the time is right for mutual action.
Your preparation in Discovery should have highlighted some forces in play related to your problem. You can use Force Field Analysis as a technique to get your group actively discussing how they see various forces working for and against success. Different people may find the problem you are trying to solve as more or less interesting. Helping them define what motivates them and how this problem ticks their box around meaning will help them get to know each other, help you muster the strength to continue to lead and provide insights about what drives everyone to participate.
Your problem exists within a universe of current action. In healthcare, services and systems are in place and working to a greater or lessor extent. Patient journey mapping can be used to highlight where things go wrong, inefficiency exists or frustration is created.
We also provide an agenda so that you can structure workshops which introduce collaborative working to get more done.
Go To Phase 2 FREE ToolsCO.DESIGN4ALL FRAMEWORK
PHASE 3 DECIDE – Free Tools
Having scoped the problem and got your partners used to working together you can then move into decision making. The Decide Phase of the Co.Design4All Framework ensures that everyone shares in the choices around solutions. With that commitment cemented you are more likely to get access to their resources, advocacy, continued volunteerism and data sharing.
Getting to decisions means making everyone comfortable with the options. Edward De Bono created some great strategies for reviewing options from different perspectives. We provide an outline for how to use his Thinking Hats method in a meeting.
Choosing options means ensuring that what you think you want will deliver what is needed. A good way to ensure your choice will result in outcomes is to develop a Program Logic. We provide a template for population so that you can see how your inputs will ultimately flow into the outcomes everyone wants. This breakdown can then be converted into a work program with that work shared across a team or partners. The 90 Day Planning Worksheet will help you to make visible what needs to be accountable and celebrated.
Go To Phase 3 FREE ToolsCO.DESIGN4ALL FRAMEWORK
PHASE 4 DEBRIEF – Free Tools
Having decided what needs doing, you need to organise how that will be done. Any change involves managing people and processes through transitions. We provide Bridges Change Model to help you identify the critical milestones, emotions and phases you need to navigate and monitor as your project is implemented. We also offer a Business Canvas so that you can accurately scope out what is involved in the business model of the new solution.
Anyone involved in working with others can tell you it can be very satisfying and also very challenging. You will grow through every co-design process. Our reflective practice tools help you track where you start and how proficient you become with the various developmental goals you set in your learning log. We also provide the GROW Model to help you take goals into actions. These can include your own professional development goals which can be discussed with project sponsors.
Every project runs the risk of being a great idea poorly implemented. The Project Status Update template is a quick and consistent way to describe what is going on without providing war and peace. It helps you check off not just what is being done but what needs doing and how budgets, resources and risks are all tracking.
Go To Phase 4 FREE ToolsFREE TOOLS FOR YOU
Co.Design4All – Try It Yourself – 19 Free Tools
We have FREE tools ready and available for you to use to capture all of the key elements relevant to your initiative in the DISCOVER, DESIGN, DECIDE and DEBRIEF phases in our co-design framework. Here is your chance to download one of the FREE Co.Design4All (CD4A) tools and try them for yourself.
Free : Stage 1 – Project Plan (1D0101)
This tool offers a structured guide to the essential elements of a Project Plan. Sections, tables, diagrams, and charts may be adjusted to fit your specific project needs.
Free : Stage 3 – Agenda Setting (1D0310)
This is a tool to help develop an agenda for meetings which helps to stay on track and set expectations about what will be discussed.
Free : Stage 3 – Minute Sheet (1D0311)
This tool is for minuting during meetings.
Free : Stage 3 – Action planning (1D0312)
All action items that are discussed and raised during meetings are noted using this tool.
Free : Stage 3 – AIM Statement (1D0313)
This tool helps form the purpose of the project.
Free : Stage 5 – Earning trust (Technique) (1D0504)
This tool provides practical guidelines on how to earn and keep trust throughout the projects.
Free : Stage 7 – VUCA Matrix (2D0704)
All co-design and place based initiatives occur in an environment which have VUCA characteristics – Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity.
Free : Stage 7 – Force Field Analysis (2D0706)
Force Field Analysis is based on the idea that any current situation or state is the result of a balance of power between driving forces and restraining forces.
Free : Stage 7 – What is My Why? (2D0707)
When times get tough, and they will, having knowledge about WHY the work is important and why individuals are committed to it will ensure folks push through barriers.
Free : Stage 8 – Patient Journey Mapping (2D0812)
Journey mapping is powerful as it puts the entire process down in a manner which can be reviewed.
Free : Stage 8 – Team Progress Agenda (2D0818)
This tool outlines a standard project team meeting agenda. Most importantly, one of the agenda items is “what can we drop”.
Free : Stage 9 – De Bono Hats (3D0905)
This is a decision making and evaluation framework to aid in the critical evaluation of options before decisions are made.
Free : Stage 10 – Program Logic (3D1006)
This allows you to visually represent the flow of the project.
Free : Stage 10 – My 90 Day Planning Worksheet (3D1009)
This tool helps form a 90-day plan and overview of what should be done when during the project.
Free : Stage 11 – Bridges Change Model (4D1101)
The Bridges Change Model with help you to manage the process of change, understanding and working through the emotion and transition phases related to change.
Free : Stage 11 – Business Model Canvas (4D1102)
The Business Model Canvas will help with detailing the elements of an idea to understand what is needed for success.
Free : Stage 13 – Learning Log (4D1304)
This tool can help to keep track of your learning process over time and keep track of follow-up and actions.
Free : Stage 13 – Learning Card (4D1311)
This tool is used as a post-reflective learning opportunity to reflect on what has been discussed or learnt and plan for how those learnings will be implemented.
Free : Stage 14 – Project Status Update (4D1402)
The tool is useful to use on an ongoing basis to track the status of the initiative to ensure it is on track.
START YOUR CO-DESIGN JOURNEY
Become a Member Today
Navigating the politics within and between organisations to achieve results through collaboration can often be a thankless task. It is rarely in anyone’s position description and not something most people are trained it. Those who thrive in co-design are those who see opportunities for impact. They are prepared to bridge the knowledge, system and service gaps between divisions, entities and sectors. That can be demanding. It can be great to debrief with like minded colleagues. It can be even better to discover a tool or approach which suits the situation you find yourself in right now. Co.Design4All brings such people together and allows them to explore tools and techniques which make solving problems in groups and communities so much easier.
TESTIMONIALS
What our clients have to say
Ann Maree Liddy
CEO, Checkup | Chair, Health Consumers Queensland
Co.Design4All – A timely and valuable platform
The Co.Design4All website is a timely and valuable platform that has value not only for the health industry, but the broader care economy. The high-quality resources, tools and case studies are reflective of Tracey and Nat’s deep understanding of co-design and their years of experience in engaging with communities. By fostering co-design approaches, Co.Design4All has enormous potential to enhance service delivery, promote innovation and strengthen trust – essential building blocks for more equitable and inclusive healthcare.
Tracey Silvester
Executive Officer
Engaging, Successful, Credible
I have been witness to Tracey Johnson’s knowledge of the health care system and her exceptional group facilitation skills. She is a master at understanding the complexities in which health services operate; an understanding that is reflected in the quality of the co-design tools and resources that have been developed. Her ability to clearly communicate complex concepts and engage diverse audiences ensures the success and credibility of her work. I am confident that these attributes and Tracey’s commitment to making a difference will make the website a valuable resource for all users.
McGrath ‘Model of Care’ project
Project Participant A
Best Co-design Process
This has been the best co-design process I have even participated in……ACTUAL co-design.
Meredith Cummins
CEO Neuroendocrine Cancer Australia
Wonderful Co-design Workshop
Wonderful to be involved in this co-design workshop to ensure the model of care for all cancers benefits all cancers.
McGrath ‘Model of Care’ project
Project Participant B
Fantastic Co-design Workshop
Fantastic to have been part of the codesign workshop with McGrath Foundation and Natasha Doherty.
Stacey Allerton
Patient Advocate
Compassionate Co-Design
Thank you to Natasha Doherty for a kind and compassionate session co-designing the McGrath Foundation model of nursing care for all cancers!
Cathy Baynie
Practice Consultant & Past President AAPM
Highly Recommend Co.Design4All
I highly recommend this resource as the necessary tool that will support and foster the needs of all stakeholders in the co-design process. Tracey and Nat have an in depth and lived understanding of what is required for a successful outcome. Their skills in working with groups and inspiring others are second to none.
Cathy Baynie, Registered Nurse. Practice Consultant & Past President AAPM (Australian Assoc of Practice Managers) Manager Advocacy and Health Workforce
Michele Smith
WNSWPHN
Excellent Co-Design – Resounding Success
The “Excellent Co-Design” training by Tracey Johnson and Natasha Doherty has been a resounding success. It not only enriched the skill set of the WNSW PHN Primary Care team but also instilled a culture of collaboration and innovation that will propel the PHN’s mission to improve primary health outcomes.
Freddy Ortega
WNSW PHN Primary Care Team
Transformative, Comprehensive Training
The “Excellent Co-Design” training, expertly delivered by Tracey Johnson and Natasha Doherty, has been transformative for the WNSW PHN Primary Care Team. This comprehensive training has equipped the team with vital skills in community engagement, service innovation, and program implementation—key components for addressing complex primary care challenges, especially in rural and remote contexts
Tracey Silvester
Executive Officer ACHSM
Quality Tools & Resources
Tracey Johnson is a master at understanding the complexities in which health services operate, an understanding that is reflected in the quality of the codesign tools and resources that have been developed. I am confident that these attributes and Tracey’s commitment to making a difference will make the Co.Design4All website a valuable resource for all users.
questions and answers
FAQ’s
In short, yes. Cutting corners by missing any stage can jeopardise your entire project. If you spend too little time in discovery, you can have too little data to convince others there is a problem. You may even mistake a symptom for a cause if you do insufficient consultation and problem exploration. You also need to prepare people to do co-design. That means building relationships and trust so that the group can come together in ways organisational structures and boundaries may not usually permit. Having sufficient tools and techniques on hand so that the group uses time to scope out the best, shared solution will engender more commitment to its delivery. But such activity can be draining for the facilitator and the nuances lost as the project transitions to implementation. That is why a debrief phase where those involved can plan for their exit, embrace how they have changed and prepare for the next challenge is so important.
Co-design is so much more than a project method. It is a way of engaging with others without pre-set expectations. Most projects have fairly well defined inputs and expected outputs. In co-design, you need to be comfortable with the unknown. What you may see as a problem might only be a symptom. It might even be a problem of lessor importance than another problem which needs to be solved first. Therefore, co-design is a process which enables a group of stakeholders to work together to get what is of mutual significance done. Project management will be required to see that what is agreed occurs but co-design shifts the power from the project manager to the group throughout the project. This requires some additional skills. it involves building comfort within the project team and sponsors that loss of control is actually a good thing.
Every project is a little bit different in terms of its scale, complexity and the politics and resources involved. These free tools offer enough substance to get you started. However, they might not be enough to support success. There are more than four times as many tools and techniques available through the toolkit full membership will give you. We offer these tools to show you how our offering is structured so that you can see how easy things are to use and populate.
Our Co.Design4All team developed the Framework based on years of experience and a literature review. In addition, we engaged in a process of co-design with other co-design players to finalise the approach. That identified other tools and weighting of emphasis which we incorporated into the toolkit you can access today. We have written about and spoken about the Framework to audiences of informed players. The result has been many commendations that our Framework is more comprehensive than anything they have been exposed to. We continue to build and add to our toolkit so that new tools become accessible. We want to build a co-design movement so that complex problems anywhere become better solved everywhere because the right views are incorporated into solution design. With that goal in mind, we will keep fine tuning the framework and toolkit based on your feedback and emergent literature. We truly believe and practice Co.Design4All.
Absolutely! We encourage you to download and start using the tools today. Feel free to share them with colleagues and collaborators. The more people who use the same tools, the less there is to negotiate in a co-design project. Managing projects and personalities to get shared results is hard enough without holding back knowledge. Show others what you have found and rather than reducing your credibility, it will highlight that what you are doing has important foundations and is worthy of replication. Sharing is the very heart of co-design which is why rather than keeping these tools to ourselves, as many consultants do, we offer them for free to empower others and get conversations started about this exciting way of working.
insights and thought leadership
Our Latest Articles & Blogs
We are passionate about Co.Design4All and the difference it makes to projects and community initiatives to facilitate and enable successful and better outcomes for ALL. We will share our knowledge, insights, and expertise in articles and blogs to help you successfully adopt and implement co-design principles. Let us know any topics or questions you would like us to address!
Reflections On Success in Primary Healthcare
Team Co.Design4All
What Does Success Look Like? A Year of Recognition Over the last 12 months it has been a privilege for our team at Inala Primary Care to be recognised in numerous ways. First, we won an inaugural Stronger Medicare Award, which recognised our work delivering innovative care to disadvantaged patients. A night in Canberra at …
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Why Co-Design Delivers Better Results
Team Co.Design4All
For generations human history has been littered with evidence that people want to be included in decisions which affect them. In 1789, the French Revolution echoed to calls for liberty, equality and fraternity; one of the most memorable rallying cries of any movement. Liberty spoke to the need to be free of rules imposed by …
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Co-Design In Place Is Better
Team Co.Design4All
Co-Design In Place Is Better, as a sense of place has captivated humankind for millennia. For many, where we come from provides a deep sense of meaning, security and identity. However, for an increasing number of people where they come from is a determinant of lifelong prospects. Our postcode determines how well we live because resources are not equally distributed.
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The Co-Design Paradox: Better Solutions, Faster
Team Co.Design4All
The Co-Design Paradox: It is not about having a few meetings with representatives at the table. It is a process that starts far earlier to define the real need. Digging into that is a real process of discovery which starts with a plan. That plan is for how to explore the current state, engage the big stakeholders who control resources, explore their perspectives and together develop a unified plan for community engagement.
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