Co-Design
Policy By Design
The co-design process puts lived experts at the core of program design and gives the power back to those most impacted by the program.
It's an approach to creating policy and programs with the people instead of for-the-people way of doing it we’ve relied on in the past. Co-design has the potential to restore humanity to program design and help ensure that people determine policy, not the other way around.
The "co" in co-design refers to the collaboration between those who have traditionally been part of the program design process — such as state agencies, professional providers, and other stakeholders — and individuals who have too often been left out — those with lived experience.
The Co-Design Institute
The Co-Design Institute is a hub of resources, information, connection and community centered around advancing the co-design process. Our mission is to preach the value of putting those with lived experience at the center of the program and policy design process, to provide access to the resources and training policymakers and program administrators need to implement the co-design model, and to connect those across the country who are invested in creating policy created by the people instead of for the people.