Hi Reader,

When I was transitioning from an art educator to a designer, I expected many overlaps between art and design, but I was surprised to find overlaps between education and design.

As an educator, my focus was on participatory learning meaning the learner is an active participant instead of a passive observer. Think of engaging learners in conversation instead of a teacher lecturing at students. Engagement helps the learning stick.

At the Fountain Institute, participatory learning is at the core of everything we do, from our community to workshops to courses.

Some examples of participatory education approaches are:

1. Group work
2. Brainstorming
3. Case studies
4. Roleplaying
5. Providing feedback
6. Evaluating of activities
7. Field visits

Do any of these sound familiar? Maybe activities designers use?

Participatory learning is a user-centered approach, just like UX, product, and service design.

I was surprised by how my educational training in facilitating conversation, brainstorming, working group sessions, and field visits resemble a user-centered design process.

Participatory Learning in Design = Co-Creation

But more and more, I see designers using participatory practices in their design process. One way is through bringing users into a workshop for a co-creation session where the designer and users iterate on solutions together.

Co-creation as defined by Interaction Design Foundation:

Who are the Co-Creators?

Who can take part in a co-creation session? Here are a few groups that can join a co-creation session:

• End-users of your product
• Stakeholders in the project
• Experts in the field that don’t work at your company

The designer’s primary role in co-creation is not a creator or a problem solver; it is a facilitator.

Facilitation and participation invite a "user-led" design process. What might happen if your design process was guided by users?

Until next week, participate with your user!

Hannah Baker

Designer & Co-Founder
​The Fountain Institute