Author: Jane Bringolf

Equal access to sport information

Enthusiasm for sport is often mentioned as a very “Australian thing”. Television news, social media and online newspapers rarely go a day without mentioning one sport or another. But is this information provided in ways that everyone can enjoy and understand? Sierra Morabito wants to see equal access to sport information – there are people who would like to read about it but can’t.

Equal access to sport information means people need easy to read information on:

  • the rules to play sport
  • where they can play and join up
  • other ways to get involved
  • when and where to watch a game
  • stories about players
  • news about the favourite team
A woman wearing a yellow top with the number 14 on the back is holding a ball under her arm.

The examples above show how easy it is to leave people out without realising. Information about sport is not just reading stories – low literacy prevents participation. If people need to use a website their literacy skills are challenged even further.

Morabito’s advice is to provide hard copy information in Easy English and leave them in places where people go. Shopping centres, council buildings, and community centres are just three ideas. A contact phone number is essential – so much easier than emails.

Understanding sport rules

People with low literacy will worry about learning the rules if they cannot read them. Write the key points in Easy English – everyone likes a straightforward version. There is more on this topic in Morabito’s article.

Global Accessibility Awareness Day

People who can’t use the internet or complex digital tools are being left behind. This issue is often mentioned in our increasingly digital world, but is anyone taking notice? Everyone has the right to equal access to information and resources. However, this means providing information in different formats. According to Cathy Basterfield, we are talking about nearly two thirds of all Australian adults.

Information needs to be provided in different formats to suit different skill levels. It means designing for users who can’t: 

  • navigate two-factor authentication
  • understand how to use a one-time access code
  • read a letter or an email
Graphic of a man with glasses and a beard. He is leaning on the desk with his head in his had and looking very unhappy. His laptop is open on the desk.

And it also means making websites that work for all users – that is, those who can use it. More than 95% of high ranked websites don’t meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines – the global standard for people with disability. And that’s just their home page. 

A website is not accessible if a user has to click through six levels to find the information they need. Or if they have to navigate an intricate system, and deal with things that flash, blink or scroll. Add to that the people with low literacy skills and the number of excluded people starts to add up. 

See the article in Medium titled, Global Accessibility Awareness day. for more information on this topic.

Social media meme. Text across top. Think online means everyone? 1 in 4 Aussies are not connected. Text across bottom. Access Easy English www.readEE.com.au. Image in middle 3 people standing together with wifi symbol over their heads. 4th man in shadow working away with empty wifi image. Equal access to information?

Dementia and empowering environments

A new open access book is a must for anyone interested in design with and for people with dementia. “Creating Empowering Environments for People with Dementia” is exactly what the book is about. It addresses inclusive design both inside and outside the home, including agricultural settings.

The book features the voices and opinions of people living with dementia. The chapters showcase individual homes, public spaces, landscapes and urban design. Care homes and special dementia facilities are also featured.

The focus is on person centred design that enables and empowers, and includes cultural differences in people’s needs. That means co-design.

Front cover of the book Creating Empowering Environments for people with dementia. A green band top and bottom with black text on a white backgrouns.

A book for built environment practitioners and researchers in the fields of gerontology.

Chapter topics

Part 2 is titled “People with dementia are central to the design process”. It is about people with dementia being at the core of environmental design. A co-design approach to both home and neighbourhood design is essential in this context. People with dementia have a voice and know what they need.

Part 3 is about neighbourhoods. It includes chapters on public organisations, transport systems and spaces, and participatory health research. Toilets are a key feature for inclusive design, both newbuilds and refurbishments.

Part 4 has two chapters on hospital design, and Part 5 covers care home design. There is an interesting chapter on “care farms”. Not everyone with dementia lives in the city so some people respond well to an agricultural care setting.

The book is open access on ResearchGate and also from Taylor and Francis Group.

From the introduction

This edited volume addresses the environments that exacerbate, exclude, and stigmatise those living with dementia to explore designs and processes that can optimise well‑being and independence.

An older man sits with his back to the camera in a cafe. Empowering environments.

Featuring the voices and opinions of people with dementia, the chapters showcase individual homes, special dementia facilities, different forms of care homes, and public spaces, from landscape to urbanism, as examples of how to meet the needs and preferences of those living with dementia now.

This book demonstrates a range of research methods that can be used to inform and investigate good co‑design of dementia‑enabling environments. Furthermore, the book addresses cultural differences in people’s needs and illustrates past, ongoing, and novel initiatives worldwide.

Ultimately, this timely volume focuses on person‑centred design that enables empowerment, quality of life, health, and citizenship in people living with dementia. It will be of value to researchers, scholars, and postgraduate students studying gerontology, dementia specifically, and those involved with architecture and the built environment for societal benefit more broadly.

Dementia-friendly assessment tool

Front cover of the Dementia Friendly Assessment Tool. It has lime green with text and a man bending down to pet a wallaby.

The Dementia Friendly Community Environmental Assessment Tool provides a relatively simple checklist. It takes in many of the regular aspects of accessibility overlaid with design thought for people with dementia. A good place to start your thinking.

The more recent online resource from Dementia Training Australia expands on the 2015 edition and goes into more detail. Sections can be downloaded separately. There are three parts in the handbook:

  • 1 ‘Key Design Principles’ contains a description of key design principles.
    • 2 ‘The Dementia Friendly Community – Environmental Assessment Tool introduces the tool and provides directions for its use.
    • 3 ‘Using the Spreadsheet’ contains a guide to scoring and showing the results graphically.  

This assessment tool is No. 5 in a set of 7 resources within the Environmental Design Resources Handbook.

There is also a free app to guide you through an assessment on the strengths and weaknesses of buildings for people with dementia. The website has more resources covering both community living and residential care.  

Urban design for mental health

Is having urban green space enough to make a difference? That’s a question posed by researchers in Brazil. They wanted to find out whether the quality of nearby green spaces and nature has a positive impact on mental wellbeing. They found that the longer people spent in natural environments, the more their wellbeing improved. However, any green space is not enough – the quality of the space is the key. It also has to be accessible, safe, and welcoming.

The title of the article is, Is Having Urban Green Space in the Neighborhood Enough to Make a Difference? Insights for Healthier City Design.

A young woman and man are walking their dog in an urban park.

From the abstract

This study delves into whether simply having urban green space in the neighborhood is enough to significantly impact residents’ mental well-being. Most research overlooks the suitability of green spaces for recreational use, limiting urban planning strategies. Recent findings highlight the multifaceted benefits of green spaces, such as improved sleep and lower blood pressure.

Although research in developed nations highlights the mental health benefits of green spaces, similar studies are lacking in developing countries. The socio-economic and environmental contexts in the Global South differ significantly from those in developed nations.

This study hypothesizes that accessibility to urban green space with suitable infrastructure for physical activities, leisure or recreation, provides more significant benefits. The aim is to deepen the understanding of the role of UGS in promoting mental health and to guide the creation of urban environments conducive to well-being.

The Ageing City and mental health

Front cover of the Urban Design and Mental Health Journal, Aging City Edition.Walkability has been the focus of good public spaces to encourage physical health. However, the recent pandemic increased our awareness of the need for urban design for mental health. The Aging City Edition of the Journal of Urban Design and Mental Health looks at the dimension of cognitive decline. Here’s what’s in the 7th edition of this academic publication:

The Editorial focuses on the need for new directions in interdisciplinary research. 

Dementia-friendly neighbourhoods is about the methodological challenges and opportunities. 

The role of green spaces in preventing cognitive decline calls for “research-by-design”.

Older residents’ mental health status is compared in suburbs versus traditional neighbourhoods is compared to find key design solutions. 

Case studies include Guy Luscombe’s Age n Dem Toolkit, the role of community square dancing in China, and a look at design culture to to empower older people. City Case Studies are Lagos and Sydney. 

Although this is an academic journal, the research and findings provide direction for urban planners and support the need for more pedestrian friendly neighbourhoods. 

Urban planning and Coronavirus

Aerial view of a major intersection in the Melbourne CBD.The daily disadvantage of marginalised groups is more clearly revealed as others fall into the ranks of disadvantage during this pandemic.  A discussion paper from Berkeley argues that this current pandemic is an opportunity to consider similar urban health reforms that followed previous epidemics. Promoting inclusive and healthy cities for all is the bottom line in this thoughtful discussion.

The discussion paper takes the perspective of people with functional limitations. For many people worldwide, disability is about health, human rights, and poverty. It’s an urban development issue and time to move from the medical model to the social model of disability. Also discussed are how people with disability are left out of economic responses, such as one-off support payments, and not included in planning to prevent future crises.

The authors provide recommendations for how this pandemic can best support people with disability and how this makes cities healthier for all. They warn that pandemics also run the risk of exacerbating further marginalisation through racism and segregation. The abstract below is the essence of the paper.

The title of the paper is, Disability, Urban Health Equity, and the Coronavirus Pandemic: Promoting Cities for All. 

Systemic Design Toolkit

The Design Council in the UK has built on its Double Diamond framework to take design thinking another step forward. The Double Diamond is about divergent and convergent thinking. The Toolkit adds “invisible activities” such as connections, relationships and storytelling. The Systemic Design Toolkit is a methodology for dealing with complex challenges. Although this toolkit and framework are about addressing the climate emergency, the elements, processes, and actions are applicable to any design issue.

Image shows the Double Diamond graphic surrounded by the Toolkit concepts.

The key is the “invisible activities”. Connections, relationships and storytelling are fundamental to co-design and co-creation processes.

The toolkit is set of tools that help designers think more systematically. Therefore, it is not a detailed manual of design basics such as user research and prototyping. And it is not a set of tools tailored to a specific design discipline. It draws on research with designers working in different disciplines.

Systemic change requires a thoughtful design process across government, business and other influential organisations. Systemic change is about tackling the structures and beliefs that underpin the challenge. With so many complex challenges facing all of us, we need to start thinking in different ways. That’s why the Design Council have created the systemic design framework.

Being inclusive and welcoming difference is about creating safe shared spaces. It’s also about having a language to welcome multiple and marginalised perspectives. This creates better outcomes. Image: the characteristics of changemakers from the Design Council.

A red background for four graphics representing: Connector and Convenor, Leader and Storyteller, Designer and Maker, and System Thinker. These are the characteristics of Changemakers.

The introductory webpage has a video that nicely explains the basics and the thinking behind the toolkit and the different elements. As with all Design Council resources, it is carefully designed and presented. There are other supporting resources to go with the toolkit.

Brisbane 2032: A Game Changer?

What can be learned from previous Games experiences? An article in ABC News discusses a report by Queenslanders with Disability Network (QDN) titled Game Changers. The report examined five past sporting events to see what can be learned from them. Employment of people with disability is a key focus of this report.

The Brisbane 2032 legacy committee chair Grace Grace said she’s committed to creating a “transformational legacy” for people with a disability. Image from the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games opening ceremony.

A wide angle view of the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games showing lots of vibrant colours shining out against the night sky.

The Game Changers report analyses past sporting events and the legacy they left behind. There were many missed opportunities to create a positive legacy for people with disability. Plans need accessibility and inclusion embedded now, not one year before the event.

The Gold Coast Commonwealth Games was the largest para-sport program in Games history. However, there were many issues for athletes and spectators with disability. One of the main issues was the lack of accessible transport and venues. Volunteers and staff lacked appropriate training. Their language and implied indifference disregarded human differences.

The Commonwealth Games did create more accessible infrastructure and tourism. Athletes with and without disability were also competing side-by-side in events. This meant that their was equitable treatment on and off the field.

Employment

Legacy planning for inclusive employment means involving people with disability in the early planning. Media presenters and journalists with disability are capable of working on both Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The report has three recommendations for the employment of people with disability so that by:

2028: Foundations laid to improve employment outcomes during the Games.

2032: the Brisbane Games have set and achieved clear and measurable targets for employment, procurement, and volunteering.

2042: more opportunity for meaningful employment within a connected and supportive employment ecosystem.

A statement of Brisbane 2032 as the Olympic and Paralympic Games Host with the Olympic rings and with red blue and green swipe shapes.

The title of article is, How Brisbane’s 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games can learn from the past to create a legacy for people with a disability.

Crisis planning by co-design

Floods and fires are a regular occurrence in Australia. However, they are happening more frequently and with more intensity. While there are standards for building evacuations and fire risk management, these were developed without thought for all citizens. And when people need to evacuate to a communal place of safety, there is no guarantee it will be accessible. Crisis planning requires input from all stakeholders and that includes community members.

Researchers in Sweden ran a workshop with stakeholders on crisis planning. One idea was to have practise events so that community members know where to go and what to do.

Fire fighters dressed in protective gear with oxygen tanks run towards the smoke.

Fire drills are commonplace in office blocks and institutions for both the occupants and emergency service personnel. Perhaps community members need these type of events to familiarise themselves with evacuation procedures and safe places.

Distributing information or brochures to households is not enough. People need to physically go through the process of getting to important places. They also need to check out places like shelters to ensure they are appropriate for their needs. People also need to know how to handle equipment they wouldn’t normally use. Also, information via the written word assumes everyone can read and comprehend the information.

A co-design, participatory process

The workshop generated collaboration in addressing the crisis scenario presented to the participants. The lived experience of people with disability was a good learning experience for disaster management staff. Maintaining a home preparedness kit is challenging for some people when some medicines are restricted. That means you can’t order in advance to keep a ‘spare’ set.

Although staff had worked previously with organisations to produce written materials, they could see that some people fall between the cracks. People who get by reasonably well and not connected to community services could be missed. Although they are managing with day to day activities they may need support in a crisis.

In summary, the co-design methods allowed for more nuanced information to emerge. Evacuation and rescue solutions are context dependent because each locality is different.

The title of the article is, Enhancing Inclusive Crisis Planning: Insights from a Disability-Inclusive Scenario Workshop. It’s open access so you can download the PDF.

Abstract

In response to escalating disasters, inclusive crisis planning is crucial. This study examines a specialised workshop that engaged people with disabilities in crisis planning, focusing on a simulated flood scenario.

Stakeholders from disability organizations and the local municipality collaborated, including eight crisis communicators and thirteen individuals with disabilities. The workshop facilitated knowledge exchange and surfaced disability-specific issues.

While successful in raising awareness, challenges arose in relaying detailed perspectives, emphasizing the need for nuanced communication. Locally relevant scenarios strengthened the workshop’s impact.

The findings stress the importance of early involvement of individuals with disabilities in crisis planning and offer insights for researchers and policymakers. This research contributes to enhancing inclusivity in crisis planning and informs future disaster risk reduction.

Vulnerable citizens in floods and fires

While there are standards for building evacuations and fire risk management, these were developed without thought for vulnerable citizens. And when people need to evacuate to a communal place of safety, there is no guarantee it will be accessible.

Residents of the Northern Rivers area of New South Wales are not new to flood events. But the floods are getting worse. A major flood event occurred previously in 2017 and four researchers decided to explore the experiences of people with disability.

They found people with disability and carers are more likely than others to be affected and displaced. Their needs are more immediate and urgent than most, and their mental health is more likely to be compromised.

Road Closed signs and a barrier of a road that reaches down to a river in flood.

Their findings show the profound impact and systematic neglect experienced by people with disability and their carers. A longer term recovery period is required for people with disability with tailored supports. Consequently, people with disability should be included in flood preparations and recovery efforts.

The title of the article is, Exposure to risk and experiences of river flooding for people with disability and carers in rural Australia: a cross sectional survey. It’s not a very accessible document as the format is in two columns.

Fire safety

The NDIS aims to support people to live independently in a home designed around their disability. This usually means a step free entry and modified bathroom designs. However, little, if any, thought is given to the design of fire safety and safe evacuation in an emergency.

“Fire safety systems must be considered as a total package of risk management, equipment, maintenance, training and fire and evacuation drills. …Where disabled or immobile persons are concerned, the importance of the total package cannot be underestimated.”

house fire photo taken at night time.

Some NDIS participants will need extra support to prepare for and react in an emergency. Hank Van Ravenstein outlines the role of the NDIS in his paper, Fire Safety and the National Disability Insurance Scheme. The first part relates the history of the NDIS followed by technical considerations for safety. He argues that the National Construction Code regulations don’t fully address or reflect the needs and risk behaviours of NDIS participants.

If we are to take a universal design approach, if the fire safety regulations aren’t sufficient for people with disability, are they sufficient for everyone?

Bushfire safety

As cities grow and become more compact, some citizens feel the need to “go bush”. This usually means finding a forest haven amongst the trees away from urban living. Then there are those who have always lived in the bush and wouldn’t live anywhere else. But bush living is risky and can be costly in terms of lives and property. It is particularly risky for people with disability and consequently, a different risk assessment process is needed.

Despite fire and rescue authorities encouraging people to prepare for bushfires (and floods), many leave it too late. Some are unable to understand the instructions, or unable to carry them out. A paper by Bennett and Van Ravenstein spells out all the technicalities of fire prevention and control.

A nighttime view of a major bushfire. The bright orange and red glow of the fire is reaching into the tops of the trees.

They argue for a risk assessment approach to existing and proposed buildings for vulnerable persons. The aim of their method is to provide a consistent basis for assessment. The title of their paper is Fire Safety Management of Vulnerable Persons in Bushfire Prone areas.

There is an related paper on vertical evacuation of vulnerable persons in buildings.

Games Legacy Symposium recommendations

The benefits of holding the Olympic and Paralympic Games must be long lasting, and this aspect is key to being the winning bid to be the host city. So what kind of legacy can we expect from Brisbane 2032 Games? CUDA held a symposium to discuss the Games Legacy strategy which is titled, Elevate 2042.

The vision is to move to a more inclusive, sustainable and connected society with more opportunities for everyone. And to make the region better, sooner together through sport.

Text taken from Elevate 2042 which says, the vision for elevate 2042 is that my 2042 we will live in an inclusive sustainable and connected society with more opportunities in life for everyone.

Elevate 2042, is the product of collective effort of the Games delivery partners. It is promoted as a guide to maintain a collective focus on society, economy, connectivity and environment.

The Games Legacy Strategy is not about benefits for a few, or ideas that have nothing to do with the Games. It is about making bigger things happen sooner for the benefit of as many communities as possible. The concept of universal design was mentioned once in the document and on the very last page.

The Olympic and Paralympic Games is a great opportunity to embed a universal design approach into all the work leading up to the event. This would drive the access and inclusion agenda for everyone in a coordinated way. The purpose of CUDA’s symposium was to find ways to embed universal design thinking into the implementation plan.

Symposium recommendations

A panel of four speakers set the scene which fed into the workshop discussions with participants. Two key themes emerged from those discussions.

  • Embed universal design principles in all procurement processes including pre-procurement to develop appropriate scopes of works.
  • Embed co-design at the beginning of all decision-making processes at all levels and make the process mandatory. 
Aerial view of the Sunshine Coast Stadium showing a large field of green grass next to a river.

Universal design is a unifying concept

Universal design is three things: an ethical principle for inclusion of diversity; a vision of an inclusive society; and a unifying approach to policy and perspectives. It’s this last point that is of greatest value to the implementation of the Games Legacy Strategy.

With so many government departments and stakeholders involved, an abstract concept such as inclusion can fall between the cracks. Taking universal design approach across the development of all activities keeps inclusion at the forefront in transport, housing, planning, employment, communications, services, and tourism to name a few.

The draft recommendations are open for comment until 30 July. They cover active transport, planning and infrastructure, housing, tourism, and co-design.

Embedding a universal design approach at the concept stage of any undertaking using co-design methods, and continuing the concept through to completion, will add support to a sustainable and successful legacy for the Brisbane 2032 Games.

Walkability Improvement Tool


Queensland’s Walkability Improvement Tool is part of their healthy and active communities strategy. It’s about retrofitting neighbourhood enhancements – not an easy task. The key elements are connectivity, block lengths, footpaths, parks or open space, and one street tree every 15 metres.

Five graphics in a row. Connectivity, Block Lengths, Footpaths, Park or OpenSpace, and Street Trees.

The advice includes identifying the primary audience for the improvement. Examples are given such as schools, shopping precincts and public transport nodes. However, children don’t just go to schools and shoppers don’t just go to shops. The danger of focusing on a single audience is that others risk getting left out of the designs. The result is journeys not made.

Older people and people with disability live in all neighbourhoods which include school zones and shopping precincts. Therefore, “special” treatments are needed for connectivity for everyone across neighbourhoods. One missing kerb ramp, street crossing or footpath is enough to discourage walking.

The retrofitting challenge

Many Queenslanders are living in established communities which are unwalkable, with few footpaths, unconnected street layouts and few street trees to provide shade and shelter. People walk for health and wellbeing, relaxation and recreation, and as a transport option for short trips.

People are deterred from walking because of inadequate or no footpaths, safety concerns, insufficient shade, very long blocks.

Infographic with six things that would encourage Queensladers to walk more.

Footpaths

The desktop analysis stresses the importance of footpaths but only on one side of the street in residential areas. Nevertheless, this will be an improvement in areas where no footpaths exist. Footpaths also need lighting, shade trees and kerb ramps, and to be clear of vegetation. A line of concrete is insufficient in itself to encourage walking.

a concrete footpath with grass encroaching from both edges and in between the cracks. Attempts were made to grind down the raised edges in the concrete.

Observations of pedestrian and vehicle counts are useful, but they do not measure pedestrians who use the car because the neighbourhood is not walkable or wheelable for them. It doesn’t measure those who stay home and get their goods delivered. Similarly surveys must have accessible questionnaires in different formats to capture the diverse experiences of pedestrians.

Images illustrate some of the difficulties in providing footpaths such as the location of stormwater drains, narrow verges, and large street trees. The Walkability Improvement Tool is a downloadable assessment tool.

Home designs for living

Designs 4 Living is a magazine by Todd Brickhouse in the US with a focus on home designs for people with disability and older adults. The latest issue covers a wide variety of design solutions. They include home lighting, bathroom and kitchen trends, home workplaces and cognitive and sensory solutions.

Front cover of Designs 4 Living showing a sunset over a lake with birds flying above.

Lighting the home

As we get older our vision degrades and in many instances and higher levels of illumination become more important. However, it’s important to avoid glare and “pooling” of light. Indirect light sources such as recessed lighting under and over cabinets is good. LED lighting uses less power and lasts much longer.

Different scenarios for different rooms in the home are presented in the article along with a useful list of terms used for lighting and illumination. There is a link to a free guidebook to lighting the whole house.

Bathroom trends

Making a bathroom safe and accessible is just the beginning – why not make it look stylish too. That’s the content of the article by Mike Foti. While white tiles are still popular, light wood grains have gained popularity and come as tiles and panels. Flooring can provide the necessary visual contrast to the walls and fittings. Shower and bathroom treatments that don’t involve grout are a bonus. The article has more with links to useful solutions.

Cognitive and sensory solutions

Shelly Rosenberg is an interior designer with ADHD and her article is framed around 8 human senses. We all learned the five senses at school but we need to add Vestibular, Proprioception and Interoception. She begins with vision and the quality of light and level of visual ‘busyness’.

Smell is about air quality, fragrance, memory and mood. Building materials and furnishings can give off toxic gasses. Controlling moisture temperature and using air filters and purifiers are some of the solutions. Rosenberg goes through all 8 senses

Gen X and Baby Boomer needs

This article explores the divergent needs of Generation X and Baby Boomers as they age. Marketing professionals like to label different age groups, but the old labels for older adults don’t gel with Gen X. Indeed, why should older people wear a label at all? And terms such as Silver Tsunami present older people as a burden. An interesting discussion.

The Summer edition 2024 of Designs 4 Living also has items on pets, and workplaces.

Doughnut economics and co-design

The problem with economic models is that they count the things you can count and leave out things you can’t. And sometimes that’s what can happen with co-design methods – doing what you know and not what is possible. A group of researchers adapted the Doughnut Economics model to create the Futures Doughnut tool for co-design for complex settings.

Doughnut economics seeks to address inequities, poverty, and standard of living. It’s about meeting the needs of humans and the planet. A group of researchers have adapted this economic thinking in the context of co-design.

Screenshot from the article showing a circle divided into sections overlaid with bright pink post it notes with writing on them.

Using a participatory design process, 115 stakeholders explored the model to navigate socio-ethical challenges. The process fostered constructive dialogue, and explored values and boundaries. This is a good process for working in complex institutional systems where stakeholders have diverse perspectives and priorities.

The title of the paper is, Baking an Institutional Doughnut: A systemic design journey for diverse stakeholder engagement. While the context of the paper is a university setting, it sets a good example for other situations with the Futures Doughnut Tool.

Limits of co-design activities

Co-design activities are good for advocating for and helping to generate creativity. However, they are insufficient for complex systems design where continuity of consultation goes beyond design ideation.

Co-creation methods are difficult to compare by definition because they are context dependent. An adaptive and staged systemic design process requires significant time and buy-in from stakeholders. Without this commitment there is a risk of misunderstandings and therefore consensus on decisions.

Co-design is good for finding common ground with diverse vocabularies, disciplines and lived experience. However, it also needs the right tools and methods and the Futures Doughnut was developed with this in mind.

From the abstract

Doughnut Economics offers a compass for navigating the complexities of creating a safe and just space where humanity can flourish while respecting ecological boundaries. This pictorial reports on how the Doughnut Economics model can be applied as a tool for facilitating complex stakeholder engagement.

We present a visual framework and facilitation method for systemic and values-led thinking. The context is establishing a new interdisciplinary academic institution.

Using a participatory design process, 115 stakeholders from academic, research, and administrative backgrounds explored this model. The aim was to co-create an institutional compass to navigate the socio-ethical challenges of their professional practices.