Who’s in charge? End-users challenge graphic designers’ intuition through visual verbal co-design - Simone Taffe

• This study aimed to understand how co-design influences the graphic designers and end-users co-designed asthma.
• Three co-design activities were reported each based on translating visual and verbal ideas. 
• The first visual verbal game was effective in breaking the ice and dissolved perceived status barriers between all participants, building trusting in a fun and lively environment. 
• The value of co-design to put aside participant differences while sharing ideas. 
• Co-design aids the discovery of important tactic information which would not have surfaced without end user creative participation. 
• The designers role as intuitive problem solver highlights the value of co-design to make visible appropriate outcomes rather than intuitively guessing end-user preferences. 
• The next generation of graphic designers may find end users expecting creative participation in an era of end user engagement. 
• Will designers still be in charge of the design process? No not entirely. 
• Designers shift their creative control to facilitating the end user creativity through co-design activities, a rich contribution of novel ideas positively influences the project direction.
• Co-design is a valuable approach to dissolve barriers uncover the real brief and suspend participant politics.