Co-creating spaces

Elizabeth Sanders:

Significant changes are taking place today in the relationship between producers and consumers. A participatory culture is emerging on a large scale. Everyday people, not just designers, are using the new digital tools to express themselves and to communicate. People who once were satisfied with being “consumers” now are becoming “creators”. They are moving away from consumptive activities in search of a better balance between consumption and creativity.

This human-centered design revolution is causing us to rethink the design process. In order to drive the human-centered design revolution, we need to tap into the imaginations and dreams not only of designers, but also of everyday people. New design spaces are emerging in response to everyday people’s needs for creativity. Beyond the edge of practice are the Co-Creating Spaces where designers and everyday people will work collaboratively throughout the design and development process. In the future, Co-Creating Spaces will be especially important in highly complex domains and in domains where people channel their passions.