On 21 July, Sociedade Portuguesa de Inovação (SPI), European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL), Science Gallery Dublin (SDG) and Thess-AHALL hosted the third two-hour online workshop of the CoRRI Network – First Cycle of Workshops.

This workshop was the third in a series of workshops aiming to spread the uses of the SISCODE co-creation journey and the application of online co-creation activities within the framework of the CoRRI Network and the SISCODE project. The workshop was designed to be a stand-alone activity that could accommodate participants who might or might not have joined in the preceding workshops. The main topic of the workshop was about the third stage of the co-creation journey: Envisioning Alternatives. The goal of this stage was to allow the participants to use the preselected key challenges, of which 3 were reframed in the second stage, and to formulate ideas for a solution by using an appropriated version of the SISCODE synthesis tool (Figure 1).

Fig 1. Overall view of the Idea Selection Matrix online board

The key challenge which got 4 votes out of possible 7 was on the Participatory Culture: How to develop stronger participatory culture among publics, including vulnerable groups. This challenge was reframed in the previous workshop to:

• Shaping new cultures on how the vulnerable ones are seen (their position in the society) so as to enhance their motivation to participate as equal parts to participatory actions; and
• To guide and support people of different heritage to come together with the aim of undergoing social integration and blending of different cultures. These activities have the intention of bringing together different languages, traditions, habits, among the other attributes, to the same table where each one of these faces can be viewed, understood and accepted/consolidated/adapted by everyone involved.

The seven participants, with the support of one facilitator and two moderators, first established some concrete ideas of solutions for the problem (Figure 2).

Fig 2. Voting for a key challenge

This stage was then followed by a fun and colourful game of classification of the ideas using the five-finger rule (Figure 3).

Fig 3. Definition and prioritisation of the solution ideas

The two middle steps were the identification of target interests and types of innovation (Figure 4).

Fig 4. Specific target interest and types of innovation

This was then followed by a moodboard to allow the participants to pictorially express their views on how the solution is feasible, original, coherent, engaging and respects shared values (Figure 5).

Fig 5. Moodboard for the Qualitative Analysis of a selected solution

An anonymous survey was once again disseminated to gather the participants’ views on the overall workshop process and its results. The common response seemed to be about how the workshops have clarified the use of online interactive tools, especially those used in the workshop (DESKLE and ZOOM). However, two responses worth mentioning are that the workshop seemed to focus on a specific example and not apply to everyone’s co-creation challenge as well as how training on the use of the co-creation journey tool was absolutely necessary. Both credited response say that co-creation is not meant to be easy to master and will always be a non-linear process. Applying the co-creation journey toolbox needs guides and tutors to take you through the intricate but seemingly simple steps. This is also the goal of CoRRI Network and its cycles of workshop. Co-creation has to be a purpose/challenge-specific or else, the process of reaching a conceivable and implementable solution for a specific type of target stakeholders would be highly challenging if not nearly impossible. The participants are welcome and encouraged to get in touch with the organisers of CoRRI Network in order to receive more information about the processes in the SISCODE co-creation journey.

The participants are once again invited to join the CoRRI Network team in the last workshop of the first cycle. Registration is now open to all interested participants from the public. The fourth workshop will take place on 28 July, 15.00-17-00 CEST.  

For further information, please contact us at: olgaglumac@spi.pt; tedoraaibu@spi.pt