While co-design puts great value on adults and children working together as equal partners in design, there will inevitably be times when interactions become difficult. Even adults do not get along all of the time, and children (and adults!) may sometimes have a rough day. However, children may respond to their difficult interactions or act on feelings in ways that are different from adults. The balance to strike during co-design is to maintain the equality in the co-designer partnership, while still being supportive as adults to children.
- Many difficult situations in co-design can be avoided due to both the equalizing of power and small group sizes. These practices can help children be more relaxed overall and thus help to avoid difficult situations.
- Try to set up situations where success is guaranteed. A co-designer should never feel as though they have failed at a design task, even when having an off day. All co-designers should be supported in their ideas at each session. While you should not give out unwarranted praise, supporting positive ideas and interactions is good practice.
- Expectations should be set and modeled from the beginning that everyone on the co-design team respects each other. We do not necessarily assume or require that everyone will be friends, but everyone must treat each other with respect. This holds true for adults and children.
- Typically, a co-design session has a fairly high ratio of adults to children. Unlike in a classroom, where there is often only one teacher, an adult can usually take the time to work with or interact with one child. If a child is having a difficult time and it seems like a walk or some time away from the group would be helpful, having an adult spend some time with them can be helpful. They should remain in a public area such as a hallway, lobby, or outside in an open space, and ideally have a second adult with you or nearby.
- Be aware of individual differences. Some children may act out if hungry. Others might simply want a hug or to sit with a particular adult for the day. If you can learn your individual design partners and their cues, you may be able to curtail some difficult behaviors.
- Be aware of your institution’s regulations surrounding sensitive information that children might share. Depending on your state or institution, you may be required to report or disclose information that a child shares with you (i.e., mandatory reporter laws).
- Children should never be “forced” to continue with co-design. Everyone has a bad day every now and again, and that is okay – a child may simply need to sit out of the design tasks for a day. But if a child continually has a tough time, it might be time to have a conversation about if they want to stay on the team. We have sometimes found that as children get older, they lose interest in some of the co-design that we are doing. The more supportive and honest you can be in these situations, the better.
