Lesson – Ideating & Co-creating your idea with others

Throughout this Unit, the benefits of participating in collaborative ideation and co-creation processes with other actors and stakeholders have been mentioned on several occasions. In fact, these types of collaborative processes are currently booming, as the participation of different people, with their particular backgrounds and previous experience in the same or different sectors, can drive the generation of ideas that effectively add value to society, filling a need or helping to alleviate an existing challenge.

As mentioned above, collaborating with other relevant actors in your work or personal ecosystem can provide valuable insights and information when devising new approaches and solutions. And, in later stages of a possible collaboration, also important resources in the implementation of a new social initiative, such as: financial resources, professional networks, market information, expertise, etc.

Keep in mind that when co-creating your idea for a new product/service for social purposes, you will need to involve actors who are aligned with the values and mission of your idea. Different fields of activity and different previous experiences will bring new perspectives on the same idea, so it makes sense to bring together a diverse group. When co-creating your idea, you can use some of the creativity techniques proposed in previous sections to encourage group ideation. In case you already have a business/product/service idea in mind, do not hesitate to ask for feedback and be open to new interpretations and perspectives, as this re-ideation process can add great value to the final product.

Before starting any co-creation process, it is worth bearing in mind the following:

• Co-creation processes usually refer to the active participation of end-users or consumers in the design process of a product/service together with the company in question. This collaboration ensures that the real needs and expectations of the target group are taken into account and, in addition, a higher engagement of the end users is achieved. You can include in your co-creation process those who will be the ultimate beneficiaries of your idea.

• Set clear objectives before you start co-creation, so that everyone involved in the collaboration knows in advance what you hope to achieve. It would also be advisable to establish clear guidelines that govern the participation and interaction of all participants in the co-creation process.

• Don’t forget that any co-creation process also aims to establish the steps to follow to effectively create your product/service and launch your social entrepreneurship venture: what resources you will need, how you will access the resources and skills necessary to launch your business, who will actively participate in the process and what their role will be, what positive impacts you expect to deliver in your community, how you will measure the success of your actions, ….

To learn more about how to participate in or set up collaborative processes, have a look at the Module 4 Unit 1 – Co-creation, co-design & co-working of the SAGA training programme.