Event description
MindLabs workshop: Keeping the Co in Co-design – an introduction to theory, practice, and methods
This online workshop will be presented over two half-day morning sessions on 16th and 17th of September 2025.
Employees or staff of Mindgardens member organisations (UNSW, NeuRA, BDI, SESLHD) are able to purchase tickets at a discounted price using your work email and a discount code: CoDesign2025)
By purchasing tickets for this workshop, you will be registering for both days.
This workshop is for people who are interested in understanding and incorporating multiple perspectives and goals into projects. Co-design is a collaborative design approach built around diverse stakeholders, with equal focus on users and others impacted by the program’s design.
This wide-ranging course is ideal for anyone designing projects focused on mental health, drug and alcohol, and neurological disorders, and is open to people currently working in a lived experience, clinical or research role. Participants will learn how to identify multiple stakeholders and include their points of view to design a program that benefits everyone in the user chain.
Please note: MindLabs workshops are most successful when they include people from diverse roles, organisations and professional backgrounds. Occasionally we may need to defer individual applications to a later event in order to achieve this balance.
Workshop Content
Days 1 and 2:
- Co-design origins and approaches
- Co-design values and principles
- Understanding and addressing power balance
- Fostering generative co-design spaces
- Planning co-design workshops
- Co-design methods
- Evaluating co-design processes
- A practical session using an example co-design project
Workshop outcomes
As a result of completing the workshop, participants will be better able to:
- Explain the origins and benefits of co-design in health services.
- Apply co-design values and principles to planning and facilitating co-design activities.
- Foster relational practices and work effectively with power.
- Plan co-design activities using appropriate methods and processes.
- Identify key considerations in evaluating co-design processes and events.
Workshop facilitators
Brett Bellingham is a lived experience educator, researcher and peer support worker. Brett has interest and experience in Co-design and Co-produced approaches to education, service provision, and research. Brett draws on experiences, knowledge and connection with the consumer / survivor / ex-patient movement, community development practices and mad studies.
Kath Thorburn has 30 years’ experience as amental health worker, educator, facilitator and consultant, as well as personal experience supporting close family members. Kath has been involved in Co-designing and Co-producing a range of education, service provision and social action events and resources. Kath has formal qualifications in education and occupational therapy, and is currently a PhD candidate at UNSW researching a Co-designed approach to improving mental health consumers’ physical health in primary care settings.
For information contact the MindLabs Team at mindlabs@mindgardens.org.au
Brings together the strengths of four founding organisations