Co-Design
Step 3: Identify solutions
By the end of this step, you will have explored and prioritised the solutions to be co-developed, tested, and refined in the co-implement phase.
This process explores the solutions that effectively address your challenges, analysing enablers and barriers, and considering their ethical, social, and ecological implications.
By prioritising solutions that leverage diverse expertise and gain collective support, this step paves the way for actions that are more feasible, widely embraced, and capable of transforming socio-ecological systems.
G
Know what the different actors would like to see happen, and their priorities
A shared ambition helps align expectations and guide decision‑making as solutions are developed together. While goals and purpose were defined earlier, this step focuses on working with the broader group of actors involved in your living lab to refine and agree on what you want to achieve together.
Make sure you …
Clarify what the group collectively wants to achieve and ensure that different perspectives are reflected. Build on the initial goals, but be open to adjusting them based on input from the actors. Identify both short‑term goals (what you want to achieve during the living lab process) and longer‑term outcomes (the change you want to contribute to), and document these as a shared ambition. Support yourself by using a structured, verified approach. Some suggested approaches are provided below.
BASIC:
Brainstorming. Choose this when you need a simple, inclusive way to gather ideas and converge on shared goals, especially early in the process.
INTERMEDIATE:
Storyboarding. Choose this when you need to co-create a compelling storyline for visions and conveying ideas clearly. Storyboarding harnesses the power of visualisation by collaboratively working with drawings, diagrams, graphics or digital tools to develop a shared ambition.
ADVANCED:
Deliberative futures methods. Text to be added.
Acknowledging diverse priorities prevents blind spots and supports fair, inclusive decision-making.
Make sure you …
Ensure that differing interests, perspectives, and power dynamics are recognised and that marginalised or vulnerable groups have been included in discussions. Read the guidelines from NHS England good practice guide for engaging with underrepresented groups as a starting point.
H
Identify the specific solutions to address the challenges in the system
Creative processes help uncover a wide set of possibilities before narrowing down to feasible solutions.
Make sure you …
Get creative. Support yourself by using structured approaches to harness out-of-box thinking. Some suggested methods are provided below.
BASIC:
Brainstorming. Choose this when you need to generate initial ideas. You can do this internally with the core team, or externally with your community of actors.
INTERMEDIATE:
Design thinking. Choose this when you want to empathise, define, ideate, and prototype solutions with potential users. Note there is a testing phase in the process which may be useful for you later.
ADVANCED:
Gamified approaches or Art-based methods. Use this when you want to stimulate creativity, challenge assumptions, or make complex problem-solving more engaging.
Understanding enablers and barriers helps determine which solutions are realistic and where additional support is needed.
Make sure you …
Identify what supports or hinders each solution, e.g. resources, up-take capacity, governance, social acceptance, feasibility, or power relations.
BASIC:
SWOT analysis. Use this when you want a straightforward overview of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for each solution. This can help identify enablers and barriers.
Downloads
INTERMEDIATE:
You can map enablers and barriers when you need a more detailed assessment of feasibility, context, and practical constraints.
ADVANCED:
You can analyse power dynamics, consequence and feasibility when deeper analysis is required to understand who is affected, who benefits, and how feasible each solution is within the current system.
Ethical reflection ensures that solutions are responsible, fair, and culturally appropriate.
Make sure you …
Assess whether any solutions pose ethical concerns, especially for vulnerable groups or sensitive environments. See the Ethics Framework and Guidelines from The Research Council of Norway as a starting point.
Linking solutions to global environmental goals supports coherence, legitimacy, and potential for long-term policy alignment. It can also unlock state support and/or backing for your initiative.
Make sure you …
Review local, regional, national and international environmental agreements and policy targets that could apply to your case, e.g the Paris agreement, the Sustainable Development Goals, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Identify whether and how each solution could contribute to different goals, targets or objectives.
Prioritising ensures that your living lab invests its resources in the most promising and viable solutions.
Make sure you …
Prioritise solutions based on their feasibility, impact, alignment with ambitions, and actor support. Consider the enablers and barriers previously mapped, the ethical dimensions of each solution, and whether it can contribute to international goals.
BASIC:
Nominal group technique. Choose this when you need a structured, democratic way to decide which solutions to move forward.
INTERMEDIATE:
Three Horizons Framework. Select this when you want to explore short-term needs, long-term visions, and the transitions required to move from current to desired futures.
ADVANCED:
Delphi method. Use this when you need expert-based consensus across diverse or conflicting perspectives, especially when participants cannot meet in person.