This toolkit is designed to be a step-by-step guide for library staff planning and delivering co-design workshops with community members as part of a library refurbishment or redesign project. It is not intended to be read once from beginning to end and then put aside, instead it is a practical resource that you can dip into as needed.
Different sections of the toolkit serve different purposes, and together they provide a complete set of supports: from initial planning and preparation through to workshop delivery.
Stepping through the toolkit
1. Start with the preliminary considerations for library co-design
The Planning for library co-design section will help you answer key planning questions, such as:
How many workshops should be held, and how long should they run?
What type of venue will work best for your community and project?
What technology and materials are needed to support the process?
What skills should the facilitator bring to the role?
How should library staff and design professionals contribute to the workshops?
Who should be recruited to take part, and how can you ensure the right mix of voices in the room?
The section lays the groundwork. It ensures you make informed choices early on, which will shape the success of the rest of the co-design process.
2. Use the workshop templates as a guide to structure sessions
Once your team has made the planning decisions, you can move on to the Workshop templates section.
These templates provide structured workshop outlines. They show the sequence of activities and their suggested time allocations, depending on the goals of the co-design and the number of workshops the library wants to hold. They are intended to be flexible starting points, not rigid plans—you can adapt them to the needs of your library, your participants, and your project.
The templates are particularly useful for workshop facilitators, providing a clear sense of flow for each session.
3. Select activities from the activity cards
Each template references activities that can be drawn from the Activity cards section.
The activity cards:
provide practical, step-by-step guides to individual workshop activities
outline the aim of the activity, materials required, and instructions
cover a range of activities from icebreaker exercises to help participants feel comfortable, to in-depth design tasks such as floor planning or mood board creation.
Think of the templates as the framework and the activity cards as the building blocks you can use to fill that framework. Staff can select and combine activities that best suit their participants and goals, allowing for both consistency and flexibility.
4. Adapt for children and young people
Libraries often want to involve younger community members in shaping their own future spaces. To support this, the toolkit includes:
a dedicated section on co-design with children, providing guidance on how to adapt workshop formats for younger participants, tailored to their developmental needs and communication styles
a set of activity cards specifically tailored to children, offering playful, creative ways to capture their ideas and perspectives.
These sections ensure that children and young people can contribute meaningfully to the design process, while also recognising their different ways of engaging.
The activities covered by the main set of activity cards can successfully be undertaken by teens as well as older adults, either separately (especially for areas designated for young adults) or together (or both). This should be borne in mind when planning for the main series of workshops.
5. Learn how to facilitate co-design workshops effectively
Finally, the toolkit includes a section specifically on workshop facilitation, providing advice on:
setting the stage with clear purpose and instructions
creating inclusive spaces where all participants feel comfortable contributing
using visual prompts and examples to spark creativity
managing group dynamics and fostering collaboration
structuring time and pacing to support engagement
preparing the right materials and selecting suitable venues
communicating outcomes and managing participant expectations.
This section should be read alongside the templates and activity cards, as it will guide the facilitator in how to bring the content to life during the workshops.
How the sections work together
Planning for library co-design → helps you plan the overall process and make early decisions.
Workshop templates → provide session structures that can be tailored to your project.
Activity cards → offer a menu of activities to populate the templates.
The children’s co-design section → shows you how to adapt templates and activities for younger participants.
Workshop facilitation tips → equip you with the skills and strategies to lead the co-design sessions successfully.
Together, these sections ensure that you can move confidently from planning to delivery, while making sure your workshops are inclusive, engaging, and productive.