Document the reasoning, not just the workshop
A new PLOS essay proposes “co-design rationales” as living records of how different forms of knowledge shape design decisions.
Without documenting how participation shaped the outcome, we only know that people were present.
A useful challenge for every collaborative creative process.
The Story
A new PLOS Mental Health essay introduces the idea of co-design rationales: living documents that record how experiential, professional, and scientific perspectives influence design decisions over time.
The proposal addresses a familiar weakness in participatory work. A workshop can include many voices while the final rationale remains invisible—who changed what, which disagreements mattered, and which forms of knowledge were given more weight.
This is immediately useful beyond healthcare. For Studio Wensday, a lightweight rationale could accompany a brand or product project: decision, evidence, dissent, trade-off, next test. It protects the work from becoming a mysterious taste exercise and helps clients participate meaningfully.
Studio Wensday Angle
Transparency can make collaboration more rigorous without making it less creative.