Short answer
Incorporate artistic and co-creative methodologies into design processes to unlock novel solutions and build stronger stakeholder buy-in for future-oriented projects.
- Field
- Innovation & Design
- Source
- Ecology and Society (2024)
- Method
- Transdisciplinary arts-based co-creation
- Evidence
- Strong effect
Engaging diverse stakeholders through arts-based methods can foster collective imagination and create actionable visions for complex, uncertain futures. This innovation & design research insight is drawn from a 2024 study published in Ecology and Society. Using Transdisciplinary arts-based co-creation, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Incorporate artistic and co-creative methodologies into design processes to unlock novel solutions and build stronger stakeholder buy-in for future-oriented projects.
Arts-Based Co-Creation Generates Transformative Futures for Small-Scale Fisheries
Engaging diverse stakeholders through arts-based methods can foster collective imagination and create actionable visions for complex, uncertain futures.
Ecology and Society · 2024
Key Findings
- 01An artistic boundary object effectively synthesized diverse visions and facilitated engagement across different participant groups.
- 02The co-creation process fostered a sense of collective agency, confidence, and optimism about the future of small-scale fisheries.
- 03Participants moved from envisioning futures to planning collective actions.
Application
Design takeaway
Incorporate artistic and co-creative methodologies into design processes to unlock novel solutions and build stronger stakeholder buy-in for future-oriented projects.
How to apply
When tackling complex societal or environmental issues with diverse stakeholders, consider using workshops that combine artistic expression (e.g., drawing, storytelling, model-making) with facilitated discussion to build shared visions.
Project actions
- 01Consider using visual or creative methods to explore potential futures for your design project.
- 02Involve a diverse range of potential users or stakeholders in your ideation process.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Employs an innovative, arts-based approach to a complex socio-environmental issue.
- +Successfully engaged diverse knowledge systems and actors in a co-creation process.
Limitations
The effectiveness of arts-based methods can be subjective and may require skilled facilitation to ensure equitable participation.
Reliability & validity
The study's validity is supported by the qualitative depth of the co-creation process and the observed outcomes in stakeholder engagement and action planning. Reliability would depend on the replicability of the specific facilitation techniques and artistic prompts used.
Think critically
To what extent can arts-based methods be generalized to design challenges outside of environmental or community-focused contexts?
Design Principles
"Embrace transdisciplinary, arts-based co-creation to foster shared understanding and actionable visions for complex future challenges."
This approach moves beyond traditional problem-solving by tapping into creativity and shared experience to build consensus and motivation. It offers a powerful framework for addressing challenges where conventional data and analysis may fall short, particularly in sectors with deep cultural and community ties.
What This Means for Your Design
Using art in group projects can help people with different ideas come together to imagine and plan for a better future, especially when dealing with complex problems.
How to use in your project
- 1.Reference this study when discussing the use of co-creation and arts-based methods in your design process to explore future scenarios or engage stakeholders.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
The research by Gianelli et al. (2024) highlights the efficacy of transdisciplinary, arts-based co-creation in developing actionable future visions. Their study demonstrated that engaging diverse stakeholders through artistic methods fostered a shared understanding and collective agency, leading to concrete planning and increased optimism for the future of small-scale fisheries. This approach offers a valuable model for design projects seeking to navigate complex challenges and build consensus among varied groups.
Source
Ecology and Society
Envisioning desirable futures in small-scale fisheries: a transdisciplinary arts-based co-creation process
journal · 2024
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about arts-based co-creation generates transformative futures for small-scale fisheries?
- Incorporate artistic and co-creative methodologies into design processes to unlock novel solutions and build stronger stakeholder buy-in for future-oriented projects. Evidence: Ecology and Society (2024).
- Why does "Arts-Based Co-Creation Generates Transformative Futures for Small-Scale Fisheries" matter for design?
- This approach moves beyond traditional problem-solving by tapping into creativity and shared experience to build consensus and motivation. It offers a powerful framework for addressing challenges where conventional data and analysis may fall short, particularly in sectors with deep cultural and community ties.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Incorporate artistic and co-creative methodologies into design processes to unlock novel solutions and build stronger stakeholder buy-in for future-oriented projects.
- What were the main findings?
- An artistic boundary object effectively synthesized diverse visions and facilitated engagement across different participant groups.. The co-creation process fostered a sense of collective agency, confidence, and optimism about the future of small-scale fisheries.. Participants moved from envisioning futures to planning collective actions.
- What research method was used?
- Transdisciplinary arts-based co-creation.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2024 journal from Ecology and Society.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When tackling complex societal or environmental issues with diverse stakeholders, consider using workshops that combine artistic expression (e.g., drawing, storytelling, model-making) with facilitated discussion to build shared visions.
- What are the limitations?
- The specific context of small-scale fisheries in Uruguay may limit direct transferability without adaptation.