Here are some practices (prompted by excellent #UKGC21 chat, h/t @SalmaAfzal_ ) we can adopt to help move us beyond the era of transactional, 2-dimensional user-centred design, into an era of genuine and respectful codesign.

What do you reckon, digital / design twitter?

1. TRUST: make building trust an explicit aim of your work

(rather than accidentally eroding it through carelessness or misunderstanding)

2. UNDERSTAND: talk to people, visit them, listen to them, ask questions, learn about their lives

(rather than relying on observing people in user research labs or gathering data about their transactions)

3. CO-DESIGN: work in partnership to design things *with* users

(rather than doing things *for* users) https://defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/2020/12/11/what-we-mean-by-co-design/

4. RESPECT: respect people's lived experience and expertise more than your own

(rather than disregarding people's opinions as subjective or irrational and therefore not valid or useful)

5. EMPATHISE: understand how people *feel* about your organisation and its services

(rather than focusing only on people's transactional needs)

6. CONNECT: give everyone a regular chance to talk to users, ask questions and understand what their life is like and what they care about

(rather than this being the preserve of stakeholder managers, user researchers and senior leaders)

(eg our virtual farm visits over Zoom)

7. JOIN IN: go out of your way to earn your way into communities of users that already exist (by showing up, listening, being respectful, understanding what you don't know and being willing to learn)

(rather than treating these groups as arm's length 'stakeholders')