Challenging the digital default: COVID-19 and Co-production

24 May 2021

A chapter by Lab4Living researchers in a new publication offers some alternatives to the supposed digital dominance for co-design during the COVID-19 pandemic. The chapter is published in a new two-volume set of Rapid Responses exploring the urgent need to put co-production and participatory approaches at the heart of responses to the pandemic.

The publication will be launched at an event hosted by the Centre for Public Engagement Tuesday 22^nd June.

“Challenging the digital default: in our chapter we offer a critique of an over-reliance on digital media for co-design, pointing out the exclusive nature of digital channels. We offer some alternatives that have arisen from our own practice as we explored different ways of reducing barriers to enable people to contribute to co-design.”

Dr Joe Langley, Lab4Living

“COVID co-design does not *have* to be digital” is co-written by a team of researchers from Lab4Living, the University of South Australia, and the University of York. The team have been sharing practice and building knowledge since the outbreak of the pandemic through their Co-design during COVID collaboration, exploring how to engage participants meaningfully through remote co-design. 

Background

Following an exasperated Twitter thread by researcher Joe Langley about critically challenging the “what platform should I use?” starting point for co-production during COVID, the team was invited by the editors to contribute to a new publication exploring co-production in health and social care during a pandemic. The two-volume set of Rapid Responses explores the urgent need to put co-production and participatory approaches at the heart of responses to the pandemic. It demonstrates how policymakers, health and social care practitioners, patients, service users, carers and public contributors can make this happen.

The chapter ‘COVID co-design does not *have* to be digital‘ is included in the second volume of Rapid Responses which focuses on methods and means of co-producing during a pandemic. It is available as an Open Access publication.

The editorial team has written a post for the Transforming Society blog about why the issues in the book are so important – it can be found via this link:

Co-production: Working together towards a fairer future

Publication details

‘COVID co-design does not *HAVEA* to be digital’ by Joe Langley, Niki Wallace, Aaron Davis, Ian Gwilt, Sarah Knowles, Rebecca Partridge, Gemma Wheeler, and Ursula Ankeny

In: COVID-19 and Co-production in Health and Social Care Research, Policy, and Practice
Volume 2: Co-production Methods and Working Together at a Distance

Editors: Oli Williams, Doreen Tembo, Josephine Ocloo, Meerat Kaur, Gary Hickey, Michelle Farr and Peter Beresford

ISBN: 978-1447361794

Imprint: Policy Press

Page count: 160 pages