Building resilient communities through co-design processes

In this paper the authors describe how communities’ engagement in participatory design processes can contribute to building their resilience and, in some cases, even make them thrive under uncertain events. The authors focus on the value of co-design activities and on the design of specific co-creation tools within a series of design projects which will be discussed in this paper: the PLEINAIR project, on inclusive parks for the young and the old; the HABITAT project, on the elderly self-independence through a domestic IoT system; and the INCEPTION project, on the digitalization of the European built cultural heritage. By engaging with prospective users and stakeholders, ranging from children to senior citizens, as well as with professionals working within the conservation of cultural heritage, the paper opens up towards a broader perspective of what design for resilience could mean. Beyond merely accounting for age effects, related to the experiences people accumulate since birth, or to period effects, related to the historical times people live in and how they affect them, co-design processes unravel participants’ subjective reflections and enable their active contributions in the creation of coping strategies.