General entry requirements + English 6 + At least 120 university credits .

The course can normally be included in a general, first-cycle degree.

Students will learn about diverse approaches and theories within co-design which can be used to carry out collaborative projects together with different stakeholders (e.g. NGOs, citizens, public authorities).

The course learning activities and the examinations are based on active participation and collaborative activities between students in class and beyond.

Through teacher-led classes, practical design work and reflective work - students will explore core topics (e.g. co-design history, mutual learning, materiality and participation) and consolidated approaches (e.g. ethnographic methods, collaborative mapping, workshops); as well as contemporary topics within the field (e.g sustainability, city making) and experimental approaches (e.g. collective prototyping, design events, interventions).

Students will also perform a so-called ‘Design Thing’, which is a format for a public democratic and material engagement. The hands-on experience gained from the exercises will be used as a starting point for further reflection and learning in class.

On completion of the course the student will be able to:

1. account for core theories, contemporary perspectives and key examples within the area of co-design; especially in relation to design, participation and democracy
2. select and adapt relevant co-design approaches to plan and stage a series of co-design activities
3. show skills about collaborating with others
4. critically analyse and evaluate their own co-design activities using provided theoretical notions and ethical frameworks
5. critically relate co-design to their own main area of study or practice
6. communicate co-design theories, experiences and key insights verbally, visually and in writing for different audiences; as well as constructively discuss and comment on the work of others

The course entails teacher-led moments (f.ex. lectures, discussions), practical design work (f.ex. exercises and workshops) and reflective work (f.ex. seminars, individual writing). The learning activities and the examination are based on active participation and collaborative activities between students in class and beyond are central components.

The teacher-led moments relate to learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 5, 6.

The practical design work (exercises workshops and “design things”) relate to learning outcomes 2, 3, 4, 6.

The reflective work relate to learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

The course is assessed through three examinations:

1. Co-design process portfolio. It documents the practical design work- processes, outcomes and learnings. The following learning outcomes are assessed: 2, 3, 6 (5 credits)

2. Planning, staging and documenting a “Design Thing”. The following learning outcomes are assessed: 2, 4 (5 credits)

3. An individual written reflection. The following learning outcomes are assessed: 1, 4, 5, 6 (5 credits)

Three opportunities for examination are offered during the academic year. Students who have not finished the course, have the opportunity to take part in examinations the next time the course is offered. Under such circumstances, assignments are carried out according to the literature and assignments that are valid during the time the examination is carried out.

For re-examination of certain assignments, such as production assignments and group projects, certain circumstances apply since the examination of these assignments are dependent on student participation during certain periods of time and in specific projects. Re-examinations will be offered according to the student’s rights, but with adjustments to the specific assignment since it cannot be conducted in the same context as the ordinary examination.

A literature compendium with key texts from the field, including extracts from:

• Simonsen, Jesper and Robertson, Toni (eds.) (2013). International Handbook of Participatory Design. Routledge.
• Smith, Rachel Charlotte et al. (eds.) (2025). Routledge International Handbook of Contemporary Participatory Design. Routledge.

Malmö University provides students who participate in, or who have completed a course, with the opportunity to express their opinions and describe their experiences of the course by completing a course evaluation administered by the University. The University will compile and summarise the results of course evaluations. The University will also inform participants of the results and any decisions relating to measures taken in response to the course evaluations. The results will be made available to the students (HF 1:14).

If a course is no longer offered, or has undergone significant changes, the students must be offered two opportunities for re-examination based on the syllabus that applied at the time of registration, for a period of one year after the changes have been implemented.

If a student has a Learning support decision, the examiner has the right to provide the student with an adapted test, or to allow the student to take the exam in a different format. The syllabus is a translation of a Swedish source text.