Bring citizens together to vote on and discuss design solutions
After design solutions emerge from the design workshop, the citizens’ validation workshop is an opportunity to allow residents to express their preferences for certain ideas. Create large poster boards with renderings of design ideas or lists of design priorities, and facilitate a “dotmocracy” sticker voting activity to allow residents to prioritize their favourite ideas.
The Citizen’s Validation Workshop is a resident-focused space, and it is an opportunity to vet and validate design solutions that arise from engagement with professionals. Citizen-only spaces may support some residents that feel intimidated or unwelcome in more professionalized spaces. This activity also gives a clear sense of which design priorities and solutions residents prefer. Tons of great ideas arise from the design workshop, but residents may want to focus resources and capacity on a few key ideas!
- Give a short presentation before starting the open forum. This will give you the chance to explain the design ideas.
- This is a great activity for children and youth. Sticker voting is accessible to younger participants.
- Make sure an informed resident or volunteer is present at each poster to answer questions.
- Provide sticky notes for people to give more qualitative feedback.