The value of co-creation

Co-creation is a management initiative, or form of economic strategy, that brings different parties together (for instance, a company and a group of customers), in order to jointly produce a mutually valued outcome.

In my customer experience consulting days, one of the key tenants of the work I did — design thinking, journey mapping, experience design, etc. — is co-creation with our clients and their customers. This is not something we took lightly, and certainly not an afterthought. This co-creative model was built into our projects from the beginning.

When our clients had a stake in the outcome, it encouraged them to be more engaged throughout the process. Having engaged clients meant we brought more value to them; both perceived and actual. It was critical for relationship building.

We also found that when we involved customers in the process of ideation, the outcomes actually turn out better than they could have through basic market research, surveys, or focus groups. By handing over the reins to customers and allowing them to come up with their own solutions, those solutions are made specifically for the goal they are trying to accomplish.

These solutions are not always viable or feasible, but they are relevant, and they give the experts and designers a solid platform to start from when creating solutions that are viable and feasible.

The importance of relevance

We hear about fancy new products being released all the time, but many are destined to fail before they even hit shelves. Why? They’re not relevant. They may be cool, they may check all the boxes for features, but if they’re not something customers actually want and will actually use, they may never achieve success. When designing experiences, we must consider the same lesson.

Relevance is key when creating a new product, service, or experience. Without relevance to the customer, the experiences we create are worthless, no matter how great they may seem on the surface. This is why we must co-create with our customers. In establishing relevance to the customer, we are able to create customer loyalty and buy-in. When customers are involved in the creation of a new idea — the entire creation process, it instantly creates a greater chance of success for the product.