Co-creation Workshops Research Articles

Designing a choral singing intervention for a psychological study: How to tailor the features of a health-promoting choral singing course for elderly using design thinking

In this method article, we aimed to demonstrate how design thinking can be used as a conceptual framework for planning a scientific, health-promoting intervention for a non-clinical group, with the intention of making it an enjoyable and meaningful experience that the participants are motivated to pursue. The intervention was an 11-month choral singing course specifically designed for healthy participants between the ages 65–75 years. Before launching the intervention, we conducted a preparatory study, which constitutes the current study. A focus group session and a co-creation workshop was held with participants with similar characteristics to those recruited for the upcoming intervention. The findings are presented in an affinity diagram, including an exctract of key aspects identified as crucial for a health-promoting, positive experience, such as the conductor’s leadership qualities, motivation, equipment, and more. Based on the findings, we constructed a design specification establishing the intervention content. A participant journey map was developed to consider various aspects of the participants’ experiences throughout the upcoming intervention. Our conclusion is that utilizing the design thinking framework for planning health-promoting interventions of psychological studies offers researchers valuable insights and a systemic approach to design the experience to fit the specific needs of the target group.

Cold chain maintenance done differently: results from a human-centered design study in Niger, Kenya and Tanzania

Cold chain equipment is required to keep vaccines cold, yet the equipment maintenance system is often overlooked and underperforming. Immunization programs in Niger, Kenya, and Tanzania conducted human-centered design studies to better understand the gaps in the maintenance systems and to identify potential solutions from the perspective of maintenance technicians. Researchers conducted 110 key informant interviews in seven regions across the three countries, including a wide range of stakeholders involved in cold chain management and maintenance. The same participants generated innovative solution ideas during co-creation workshops. Five themes related to the maintenance system challenges were identified with nuances between countries. Themes were linked to the health system management structure, data use for maintenance activities, capacity and expertise, limited autonomy, and spare parts availability. Through co-creation, user-generated ideas for improvements had some similarities between countries, including the desire for a peer-to-peer e-learning and networking platform, tailored technical resources, and a reporting system for maintenance. While basic challenges related to cold chain maintenance have been generally understood, this unique study identified underlying drivers grounded in stakeholders’ experiences and perspectives. The identified potential solutions across three countries tended to coalesce in similar ideas to address multiple challenges. Insights and ideas generated by this study may be relevant to other countries’ maintenance systems.

Stakeholder perspectives on non-invasive brain stimulation.

Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) or transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) have made great progress in recent years and offer boundless potential for the neuroscientific research and treatment of disorders. However, the possible use of NIBS devices for neuro-doping and neuroenhancement in healthy individuals and the military are poorly regulated. The great potentials and diverse applications can have an impact on the future development of the technology and society. This participatory study therefore aims to summarize the perspectives of different stakeholder groups with the help of qualitative workshops. Nine qualitative on-site and virtual workshops were conducted in the study with 91 individuals from seven stakeholder groups: patients, students, do-it-yourself home users of tDCS, clinical practitioners, industry representatives, philosophers, and policy experts. The co-creative and design-based workshops were tailored to each group to document the wishes, fears, and general comments of the participants. The outlooks from each group were collected in written form and summarized into different categories. The result is a comprehensive overview of the different aspects that need to be considered in the field of NIBS. For example, several groups expressed the wish for home-based tDCS under medical supervision as a potential therapeutic intervention and discussed the associated technical specifications. Other topics that were addressed were performance enhancement for certain professional groups, training requirements for practitioners, and questions of agency, among others. This qualitative participatory research highlights the potential of tDCS and repetitive TMS as alternative therapies to medication, with fewer adverse effects and home-based use for tDCS. The ethical and societal impact of the abuse of NIBS for non-clinical use must be considered for policy-making and regulation implementations. This study adds to the neuroethical debate on the responsible use and application of NIBS technologies, taking into consideration the different perspectives of important stakeholders in the field.

Towards Equity and Universal Design in Pelvic Floor Care - Patient Experiences After Birth.

This article presents preliminary findings from a design ethnographic study examining pelvic floor care practices from the perspective of patients with pelvic floor injuries caused by birth treated at the continence clinic in Sundsvall's Hospital, Sweden. The aim is to enhance our understanding of women's experiences of pelvic floor injury, provide insights into living with pelvic floor injury, and discuss this from a universal design perspective. The study combines qualitative observations during clinic meetings and individual interviews with participants in a separate room. In total, seven patients participated. The material was analysed using thematic analysis focusing on the patient's experiences and the continence clinic healthcare meeting situation. The initial findings show that pelvic floor injury symptoms such as leakage, pain and discomfort were seen as a routine part of giving birth and as expected and normal among patients. Another finding is how manifestation through visual evidence with mirroring or illustrations is found to be helpful among patients as it helps them with their healing process. Many participants have unresolved thoughts on the reasons for their pelvic floor injury. The narratives of patients living with pelvic floor injuries highlight themes of ambivalence and uncertainty, with the injuries often overshadowed by the subsequent demands of caring for a newborn, causing overload. The change is not only interpersonal; from a design perspective, the situation as a whole is of interest, including the environment, people, and artefacts. Further research is needed to explore women's experiences beyond the purely medical aspects. Here, universal design can contribute to increased sensitivity regarding stigma and values and how these can manifest socio-materially in healthcare interactions. This study provides a basis for continued work with co-creation workshops with participants in the following study.

Stories into song: theory and co-creative practice of adapting literary fiction into pop and rock songs

Abstract Despite the many pop and rock songs adapted from literary texts, there has been little scholarship on the theory and practice of adapting novels and short stories into short-form musical works. This article is part of a British Academy-funded pilot project carried out by two researchers at Keele University, UK. Locating story-into-song texts within adaptation studies, it explores the theoretical issues involved in such adaptations; describes the methodology employed in a series of co-creative workshops with volunteers; and analyses the original songs that emerged from the project.

Co-Creating Tailored Solutions to Combat Sedentary Behaviour: Insights from Scottish SMEs

Abstract Background Prolonged sedentary behaviour (SB) poses health risks for office workers, especially in small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often overlooked by current interventions. This abstract aims to report and examine solutions developed through co-creation for SB in SMEs. Methods Three Scottish SMEs, a construction company (n = 150) and two charities (n = 100; n = 30), participated in a co-creation process to create SME-specific actions on SB. Each formed an action group of employees (n = 9-12) as co-creators. The process consisted of between 6-8 workshops (each 1.5h) depending on the company, with workshops improved during the process based on formative reflection from co-creators. The co-creation workshops, facilitated by two researchers, initially involved jointly mapping the company’s current situation and building knowledge and awareness of SB. Further workshops focused on action planning, including brainstorming, feasibility, piloting, and final action(s) development. Following the co-creation of actions, researchers identified the Behaviour Change Techniques (BCTs) underlying the developed actions. Results Each company created a set of actions unique to them, e.g. standing desk promotion, a games room, and innovative meeting strategies. Regarding the BCTs, all companies included adding objects to the environment, physical restructuring, prompts or cues, and addressing health or social and environmental consequences. Additionally, they all incorporated ‘step challenges’ with behaviour self-monitoring and feedback techniques. Two companies offered incentives or rewards; one emphasized role modelling, and another included social support. Conclusions The three companies created tailored actions through the co-creation process. While there were some commonalities, the differences in actions and BCTs among companies underscore the necessity for solutions tailored to the organizational context and the importance of involving employees in creating solutions. Key messages • Co-created actions to combat SB used diverse strategies, emphasising a multifaceted approach to address workplace SB. • Variability among SMEs’ co-created actions underscores the importance of stakeholder involvement to tailor solutions to organisational contexts.

Democratizing air: A co-created citizen science approach to indoor air quality monitoring

Indoor air quality (IAQ) is crucial for public health, yet many remain unaware of indoor pollutants. Although Citizen Science has enhanced outdoor air quality understanding, its application to IAQ remains underexplored. This study introduces a new co-creation methodology that addresses key limitations in existing IAQ monitoring practices by integrating value-sensitive design principles and a ‘facilitated emergence’ paradigm. Through three co-creation workshops, we engaged multiple stakeholders in every stage, from problem definition to data interpretation. We employed adaptive facilitation strategies to effectively balance power dynamics among stakeholders, ensuring inclusive decision-making and mitigating potential biases. Our 30-day data collection campaign provided real-time measurements of Particulate Matter (PM) concentrations. Analysis revealed several locations with Indoor/Outdoor (I/O) PM2.5 ratios close to or above 1, uncovering hidden IAQ complexities and emphasizing the need for localized monitoring. We showed how citizen-generated data can improve spatial resolution, detecting local variations missed by official networks. Feedback from the co-creation workshops demonstrated shifts in participants’ perceptions regarding IAQ, accountability, and their role in environmental decision-making, moving from passive awareness to active engagement. Our findings demonstrate how this value-sensitive and community-driven bottom-up approach can enhance air quality assessment, inform targeted IAQ management strategies, and empower citizens in environmental health decisions.

Integrated Design Methods for Sustainable Public Seating in Urban Communities—A Shanghai Case Study

In the context of sustainable regeneration of urban communities, the sustainable construction of community urban furniture has gradually been emphasized. This study focuses on the existing problems of experience, culture, environmental protection, function, and other aspects of community urban furniture; starts from the user’s perspective to screen the user’s sustainable design needs for community public seating; and combines the scientific method to quantify and transform them into design factors to form a reasonable community sustainable public seating design program. Taking the public seating in Gumei Community Park in Shanghai as an example, the study adopts the qualitative research method to obtain demand indicators of users. It utilizes the integrated design framework of “AHP-QFD-FBS” to quantify the user needs and maps them into the product structure to identify the ten factors affecting the sustainability of public seating. A community co-creation workshop was conducted to complete a sustainability assessment with the help of life cycle assessment and scales. From the perspective of residents’ needs, it emphasizes the scientific process of demand transformation and ultimately produces sustainable design factors and serialized products for public seating. This approach introduces new ideas for the sustainable renewal of urban furniture and enhances the quality of urban residents’ leisure time.

An Evidence-Based Nurse-Led Intervention to Reduce Diabetes Distress Among Adults With Type 1 Diabetes and Diabetes Distress (REDUCE): Development of a Complex Intervention Using Qualitative Methods Informed by the Medical Research Council Framework.

Diabetes distress refers to the negative emotional reaction to living with the demands of diabetes; it occurs in >40% of adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D). However, no interventions to reduce diabetes distress are specifically designed to be an integral part of diabetes care. This study aims to modify and adapt existing evidence-based methods into a nurse-led group intervention to reduce diabetes distress among adults with T1D and moderate to severe diabetes distress. The overall framework of this study was informed by the initial phase of the Medical Research Council's complex intervention framework that focused on undertaking intervention identification and development to guide the adaptation of the intervention. This study took place at 2 specialized diabetes centers in Denmark from November 2019 to June 2021. A total of 36 adults with T1D participated in 10 parallel workshops. A total of 12 diabetes-specialized nurses were interviewed and participated in 1 cocreation workshop; 12 multidisciplinary specialists, including psychologists, educational specialists, and researchers, participated in 4 cocreation workshops and 14 feedback meetings. Data were analyzed by applying a deductive analytic approach. The intervention included 5 biweekly 2.5-hour small group sessions involving adults with T1D and diabetes distress. Guided by a detailed step-by-step manual, the intervention was delivered by 2 trained diabetes specialist nurses. The intervention material included visual conversation tools covering seven diabetes-specific sources derived from the 28-item Type 1 Diabetes Distress Scale for measuring diabetes distress: (1) powerlessness, (2) self-management, (3) fear of hypoglycemia, (4) food and eating, (5) friends and family, (6) negative social perception, and (7) physician distress. The tools are designed to kick-start awareness and sharing of diabetes-specific challenges and strengths, individual reflections, as well as plenary and peer-to-peer discussions about strategies to manage diabetes distress, providing new perspectives on diabetes worries and strategies to overcome negative emotions. Diabetes specialist nurses expressed a need for a manual with descriptions of methods and detailed guidelines for using the tools. To deliver the intervention, nurses need increased knowledge about diabetes distress, how to support diabetes distress reduction, and training and supervision to improve skills. This co-design study describes the adaptation of a complex intervention with a strong evidence base, including detailed reporting of the theoretical underpinnings and core mechanisms.

Co-Designing a Conversational Agent With Older Adults With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Who Age in Place: Qualitative Study.

As a reaction to the global demographic increase in older adults (aged 60+ years), policy makers call for initiatives to enable healthy aging. This includes a focus on person-centered care and access to long-term care for older adults, such as developing different services and digital health technologies. This can enable patients to engage in their health and reduce the burden on the health care systems and health care professionals. The European Union project Smart Inclusive Living Environments (SMILE) focuses on well-being and aging in place using new digital health technologies. The novelty of the SMILE project is the use of a cocreational approach focused on the needs and preferences of older adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in technology development, to enhance access, adaptation, and usability and to reduce stigma. The study aimed to describe the perspective, needs, and preferences of older adults living with COPD in the context of the design and development of a conversational agent. This study carried out a data-driven thematic analysis of interview data from 11 cocreation workshops with 33 older adults living with COPD. The three particular features that the workshop participants wanted to implement in a new technology were (1) a "my health" function, to use technology to manage and learn more about their condition; (2) a "daily activities" function, including an overview and information about social and physical activities in their local area; and (3) a "sleep" function, to manage circadian rhythm and enhance sleep quality, for example, through online video guides. In total, 2 overarching themes were identified for the 3 functions: measurements, which were actively discussed and received mixed interest among the participants, and health literacy, due to an overall interest in learning more about their condition in relation to everyday life. The future design of digital health technology must embrace the complexities of the everyday life of an older adult living with COPD and cater to their needs and preferences. Measurements should be optional and personalized, and digital solutions should be used as a supplement to health care professionals, not as substitute.

Reconciling conflicting sustainability rationalities: a co-creation approach in urban logistics governance

Transforming urban logistics governance to become more sustainable comprises reconciling diverse actors’ rationalities. Yet, conventional market-driven solutions, which aim to optimize freight transport, tend to focus on operational efficiency over diverse rationalities. In this paper, we reframe the challenge of urban logistics sustainability governance as that of knowledge integration, which necessitates a transdisciplinary approach that engages with diverse rationalities. By combining data from a co-creation workshop and interviews with logistics actors, we investigate if and how urban logistics sustainability governance can benefit from unpacking these multiple rationalities. Our findings show emergent tensions in Bergen stem from the ad-hoc and fragmented nature of urban logistics planning, which obscures the diverse actor rationalities and assumptions. Actors navigated these tensions in dialogic processes and co-created a shared understanding that sustaining dialogues and using a public-space perspective could mainstream logistics into the city’s planning process. Adopting a transdisciplinary co-creation approach, we demonstrate, can reconcile the diverse rationalities in urban logistics sustainability governance. It facilitates individual and social learning in dialogic processes where actors can reflect on each other’s perspectives, agency, and expectations. We thus call for a shift in planning from an emphasis on market-driven solutions toward process-focus to navigate the innate messiness of governing urban logistics sustainability.

Promoting research integrity in funding: Co-creating guidelines for research funding organizations.

Research Funding Organizations (RFOs) play an important role in promoting research integrity (RI). Not only do they allocate resources to research institutions and researchers, but they also set and monitor research standards in their funded projects. In spite of their crucial role, there is a paucity of guidance on how RFOs can promote research integrity. As part of the EU-Funded SOPs4RI project, we aimed to address this gap by co-creating guidelines to help RFOs promote RI, engaging a diverse group of stakeholders. Based on a Delphi survey, reviews of evidence and stakeholder interviews, three guideline topics were identified: 1) the selection and evaluation of proposals; 2) monitoring of funded projects; and 3) prevention of unjustified interference. Four sets of co-creation workshops were conducted for each guideline topic, and the input revised and finalized. Understanding these debates could help RFOs from diverse cultural and organizational backgrounds who are developing their own RI guidelines. Therefore, in this paper, we summarize the key results and emphasize the final recommendations. Further, we provide the main points of discussion that occurred during the workshops and explain how they were addressed or resolved in the final guidelines and how they can help in future endeavors to improve funders' practices to foster RI.

Optimisation of the quality of care for patients with severe asthma: ASfarMA project

Severe asthma has an important impact on patients and healthcare resources. Recently, the new specific treatments have defined a new scenario in which person-focused care and specialist multidisciplinary teams are...

ACL Injury Etiology in Its Context: A Systems Thinking, Group Model Building Approach.

Background/Objectives: Given the complex nature of Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury, it is important to analyze its etiology with suitable approaches in order to formulate intervention strategies for effective prevention. The present study employs system thinking techniques to develop a Causal Loop Diagram (CLD) Model for investigating the risk factors for ACL Injury (CLD-ACLI), through a Group Model Building approach. Methods: A two-stage procedure was applied involving a comprehensive literature review followed by several systems thinking group-modeling co-creation workshops with stakeholders. Results: Based on input from experts and stakeholders, combined with the latest scientific findings, the derived CLD-ACLI model revealed a series of interesting complex nonlinear interrelationships causal loops between the likelihood of ACL injury and the number of risk factors. Particularly, the interaction among institutional, psychological, neurocognitive, neuromuscular, malalignment factors, and trauma history seem to affect neuromuscular control, which subsequently may alter the biomechanics of landing, predisposing the ACL to injury. Further, according to the proposed CLD-ACLI model, the risk for injury may increase further if specific environmental and anatomical factors affect the shear forces imposed on the ACL. Conclusions: The proposed CLD-ACLI model constitutes a rigorous useful conceptual presentation agreed upon among experts on the dynamic interactions among potential intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors for ACL injury. The presented causal loop model constitutes a vital step for developing a validated quantitative system dynamics simulation model for evaluating ACL injury-prevention strategies prior to implementation.

Rebusque and minimal computing in rural Colombia: LibreEscuela, an OER co-creation project

ABSTRACT The use of technologies is seen as a solution to provide high-quality education to the disadvantaged population in the Global South, based on the narrative of ‘disruption and revolution designed to supplant ‘broken’ educational practices at the local level’ (Gallagher 2019). Rural schools in Colombia are the most vulnerable to a highly unequal education system. In this context the ‘Fundación para la Equidad Educativa’ (FEE) has been carrying out the project ‘LibreEscuela’ in 9 rural schools in Colombia. The project involved the delivery of Raspberry Pi with pre-loaded Open Educational Resources (OER) through Kolibri and OER co-creation workshops. Revisiting the project retrospectively using minimal computing and ‘rebusque’ is an attempt to explore how rural teachers and FEE members negotiate and design digital educational projects in highly constrained contexts.

Hjernetegn.dk-The Danish Central Nervous System Tumor Awareness Initiative Digital Decision Support Tool: Design and Implementation Report.

Childhood tumors in the central nervous system (CNS) have longer diagnostic delays than other pediatric tumors. Vague presenting symptoms pose a challenge in the diagnostic process; it has been indicated that patients and parents may be hesitant to seek help, and health care professionals (HCPs) may lack awareness and knowledge about clinical presentation. To raise awareness among HCPs, the Danish CNS tumor awareness initiative hjernetegn.dk was launched. This study aims to present the learnings from designing and implementing a decision support tool for HCPs to reduce diagnostic delay in childhood CNS tumors. The aims also include decisions regarding strategies for dissemination and use of social media, and an evaluation of the digital impact 6 months after launch. The phases of developing and implementing the tool include participatory co-creation workshops, designing the website and digital platforms, and implementing a press and media strategy. The digital impact of hjernetegn.dk was evaluated through website analytics and social media engagement. hjernetegn.dk was launched in August 2023. The results after 6 months exceeded key performance indicators. The analysis showed a high number of website visitors and engagement, with a plateau reached 3 months after the initial launch. The LinkedIn campaign and Google Search strategy also generated a high number of impressions and clicks. The findings suggest that the initiative has been successfully integrated, raising awareness and providing a valuable tool for HCPs in diagnosing childhood CNS tumors. The study highlights the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, co-creation, and ongoing community management, as well as broad dissemination strategies when introducing a digital support tool.

Prioritisation of emerging and epidemic-prone diseases and risk factors in India’s three western states using the One Health Risk and Disease (OHRAD) prioritisation tool

BackgroundThere have been numerous outbreaks of infectious diseases to date, and out of them, six events have been declared as Public Health Emergencies of International Concern by the World Health Organization (WHO). The outbreaks have been unprecedented, and the sudden anxiety associated with these makes the situation more complicated. Prioritisation of diseases has been a common process in public health, and it is important to identify infectious diseases that are important for human health. In addition, a One Health approach requires taking also animal origin and related risk factors for infectious diseases into account.MethodsState-level co-creation workshops were conducted in Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra, the three western states of India. One Health Risk and Disease (OHRAD) prioritisation tool was used to prioritise emerging and epidemic-prone diseases and their risk factors.ResultsThe risk factors and diseases were scored using the OHRAD tool, and the ranks were obtained. Avian flu by A(H5N1), A(H7N9), and A(H9N2), swine flu by A(H1N1), A(H1N2) and A(H3N2), dengue, rabies, leptospirosis, bovine tuberculosis, salmonellosis, chikungunya, soil-transmitted helminths, and brucellosis were some of the 10 diseases prioritised in all the three western states of the country. Similarly, the presence of mosquito breeding sites near houses or workplaces, open defecation, poor hand hygiene, poor personal hygiene, reluctance to follow disease prevention measures and improper carcass disposal were prioritised as the risk factors for diseases in all three states.ConclusionThe emerging and epidemic-prone diseases and risk factors that are prioritised reflect state-specific scenarios and the gravity of the situation concerning risk factors for disease outbreaks. This can help in allocating resources and increasing efforts in the prevention and control of these diseases.

Co-designing sustainable biochar business models with sub-Saharan African communities for inclusive socio-economic transformation

Smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) encounter multiple livelihood challenges. Embracing circular bioeconomy principles, particularly considering agricultural and food processing residues, could enable inclusive, locally led, sustainable development pathways within rural communities. Biochar products are one such example of a bio-based material that can be generated using circular principles and deployed for sustainable community development, including among smallholder farmers. This research leverages empirical evidence from four SSA regions to explore the potential of inclusive and sustainable biochar business models, namely: (i) Northern Region, Ghana, (ii) Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire, (iii) Casamance, Senegal, and (iv) Western Region, Uganda. Co-creation workshops using the Triple-Layered Business Model Canvas framework were carried out in each region with local stakeholders to evaluate the social, ecological, and economic implications of four locally relevant biochar applications: water filtration, biogas purification, soil amendment, and cooking fuel briquettes. Data was analysed at an aggregate level for all regions and applications. The study describes this consolidated biochar business model and examines the implications for SSA communities. The resulting sustainable bio-based business model can guide value chain actors and policymakers in SSA communities towards rural sustainable development with a better understanding of the needs, opportunities, challenges, and impacts of biochar-based value chain development.

Co-designing assessment tasks with students in tertiary education: a scoping review of the literature

Traditional assessment methods in tertiary education may not suit students’ diverse learning needs, values, and preferences. Co-designing assessment with students may engage them more effectively. This scoping review determined assessment co-design processes employed in tertiary education, evaluated the impacts on student learning outcomes and key factors contributing to effective assessment co-design. Seven databases were searched, limited to human studies in English language published between 2003–2023, with records screened by two reviewers. Data were presented in tabular form and a narrative synthesis. From 6233 records identified, 51 articles were included. Three main assessment co-design processes were: co-design of assessment rubrics and marking criteria; assessment co-design with larger student groups (e.g. via multiple-choice question pools and co-creation workshops); and intensive assessment co-design with smaller groups. Positive student outcomes included increased assessment literacy, student autonomy, engagement and interest and development of professional and learning skills. Staff support and effective communication between team members were some key enablers, while some barriers included time constraints and student resistance to participation. There were diverse co-design processes and outcomes from assessment co-design across disciplines. Future research should prioritise assessment co-design with international students for inclusion and equity and graduate students to accommodate advanced learning skills.

Digital Sustainability for Energy-Efficient Behaviours: A User Representation and Touchpoint Model

AbstractIn response to climate change, nations have been tasked with reducing energy consumption and lessening their carbon footprint through targeted actions. While digital technologies can support this goal, our understanding of energy practices in a private household context remains nascent. This challenge is amplified by the ‘invisible’ nature of users’ interaction with energy systems and the impact of unconscious habits. Our objective is to explore how touchpoints embedded in digital sustainability platforms shape energy-efficiency behaviours among users. Building on data from semi-structured interviews and a two-hour co-creation workshop with 25 energy experts in the ECO2 project, we first identify three user representations of relevance to such platforms: energy-unaware, living in denial, and energy-aware and active. Our findings suggest that ‘static’ user representations (based on user demographics and average consumption) are giving way to socio-cognitive representations that follow users’ journeys in energy efficiency. We then develop a set of design principles to promote sustainable energy behaviours through digital sustainability platforms across user-owned, social/external, brand-owned, and partner-owned touchpoints. An analysis of user feedback from the ECO2 project shows support for our design principles across users’ journeys. Of 62 respondents covering all three representations, 76% of them intended to “implement changes in terms of energy consumption and energy efficiency”.