Designing and Facilitating Workshops. Gain skills and techniques for successful workshop preparation and group facilitation. Online training in facilitation and delivering workshops

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Designing and Facilitating Workshops

KEY INFORMATION

Dates: TBC
Format & Duration: 4 x 3-hour sessions, once a week. 

Delivery Mode: Online (interactive sessions, with small group practice). 

Co-Design Maturity Model Level: Understand/Apply.

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About this training

Workshops are at the heart of design and innovation, bringing a range of people together to share experiences and ideas in real-time. There’s more to co-design than workshops, but getting workshops right can make or break your project.

The success of your workshop hinges on the preparation and facilitation you bring to the table—with most of the work happening long before participants gather together.

Designing and Facilitating Workshops is a short training program that covers the foundational skills and techniques needed to deliver an engaging workshop.

This is a framework-based, experiential learning program that focuses on developing adaptable facilitation and design skills. You’ll learn flexible approaches that you can tailor to your specific context, supported by practical examples and hands-on practice opportunities.

Why do this course?

This course helps grow confidence in facilitating workshops, empowering you to create more effective, inclusive, and impactful engagement with colleagues, clients or community members.

What you’ll gain:

  • Practical frameworks for planning design engagements

  • Confidence in your facilitation approach through guided practice

  • Understanding of different facilitation styles and when to use them

  • Access to adaptable resources and real-world examples

How is it delivered?

This course consists of four online training sessions, with 10-20 participants, delivered once a week.

    • Understand the importance of preparing for workshops.

    • Learn a simple and adaptable framework for planning co-design engagements.

    • Discover best practices for inviting and preparing participants for design and research activities.

    • Develop key guidelines for creating safe and inspiring environments.

    • Recognise different styles of facilitation and engagement.

    • Explore skills to foster creativity, dialogue and collective decision-making.

    • Identify key considerations for in-person and online group facilitation.

    • Dive into platforms, tools and techniques for remote and virtual facilitation.

    • Experience and practise productive ways to generate and review ideas.

    • Understand the pros and cons of asynchronous collaboration and digital tools.

    • Identify benefits and roles of co-facilitation.

    • Experience and practise creating safe and inspiring online environments.

Who is leading this?

This program is delivered by Dr Emma Blomkamp, who brings extensive experience in co-design facilitation and capability building, creating safe and engaging spaces for practitioner development.

Is this course for me?

It is for you if you:

  • want to facilitate workshops for any sort of research, design or innovation purpose. This training focuses on co-design facilitation but is relevant for anyone wanting to expand their skillset in delivering engaging workshops.

  • are ready to practise your facilitation skills in a safe, small group environment.

  • can attend at least three of the 3-hour online training sessions.

  • are willing to engage in interactive, experiential learning.

  • can allow an additional 20 minutes per week to engage in preparation and application activities.

It is not for you if you:

  • only want to learn theory or observe others (this training is interactive and requires active participation)

  • are looking for prescriptive, one-size-fits-all templates or “silver bullet” solutions

  • aren't able to attend most sessions or don't have a reliable internet connection

  • prefer purely lecture-based learning without group activities

  • expect to learn everything about co-design or facilitation from this course alone.

  • “ I got SO much out of it, even as a relatively experienced facilitator! I picked up valuable theory, exercises and had opportunities to practice and apply what I learned to my real setting. Excellent use of professional development time that I’d recommend to anyone on their facilitation journey!”

    Beth Holt, Associate Director of Program in Global Primary Health Care

  • "The most rewarding part about attending the Designing and Facilitating Workshops Training was the immersive way that Emma facilitates and the practical, ready-to-use tools and processes that we were guided through. I also treasured the opportunity to connect with other co-design practitioners and learn from each other in an open-hearted, generous culture of mutual growth. I have already had the opportunity to incorporate some of the practical methods I learned through Emma's training in practice and have had very positive feedback from both the stakeholders and participants"

    Juanita (Nita) Childs, Design Strategist & Consultant

  • “This course has been incredibly engaging and energising. I’ve learned not just what makes a workshop effective, but how to intentionally design conditions that foster safety, creativity, trust, and meaningful participation. The chance to learn from others, practise in real time, and reflect together has deepened my confidence and skill as a facilitator. I’ve especially valued the strong focus on purpose, and the rich exploration of generative and reflective methods. Some parts stretched me - but those challenges were part of what made the learning so valuable. Highly recommend 💛"

    Clare Leslie, Project Manager, Suicide Prevention

  • “This [course] challenged how I think about workshops, not just the agenda and activities, but creating a space where people feel safe, clear, and able to genuinely contribute. A lot of this connects directly to the work I’m doing around customer voice and community participation. This course was a good reminder that meaningful engagement doesn’t happen by accident, it’s designed."

    Ammar Nisthar, Customer Voice Coordinator

  • “I highly recommend it! I learned so much and gained more confidence in my practice. I was able to immediately translate my learning into designing and facilitating a sector workshop whilst upskilling colleagues.”

    Jen Guha, System Strategy and Innovation Manager

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