Co-Design Maturity Model
Emma Blomkamp’s Co-Design Maturity Model is a strengths-based framework for assessing individual competencies and team capability as well as organisational maturity in co-design.
What it is
The model presents five overall levels of co-design maturity:
Flourish: evolving and spreading co-design practice across the system.
Integrate: adapting and embedding co-design at work.
Apply: using co-design principles and practices in a relevant context.
Understand: identifying the main components of co-design and how it can deliver value.
Explore: getting curious about co-design.
These levels are applied to each core domain of co-design practice, from the Systemic Design Practice Wheel:
People: relationships and participation
Place: context and conditions
Practice: core capabilities
Process: planning and stewardship
Principles are not assessed separately, as they are embedded throughout the other domains.
We offer a co-design maturity quiz for free—with a small selection of key questions about individual capabilities.
Associated assessment tools go further by appraising levels for several dimensions within each domain. Results are then compiled and analysed by New Know How to produce a capability report, with recommendations for ongoing learning and development.
Why it exists
This model recognises that developing genuine co-design capability is a journey that unfolds over time.
The Co-Design Maturity Model has been developed and tested to:
Raise awareness about what co-design actually involves. The model shows the complexity of co-design and systemic innovation in practice. It helps to explain why leading co-design requires more than picking up a toolkit or attending a two-hour seminar. It can offer insights to implement or grow co-design practice in your organisation.
Identify individual skill level and learning needs. What are your strengths and development opportunities as a co-design practitioner? For those undertaking individual assessments, this is complemented by recommendations on opportunities for learning and development.
Assess team readiness and contextual conditions for co-design. To understand the extent to which co-design is possible in a particular environment; to identify enablers and barriers, in order to create the conditions for successful co-design.
Understand organisational and sectoral maturity for co-design. Taking into account capabilities and conditions, to identify how well an organisation supports and spreads co-design practice, including learning from relevant fields. The aim is to help embed and evolve co-design across the systems we work within.
Who this is for
The maturity model is useful for anyone seeking clarity about co-design capabilities, appropriate opportunities for developing skills, and language to discuss co-design maturity with colleagues. You’ll gain insights whether you are an:
Individual practitioner seeking to develop your skills
Team wanting to assess your readiness
Organisation looking to embed co-design systematically
Leader seeking to understand the complexity and conditions for co-design practice.
How to use it
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to deepen your practice, there’s a pathway that suits your needs.
As well as the quick quiz, you can download the Co-Design Maturity Model Overview and Scorecard, to do a quick self-assessment. You can choose to apply this at the level of self, team or organisation.
Take your time with this reflection—honest self-assessment is the foundation of meaningful development. For each domain, read the level descriptions and note,
Where do you think you are:
(a) personally?,
(b) as a team/group, and/or
(c) as an organisation/network?
You may also like to consider:
Where would you like to be?
Where and how might you gain more skills, knowledge and understanding in this domain?
Consider inviting a trusted colleague to complete this with you for richer insights. If you are unfamiliar with the domains or unsure about any of the descriptions within the Co-Design Maturity Model Overview, you may wish to read about the Systemic Design Practice Wheel before attempting a self-assessment, or do the assessment with a more experienced peer.
Individual assessment
If you would like a more comprehensive co-design capability assessment, you can book this paid service to access:
Co-design maturity mapping activity (covering all 42 dimensions of the co-design maturity model)
Discovery session with Emma Blomkamp to explore results and options for professional development
Written follow-up and recommendations (via email)
Organisational/network assessment
If you are interested in partnering with New Know How to develop your own capability or assessment framework, or undergo an organisational assessment, please explore our custom services and register your interest via our contact form.
Sharing, adaptation, attribution
You are welcome to use the content on this page and associated links under the Creative Commons license CC BY-NC (what’s this?).
You must give credit to Emma Blomkamp as the creator of the co-design maturity model (and systemic design practice wheel, where relevant). You cannot use the material for commercial purposes (i.e. gain financial compensation from its use). Please contact us to discuss licensing options if you’re interested in using it commercially.
Suggested citation: Blomkamp, E. (2022). Co-Design Maturity Model.
Acknowledgements
Emma Blomkamp developed this maturity model in 2022, with visual design by Zenaida Beatson (updated by Georgi Lewis in 2025, based on Emma Kaniuk’s brand design).
It builds on and incorporates previous work, notably Emma Blomkamp’s Systemic Design Practice Wheel, and the ideas of (and, in some cases*, feedback from):
Penny Hagen & Auckland Co-design Lab
KA McKercher*, Beyond Sticky Notes
Nesta & States of Change
TACSI & LELAN
Koos Service Design
Stewarding Loss
’Presenting Work’: Alba Villamil*, Benji Mauer*, Danny Spitzberg, Sarah Fathallah
’Coaching Crew’: Luke Craven, Nicole Barling-Luke, Thea Snow
CoDesignCo members*: Sarah Josefsberg, Laura Griffin, KA McKercher, Callan Rowe, Belinda Donald, Alice Howard-Vyse, Jasmine Griffiths, Nicole Barling-Luke, Rich Turner, Belinda Wheeler, Melanie Leggiero, Alba Villamil, Kelly Henderson, Lee Ryan, Marina Moreno, Leah Baxter, Georgina Lewis, Ruth Toomey.
Emma extends a huge thanks to everyone who contributed to this model and its application!
