Workshop

At the beginning, the objective of the workshop and the central question are defined. Both should be clearly formulated and easy for all participants to understand. At the same time, it should be determined what outcomes are expected by the end of the workshop.

Possible objectives include:

• Developing ideas for the design of a public space.
• Identifying challenges and needs of a specific target group.
• Developing measures for a mobility or urban development project.
• Collecting and further developing feedback on an existing concept.
• Jointly setting priorities for future projects.

Examples of guiding questions:

• How should this place be used in the future?
• What problems currently exist, and what solutions are possible?
• What are the needs of the different user groups?
• Which measures should be implemented first?
• How can the quality of the public space be improved?

Clearly defining the objective and guiding questions makes the workshop easier to understand and provides valuable guidance, especially for people who have never planned or facilitated a workshop before.

The composition of the group depends on the topic. Depending on the research question, participants may include directly affected residents, experts, representatives from public administration, political decision-makers, associations, or other stakeholders. Bringing together different perspectives improves the quality of the results.

Since workshops do not follow a fixed structure, an individual agenda should be developed. It is recommended to prepare a schedule with clearly defined working phases, allowing sufficient time for discussions, group work, and breaks.

An example of a basic schedule could be:

• Welcome and introduction (approx. 10–15 min)
• Introduction to the topic (approx. 20 min)
• Expert input or project presentation (approx. 45–60 min)
• First group work session (idea generation and problem analysis) (approx. 15–20 min)
• Break (approx. 45 min)
• Presentation of group results and joint discussion (approx. 35 min)
• Second group work session (developing and prioritising solutions and measures) (approx. 15–20 min)
• Summary, outlook, and next steps

Note: The schedule can be adapted depending on the workshop objectives. Workshops focusing on idea generation often include longer creative sessions, while workshops aimed at developing concrete measures require more time for discussion, prioritisation, and the collaborative development of practical outcomes.

A neutral facilitator guides the process and ensures a structured workflow. All required materials—such as moderation cards, pinboards, flipcharts, digital whiteboards, or worksheets—should be prepared in advance.

A pleasant working environment supports collaboration. Flexible seating arrangements, sufficient space for group work, as well as refreshments and drinks contribute to an open and productive atmosphere.

As part of the Detmold Design Week, several open workshops were held at the former Kaiserhof Cinema. The workshops were open to all visitors of the Design Week and could be joined without prior registration. The aim was to engage people creatively with topics related to urban development and public participation while giving them the opportunity to contribute their own ideas.

Several workshops took place simultaneously, each focusing on different participation methods and topics. Visitors could join at any time, try individual activities, or move freely between the different workshop stations. All necessary materials were provided and freely accessible, allowing participants to get involved without any preparation.

The models, drawings, and ideas created during the workshops were displayed on site, where they could be viewed and discussed by other visitors. This created an open space that combined creative work, exchange, and exhibition, making the participation process visible throughout the event.

The workshop format provided an effective framework for actively involving visitors in creative design processes. Rather than simply presenting information, participants were encouraged to develop ideas, experiment with materials, and work collaboratively on specific challenges. The open structure allowed people to join at any point, making spontaneous participation easy.

The open workshop atmosphere was received very positively and encouraged visitors to participate. In particular, the opportunity to immediately display the outcomes stimulated further conversations and made the participation process visible to subsequent visitors.

At the same time, it became clear that traditional workshop formats are often too long for walk-in audiences. Many visitors participated only briefly, highlighting the importance of designing activities that are compact and allowing people to join at any stage without disrupting the overall process.

Open workshops should be designed so that participants can join easily at any time. Individual activities should be short enough to be completed independently without interrupting the overall workflow. A clearly visible presentation of the results attracts additional visitors and encourages further participation. It is also important to provide sufficient materials and enough facilitators to support multiple participants simultaneously.

At the beginning of the workshop, the facilitator introduces the objectives, agenda, and working methods. Participants are then informed about the planned activities, and common ground rules for collaboration are established.

Before the actual working phase begins, it is important to ensure that all participants share a common understanding of the topic. The most relevant background information should therefore be presented in a clear and accessible way. Depending on the subject, this may include a short expert presentation, a project introduction, photographs, maps, plans, models, or examples from comparable projects.

The workshop question should then be presented once again. It should be made clear:

• what task will be addressed,
• what scope for participation exists,
• and what outcomes are expected.

Any open questions should be clarified before group work begins.

To actively involve participants from the start, a short introductory exercise can be useful. Examples include:

• a brief round of introductions connected to the topic ("What do you associate with this place?");
• a card-based question ("Which challenge do you consider most important?");
• a dot-voting exercise to identify initial priorities;
• a joint review of maps, plans, or photographs of the project area;
• a short individual reflection followed by discussions in pairs.

A well-designed introduction creates a shared understanding of the topic, engages participants, and provides a smooth transition into the collaborative working phase.

Depending on the objective, participants work in plenary, in small groups, or in a combination of both. Various methods—such as brainstorming, card-based activities, prioritisation exercises, or visualisation techniques—can be used to collect and develop ideas.

Possible guiding questions include:

• What are the main challenges?
• Which needs are particularly important?
• Which solutions appear realistic?
• Which measures should be prioritised?

After each working phase, all participants come back together in plenary. Each group is given sufficient time to present its results. Groups should not only present their ideas but also explain how they developed them and the reasoning behind them.

During the presentations, the facilitator documents the key points in a way that is visible to everyone—for example on flipcharts, pinboards, or a digital whiteboard. Similar ideas can immediately be grouped into thematic clusters.

Afterwards, participants have the opportunity to ask clarifying questions, add comments, or provide brief feedback. The goal is not to discuss every idea in detail, but to identify similarities, differences, and possible synergies. If several groups have developed comparable proposals, these can be merged into common thematic clusters.

Once all results have been presented, participants jointly decide which ideas or measures should be pursued further. Depending on the workshop objectives, different prioritisation methods can be used, such as dot voting, evaluation based on predefined criteria, or facilitated group discussions.

The following points should be documented transparently:

• Which results have the highest priority.
• Which ideas will be postponed for the time being.
• Which questions remain unresolved.
• Who is responsible for the next steps.
• By when the next steps should be implemented or further developed.

Finally, the facilitator summarises the key outcomes and explains how the results will be used. Participants should clearly understand whether their contributions will feed into a planning process, serve as a basis for decision-making, or be explored further in subsequent participation activities. A clear outlook increases transparency and demonstrates that participants' contributions are taken seriously.

Immediately after the workshop, all working materials should be collected, including moderation cards, flipcharts, pinboards, photographs, digital whiteboards, and the facilitator's notes.

The results are then systematically analysed to structure the wide range of ideas and identify the most important findings.

The analysis may include the following steps:

• grouping similar ideas into thematic clusters;
• identifying frequently mentioned challenges or needs;
• highlighting differences between working groups;
• identifying priorities and the most frequently proposed measures;
• marking questions that remained unanswered during the workshop;
• deriving concrete recommendations for action.

Depending on the scope of the workshop, methods such as Thematic Mapping, Content Analysis, or Sensemaking can support this analysis.

The analysed results are then compiled into a clear and accessible report. This documentation should not only present the final outcomes but also make the process transparent.

A workshop report may include:

• purpose and objectives of the workshop;
• number and composition of participants;
• workshop agenda;
• key discussions;
• developed ideas and proposed measures;
• prioritised results;
• photographs of workshop materials;
• open questions;
• agreed next steps.

The documentation should be shared with all participants as soon as possible.

The workshop outcomes should not only be documented but actively integrated into the subsequent process.

This may include:

• submitting the results to politicians, public administration, or project leaders;
• integrating the proposed measures into an action or implementation plan;
• assessing the feasibility of individual proposals;
• assigning responsibilities for further work;
• planning additional participation activities to further develop selected topics.

Equally important is providing feedback to participants. They should be informed about which proposals will be implemented, which have been postponed, and why certain ideas cannot currently be realised. Transparent communication strengthens trust in the participation process and demonstrates that participants' contributions are valued and taken seriously.

Source: https://partizipation.at/partizipation-anwenden/methoden/