How to run a user workshop before you design

Why run one

It brings out needs that nobody thought to mention.
It shows where people disagree, while there is still time to resolve it.
It gives people a voice, and they are more likely to support the result.
It saves money by catching problems before they are drawn and built.

Who to invite

Invite a small, varied group: people who will use the building daily, those who will look after it, those who will visit it, and those who make decisions. Include people who are often forgotten, such as cleaners, junior staff, older and younger users, and people with different abilities. Between six and fifteen people works well. For larger groups, run several sessions.

Invite a small, varied group: people who will use the building daily, those who will look after it, those who will visit it, and those who make decisions.
How to run a user workshop before you design

Before the workshop

Be clear about its purpose. What decisions will it inform? What can people influence, and what is fixed?
Choose an accessible place and a good time. Make sure everyone can come and take part.
Prepare materials. Plans of the site and existing building, photos of similar places, large paper, pens and sticky notes. A simple model can help.
Send a short note in advance explaining what will happen and asking people to think about a normal day.

A simple structure (about two to three hours)

Welcome and purpose (10 minutes). Explain what the workshop is for and agree some ground rules, such as listening, and no wrong answers.
A day in the life (30 minutes). In small groups, people describe a normal day, step by step, in the existing place or one like it: what works, what frustrates, what is missing.
Draw the journey (30 minutes). Groups map the journey of one type of user, marking good and bad moments.
Wishes and worries (30 minutes). Each person writes what they hope for, and what they worry about. Group these on a wall.
Priorities (30 minutes). Each person gets a few sticky dots to mark what matters most. This shows where the group agrees.
Test ideas (20 minutes). Use plans, simple models or marked-out floors to try out ideas.
Close (10 minutes). Say what happens next and thank everyone.

Running it well

Listen more than you talk. Ask open questions, like "What happens when...?" and "Why is that important?"
Make it safe to disagree. Quiet people often have the best insights, so invite everyone to speak.
Capture everything. Photograph the walls and take notes.
Do not promise what you cannot deliver. Be honest about budgets, rules and decisions.
Include children and others in ways suited to them, such as drawing or walking tours, with proper safeguarding and consent.

After the workshop

Write up what you heard within a few days, share it, and show how it will shape the design. Return to the group later with drawings, so they can see what happened to their ideas.

In short

A good workshop is a conversation with a purpose. Invite a varied group, listen, record and report back.

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