Supportive practices for inclusive youth co-design: reach beyond usual voices, respect time, ensure accessibility, and compensate fairly¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

Alongside partnering with youth, the report recommends four supporting practices for co-design. Teams should "Recruit youth that may be most impacted by the challenge you are trying to solve" and find creative ways to include young people not typically involved in youth leadership; meet later in afternoons, evenings, or weekends and offer multiple ways to contribute; ensure accessibility for virtual and in-person engagement, including asynchronous participation options; and "Compensate youth for their time spent outside of school hours" with forms of compensation such as gift cards, course credit, or recognition, ideally chosen with youth feedback.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• If meeting virtually, ensure accessibility for youth, including internet connection, device access, registration requirements, and technology needs for individuals with disabilities

Constraints¶

• Some online gift cards require that an adult receive the gift card on behalf of youth under 18, so compensation should go directly to youth when possible

Target Learners¶

• youth ages 14-18, including those most impacted by the design challenge and those not typically involved in youth leadership

Target Learning Goals¶

• equitable participation in co-design and youth leadership opportunities

Related Strategies¶

• Center youth as partners, not participants, in co-design
• Address digital well-being with empathy, root-cause understanding, asset framing, and tech-free spaces
• Change stakeholder roles and investments so marginalized participants can engage as co-experts in R&D
• Establish formal, compensated worker advisory councils and co-design teams in skills-first system design
• Design for influence, not simply participation, and scaffold without replacing partner leadership
• Co-designed recommendations for education/training providers: partnerships, wrap-around supports, and equitable recruitment
• Include historically underserved voices in all stages of continuous improvement work, including designing solutions

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Karim, S., Liberman, B., & Trettin, S. (2025). Tech Talk: Co-Designing Youth Digital Well-Being Solutions. Digital Promise. https://doi.org/10.51388/20.500.12265/264