New Practices and Evolving Expertise: Co-Creation with People with Low Literacy
Reframing Expertise in Design Research
Contemporary design research has increasingly moved toward participatory approaches that challenge traditional hierarchies of knowledge. In this spirit, my research sought to investigate whether it was possible to co-create a visual language to translate bureaucratic texts into accessible visuals, specifically for people with low literacy. The project’s trajectory reveals much about changing roles in design practice, where community members are no longer “users” but experts by experience (experts met ervaring) and co-designers of meaningful outcomes.
Initiating with Community Insight
The project began in partnership with Sher Molly, coordinator at SOL IJsselmonde, a community welfare organization. Drawing from her frontline experience, we identified pressing themes for people with low literacy: navigating social benefits, understanding tax forms, finding housing, and accessing support services such as the Social Support Act (Wet Maatschappelijke Ondersteuning). This early phase of inquiry highlighted a shift in the designer’s role—from solitary problem-solver to facilitator of situated knowledge (Manzini, 2015).
Testing a Visual Approach
In an experiment focused on the Rotterdam municipal website Regelhulp (which offers guidance on applying for social benefits), we tried translating dense bureaucratic content into visual formats. Together with a volunteer from SOL and Sher Molly, we examined texts sentence by sentence, attempting to replace key phrases with symbols from the Noun Project icon library. However, the semantic complexity and specificity of policy language made it impossible to establish a consistent and scalable visual system. Even with hard work and dedication from the volunteer, it became clear that visual translation would be highly contextual, time-intensive, and ultimately infeasible as a systemic solution.
In response, we repurposed our output into training cards for use in language lessons. These cards focused on essential vocabulary around identification, housing, and benefits—small but practical tools with direct educational value.
Deepening Co-Creation with Experts by Experience
The project continued in collaboration with language ambassadors Efsun and Farida, from the Reading and Writing Foundation (Stichting Lezen en Schrijven), guided by advisor Geralda Otten. These participants are former illiterate individuals who now use their experiences to advocate for others—living examples of the transformative power of adult education (De Greef, 2014). Their participation further validated the methodological insight that co-creating a visual language was unsustainable—but equally, it reinforced how collaborative processes generate alternate forms of value, such as dialogue, mutual understanding, and empowerment.
Learning from Co-Creation
What emerged as most meaningful was not the artefact—the visual system—but the relational process of co-creation. All participants expressed appreciation for being treated with dignity and respect, particularly in being positioned as experts. While this approach may feel “normal” within ethical design discourse, for individuals frequently marginalized by institutional systems, it marked a radical departure from how they are usually treated.
This moment of reflection ties closely to Maaike Harbers’ work on ethically responsible design. In her framework, ethics is not an add-on but embedded in how we involve people in the process: “Designing with people, not for them, ensures that integrity and human dignity are protected in every design choice” (Harbers, 2021). Even though the project did not result in a universal visual system, it succeeded in modeling a design practice grounded in empathy and respect—qualities often overlooked in traditional approaches to public sector communication.
Conclusion: Co-Creation as a Catalyst for Changing Roles
This research experience underlines that co-creation is not just a method but a change in mindset. Designers are no longer distant experts delivering solutions but mediators of lived experience and systemic insight. Participatory approaches, as described by Binder et al. (2011), recognize that expertise is plural, often residing with those who navigate the system from its margins.
In sum, while the initial goal of developing a visual language was not achieved, the research succeeded in elevating alternative values: empathy, co-ownership, and human connection. These, too, are vital outcomes of design—particularly when working toward more inclusive and equitable futures.
References
Harbers, M., Ethisch Ontwerpen: Mensgerichte Keuzes in Digitale Ontwikkeling, Kenniscentrum Creating010, (2021).
Manzini, E., Design, When Everybody Designs: An Introduction to Design for Social Innovation, MIT Press, (2015).
Binder, T., Brandt, E., Ehn, P., & Halse, J., Design Things, MIT Press, (2011).
De Greef, M., De laaggeletterde leert het ons, Arteduc, (2014).
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