24th September 2026
make:good love workshops!
We love workshops! Yes, they require more time input from participants but they are such a wonderful way for us to gain a more in-depth insight into what people think about their neighbourhoods and therefore create an environment where people can start to develop ideas for the future. To make access to these workshops equitable for all, we include approaches to make them creative and hands on, providing compensation where appropriate and great refreshments.
They also have to be meaningful and connected to the project, so tailoring the approach to the output and the audience is a crucial first step for us.
Young designers
We have really honed our approach to working with young people over the last few years. We have found recruiting young people to attend clear sessions and offering financial compensation for attending has supported more young people to participate and shape the future of places they care about.
Walking and mapping
Sometimes just getting out there and walking around an area to see what people think works or does not work is a great way of tipping your toe into workshops. Local people are the experts in their areas and this approach allows them to showcase that knowledge.
Imagining futures
This is one of our favourite ways to encourage people of all ages to imagine how a place they are familiar with could be different in the future. By thinking about what somebody other than yourself would be saying, or championing about your neighbourhood you immediately start to see the positives that could be ahead.
Anything creative
We LOVE creative workshops, making models, collaging, print making, illustration, anything really that gets people working with their hands and distracts from some of the pressure that can come from thinking you have to have a perfect idea or show your thoughts in a really polished way.
Analysing approaches
More than just hearing about people’s experience of a place we love opportunities for local people to work directly with the design team using block models and collage to quickly imagine different possibilities and assess their pros and cons.
Big maps
If you know you know! There is nothing like a big map to get people talking. Finding landmarks that you know, finding your home and then mapping out your experiences of an area - from safety through to personal history all things can be mapped out and it’s a real leveller.
