Australian Participatory & Co-Design Directory

A living resource compiled by The Feeling Designer

A directory of Australian design practices, consultancies, and individual practitioners working at the intersection of design and community — doing participatory, co-design, community-led research, and social design work. Organised by practice type. Last updated April 2026.

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How to Read This Directory

Each entry includes: name, website, location, and a brief description of their participatory or co-design practice. Entries marked ⚑ are practices that TFD has direct knowledge of or connection to. This is a living document — if a practice is missing, reach out to hello@thefeelingdesigner.com.

A note on criteria: this directory holds a high bar. Co-design is a philosophy about who has knowledge and who gets to shape outcomes — not a workshop format, a consultation step, or a human-centred design process. The distinction that matters is whether communities hold genuine decision-making power in the design process, not just whether they are researched or consulted. Entries in the main sections have demonstrated evidence of this. Entries in Section 11 (Worth Watching) are included as leads for investigation but have not yet met that bar.

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1. Strategic & Service Design

Multidisciplinary studios and agencies whose primary practice is service design, systems design, or human-centred strategy — with co-design or community research embedded in how they work.

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Tank ⚑ wearetank.com.au — Australia-wide Human-centred research, strategy and service design consultancy. Works across government, health, and the social sector with deep community research embedded in practice.

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Portable ⚑ portable.com.au — Melbourne, VIC / national Certified B-Corp purpose studio working across research, design, and technology for government and mission-driven organisations. Human-centred design and digital service design with participatory research embedded throughout.

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ThinkPlace thinkplace.com.au — Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra / global One of Australia's longest-established strategic design consultancies; 15+ years across public, private, and non-profit sectors using co-design and service design to address complex problems.

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Paper Giant papergiant.net — Melbourne, VIC / Canberra, ACT Human-centred and strategic design consultancy specialising in government and community-facing services. Known for rigorous research practice and accessible public sector work.

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Relative Creative ⚑ relativecreative.com.au — Gold Coast (Jellurgal), QLD Design, arts, and strategic consultancy led by Dr Tristan Schultz (Gamilaroi). Practice centres on sustainable futures, post-colonial design, and deep community engagement. One of Australia's most important voices in Indigenous-informed design strategy.

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Today Design ⚑ today.design — Melbourne, VIC / national Impact and innovation agency driven by a purpose to achieve positive social and environmental impact using design as a lever. Works with organisations including Our Watch, the National AI Centre, and government agencies across Australia. 2025 Good Design Team of the Year; 45 Good Design Awards across 13 years of practice.

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MosaicLab mosaiclab.com.au — Melbourne, VIC Community engagement consultancy specialising in deliberative and participatory processes: citizens juries, community panels, participatory budgeting. Deeply committed to democratic participation in design and policy.

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Nomat nomat.com.au — Melbourne, VIC Boutique human-centred design, service design, UX and research consultancy. Works primarily with government and social impact clients.

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Beacon Strategies beaconstrategies.net — Brisbane, QLD Co-design consultancy specialising in health and social services: mental health, suicide prevention, primary health care, child and family wellbeing. Strong participatory research practice.

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Storyfolk ⚑ storyfolk.com.au — Melbourne, VIC Award-winning agency specialising in branding, strategy, and communication design for not-for-profits and social enterprise. Participatory storytelling and collaborative design process are embedded throughout — not bolted on at the end. Community voice shapes the work from brief to delivery.

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2. Brand & Communication Design

Studios whose practice sits primarily in brand or communication design but brings genuine participatory or community-collaborative methodology to how that work is shaped.

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The Social Studio thesocialstudio.org — Melbourne, VIC Fashion school, clothing label, retail, and community space created by and for young people from migrant and refugee communities. A genuine model of community-led design in practice: participants are co-designers of the enterprise.

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Storyfolk ⚑ (See also Strategic & Service Design) storyfolk.com.au — Melbourne, VIC

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3. Tech for Good & Digital

Organisations using digital design and technology with community-centred or participatory approaches — civic tech, social enterprise platforms, and purpose-driven digital studios.

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Portable ⚑ (See also Strategic & Service Design) portable.com.au — Melbourne, VIC / national Portable's digital work is grounded in participatory research; they build government and social sector digital services with community input throughout.

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Code for Australia codeforaustralia.org — Australia-wide Civic technology organisation building human-centred digital solutions with government and communities. Runs the Civic Makers volunteer program placing technologists in government agencies to solve civic problems.

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4. Architecture & Built Environment

Architecture and built environment practices embedding participatory design, community consultation, or co-design into their design process.

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Here Studio ⚑ herestudio.au — Melbourne, Ballarat, Geelong, VIC Architecture and urban design practice founded on principles of heritage sustainability and community collaboration. Specialises in participatory design processes with community groups, local government, and First Nations communities.

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Marra+Yeh Architects marrayeh.com — Melbourne, VIC Sustainable architecture practice working with not-for-profits, community housing providers, and private developers to create diverse, affordable, and community-led housing. Known for genuinely consultative community engagement.

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Hassell + Djinjama ⚑ hassellstudio.com / djinjama.com — national Hassell Studio (architecture and design) and Djinjama (First Nations design consultancy) formed a landmark joint venture for the Ngurra — National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Precinct design submission. A significant model for First Nations co-design in the built environment sector.

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The Fulcrum Agency ⚑ thefulcrum.agency — Perth, WA / remote Australia Social architecture and design consultancy founded by Emma Williamson and Kieran Wong following 20 years leading CODA Studio. Now led by Kieran Wong after Emma Williamson's appointment as Western Australia's Government Architect in 2024. The practice works on some of Australia's most complex social challenges in remote and disadvantaged communities — delivering research, strategy, community co-production, and architectural design where the work is driven by communities themselves. Kieran has worked directly with Warnindilyakwa, Martu, Nyoongar, Yawaru, Miriwoong Gajerrong, Kardu Yek Diminin, Warlpiri, and Kuku Yalanji communities. Their name comes from Archimedes — finding the precise point of leverage to generate greater impact while decentring themselves from the project. Certified B Corp, Certified Social Enterprise, Innovate RAP. 50% of company profits reinvested into community-based projects; secured $13.5 million in government funding for community projects in 2024 alone.

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Djinjama ⚑ djinjama.com — national First Nations architecture and design consultancy. Works with communities to ensure cultural knowledge, protocols, and self-determination shape built environment outcomes. Core practice in First Nations design sovereignty.

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5. Landscape Architecture & Urban Design

Landscape and urban design practices with community engagement, participatory planning, or Country-led design embedded in their process.

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Arcadia Landscape Architecture arcadiala.com.au — Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Canberra Award-winning landscape architecture and urban design practice with explicit focus on enriching community and Country. Includes Indigenous community engagement, on-Country walkshops, and participatory design processes.

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McGregor Coxall mcgregorcoxall.com — Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane Landscape architecture, urban design, and ecology practice with community engagement in their process. A large studio with projects across ecological restoration and urban transformation. Co-design credentials worth verifying directly on specific projects.

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6. Social Impact & Community Development

Consultancies whose primary practice is social innovation, community development, or public sector transformation — with co-design central to how they work.

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TACSI — The Australian Centre for Social Innovation ⚑ tacsi.org.au — Adelaide, SA / national Australia's leading social innovation not-for-profit. Has co-designed 15+ service models and contributed to 15+ state and commonwealth policy processes. Core commitment to putting people with lived experience at the centre of design and decision-making.

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Social Ventures Australia socialventures.org.au — Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane Not-for-profit consulting firm combining consulting, impact investment, public policy, and innovation to address systemic challenges. Participatory research and co-design embedded in strategy and evaluation work. Note: SVA's practice spans advisory and impact investing — depth of co-design methodology varies by project and team. Verify the specific team and brief before referencing.

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CRED Consulting credconsulting.com.au — Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne National multidisciplinary social planning, research, and community engagement consultancy. Specialises in co-creating equitable, connected, resilient communities. Strong track record with local government, housing, and social infrastructure.

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Small and Scale ⚑ small-and-scale.co — Melbourne, VIC / Jakarta, Indonesia Social innovation consultancy led by Diletta Legowo. Helps governments, NGOs, and think tanks design better systems with a focus on Asia-Pacific. Founded on the principle of "facilitate thyself first" — practitioner inner work as a prerequisite of good social design.

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Village Collaborative Consulting ⚑ villageco.co — Melbourne, VIC Strategy, design, and facilitation practice led by Callan Rowe. Works in social impact, healthcare, education, and social justice with participatory methods at the centre. PhD research focus on co-design and civic engagement.

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ThirdStory ⚑ thirdstory.org — Australia-wide / Aotearoa New Zealand / Caribbean Formerly Innovation Unit Australia New Zealand (established 2015), rebranded as ThirdStory on full separation from the UK-based Innovation Unit. Registered not-for-profit and trusted partner in social innovation, working to transform education, health, and social systems through collaboration. Distinctively, the team focuses not on problems and symptoms but on the ambitions, needs, and potential that communities hold — co-designing services and support systems grounded in equity and self-determination. Multidisciplinary team of researchers, designers, facilitators, coaches, and subject matter experts with deep community connections. Also runs the Social Design Academy (SoDA): an 8-month project-based program building design capability for social impact and systems change across organisations and practitioners nationally.

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Beacon Strategies (See also Strategic & Service Design) beaconstrategies.net — Brisbane, QLD

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7. Research, Training & Knowledge

Organisations and individuals whose primary contribution is through co-design training, practice development, community building, or participatory research — building field capacity rather than delivering client projects.

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Beyond Sticky Notes ⚑ beyondstickynotes.com — Australia-wide / global Kelly Ann McKercher's practice and book have become foundational references in Australian co-design. Runs the Co-Design Club, training programs, and consulting grounded in lived-experience partnership and co-design as a philosophy rather than a method.

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New Know How ⚑ newknow.how — Melbourne, VIC / global Dr Emma Blomkamp's training, coaching, and learning partnership practice for co-design. Runs the Co-Design Practitioners program with international reach. Rigorous academic grounding with practical application in government and community contexts.

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Social Design Sydney ⚑ socialdesignsydney.com — Sydney, NSW Community of practice led by Jax Wechsler, bringing together designers and social innovators across Sydney. Creates space for honest, practitioner-level conversation about what design for justice actually demands. Founded 2013.

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Sticky Design Studio ⚑ stickydesignstudio.com.au — Sydney, NSW Jax Wechsler's independent consulting practice: human-centred design, co-design facilitation, program development, and trauma-informed design research training. 20+ years experience.

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MESHA mesha.org.au — Australia-wide Research and evaluation practice with a specific focus on co-designed research — bringing together clients, research participants, and industry stakeholders as genuine collaborators in the research design process.

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8. Events, Experiential & Cultural Design

Studios and practices designing immersive experiences, festivals, exhibitions, and cultural installations — often in deep collaboration with First Nations communities, local government, or community groups. This is one of the most underrecognised areas of co-design practice in Australia.

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Grumpy Sailor Creative ⚑ studios.grumpysailor.com — Sydney, NSW / Melbourne, VIC Australia's leading experience design studio. Founded 2011, co-creative directors of Parrtjima — A Festival in Light, the world's largest free First Nations light festival held annually in Mparntwe (Alice Springs) on the MacDonnell Ranges. Grumpy Sailor works in genuine creative partnership with Aboriginal communities, infusing immersive technology with traditional storytelling methods. Their practice sits squarely at the intersection of First Nations cultural sovereignty and participatory experience design.

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We Are Gather wearegather.com.au — Sydney, NSW Event and experience design company and co-producer of Parrtjima — A Festival in Light. Bridges boutique curation and large-scale destination experiences rooted in food, culture, and place. Australia's Best Small Event Agency; deep expertise in community and cultural event programming with genuine investment in local impact.

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Supersense Studio supersense.studio — Sydney, NSW Interdisciplinary experience design practice creating sensory, narrative worlds for museums, galleries, libraries, archives, cultural institutions, and public spaces. Their collaborative team includes designers, architects, curators, digital creators, heritage specialists, and strategists. Notable work includes co-design of the Warrane exhibition for Macquarie Group with the National Museum of Australia and Balarinji, and heritage interpretation across significant cultural sites.

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9. Indigenous-Led & Culturally-Informed Practice

Organisations and practitioners led by, or deeply grounded in, First Nations knowledge systems, healing frameworks, or Indigenous design sovereignty. These practices are not simply "consulting on" Indigenous design — they are leading it.

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Wayapa Wuurrk ⚑ wayapa.com — Victoria / national First Nations-led wellness practice co-founded by Gunaikurnai and Peek Whuurrung man Jamie Thomas. Wayapa is an eco-centric embodied practice connecting wellbeing to Country. Offers practitioner scholarships to Indigenous people. A model of First Nations-led practice that holds land relationship as foundational to human flourishing.

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We Al-li ⚑ wealli.com.au — Goolmangar, NSW / national Aboriginal-led organisation providing a Culturally Informed Trauma Integrated Healing Approach (CITIHA), developed by Dr Judy Atkinson. The Box of Healing Cards draws on Dadirri (deep inner listening) and Country connection as foundations for healing. We Al-li has been involved in participatory action research and co-design of perinatal and family support strategies nationally.

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Djinjama ⚑ (See also Architecture & Built Environment) djinjama.com — national

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Relative Creative ⚑ (See also Strategic & Service Design) relativecreative.com.au — Gold Coast, QLD Dr Tristan Schultz's practice is one of the strongest examples of Indigenous-led strategic design in Australia. Gamilaroi-led, futures-oriented, and deeply committed to decolonising design practice.

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Solid Lines solidlines.agency — Melbourne, VIC (RMIT-connected) Australia's first illustration agency dedicated to representing First Nations talent in the commercial art industry. Founded by Nicola St John following community residency work with Ntaria School. Solid Lines protects Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP), has developed a new ICIP policy for the commercial art industry, and creates fair, culturally safe pathways for First Nations creatives to access sustainable careers. 2023 Good Design Award (Indigenous Design). Landmark model for First Nations creative self-determination.

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Blak Design — Koorie Heritage Trust kht.org.au/visit-us/blak-design — Melbourne, VIC First Nations-led design education and mentorship program run by the Koorie Heritage Trust. Breaks down systemic barriers in Australia's design industry by providing training, mentorship, and industry exposure to equip First Nations creatives with skills, networks, and confidence to build sustainable design businesses. Alumni have exhibited at the NGV and launched product lines. 2023 Good Design Award Gold, Social Impact. A significant model of First Nations design sovereignty in practice.

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Blaklash linkedin.com/company/blaklash-creative — Australia-wide First Nations design studio. Created the Queensland Health First Nations Design Framework, commissioned by Health Infrastructure Queensland in alignment with Queensland Health's First Nations Health Office — a landmark piece of co-designed health system design. 2024 Good Design Award, Indigenous Design category.

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10. Individual Consultants & Small Studios

Independent practitioners and small studios whose primary practice is participatory design, co-design facilitation, or community-led research. Many of these individuals are also listed under other categories where their organisations have a public presence.

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Kelly Ann McKercher ⚑ beyondstickynotes.com Author of Beyond Sticky Notes: Co-design for real, facilitator, and one of Australia's most-cited practitioners of co-design grounded in lived experience. Runs the Co-Design Club training community.

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Emma Blomkamp ⚑ newknow.how Co-design practitioner, academic, and trainer. Leads New Know How and the Co-Design Practitioners learning program. Research expertise in public sector co-design and collaborative governance.

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Jax Wechsler ⚑ stickydesignstudio.com.au / socialdesignsydney.com Human-centred designer, facilitator, and community builder. Leads Sticky Design Studio (consulting) and Social Design Sydney (community of practice). 20+ years experience in co-design, trauma-informed research, and design for justice.

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Diletta Legowo ⚑ small-and-scale.co Social innovation practitioner and founder of Small and Scale. Leads systems-level co-design work across Asia-Pacific. Known in TFD circles for the principle: "facilitate thyself first."

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Callan Rowe ⚑ villageco.co Strategy designer and facilitator at Village Collaborative Consulting. Works across health, education, and social justice with participatory methods. PhD research focus on co-design and civic engagement.

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Tristan Schultz ⚑ relativecreative.com.au Gamilaroi designer, academic, and futurist. Leads Relative Creative. Foundational voice in post-colonial and Indigenous-informed design in Australia. Contributor to major First Nations design charters and cultural precinct projects.

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Celine Waters ⚑ linkedin.com/in/celinewaters Somatic facilitation practitioner and The Feeling Designer's first podcast guest. Practice sits at the intersection of facilitation, trauma-informed practice, and embodied self-awareness. Works with organisations designing for belonging, safety, and dignity.

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RK Collective ⚑ rk-collective.com — Sydney, NSW Founded 2023 by Nila Rezaei and Christopher Krainer. Award-winning product design and innovation practice with genuine participatory methodology in product development: the Zoomo electric bike was co-designed directly with delivery riders, mechanics, and fleet managers. Creative projects like Crafted Liberation (Iranian women's headscarves repurposed as stadium seats, commissioned through Creative Australia) carry deep cultural intent and embed community voice and lived experience. Nila is a UNSW lecturer, DIA NSW Chair, and Good Design Australia Ambassador. Strongest case as a participatory product design practice; less established in social co-design or community services contexts.

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11. Worth Watching / Emerging Practices

Practices that appeared in research but where co-design credentials are worth verifying directly before referencing. Included here as leads for further investigation, with notes on the specific questions that need to be answered before moving to the main directory.

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Folk — folk.com.au — Sydney, NSW Strategic design consultancy with 30 years of practice across brand, service, and digital experience. Well-regarded but no documented participatory or co-design methodology beyond "research-led" process. Verify whether communities hold decision-making power in their work before referencing as a co-design practice.

For the People — forthepeople.agency — Sydney, NSW Brand and design agency with a strong NFP portfolio. "Getting organisations closer to the people they serve" describes user empathy and research — not co-design. Verify whether participatory methods are genuinely embedded in practice.

Sandbox — sandboxcompany.com.au — Sydney, NSW Service innovation and UX design for government and social enterprise. Human-centred framing but no specific co-design methodology documented.

Wave Design — wave.design Human-centred design consultancy working across health, education, and public sector. Generic HCD description with no co-design evidence. Verify before referencing.

Behavjōr — behavjor.com.au — Sydney, NSW 25 years of behavioural research and design practice. Worth noting: behavioural approaches often position practitioners as experts who understand communities better than communities understand themselves — a philosophical tension with co-design. Verify their actual methodology carefully before including.

TechForGood Australia — techforgood.com.au B-Corp social enterprise connecting tech practitioners with NFP and community organisations. Social mandate does not equal co-design methodology. Verify before referencing.

PeakXD — peakxd.com.au — Brisbane, QLD CX and UX research consultancy. User research methodology without documented participatory design practice.

U1 Group — u1group.com UX/CX research and design consultancy. "Placing human experience at the centre of design decisions" describes user-centred design — an extractive research approach — not participatory design.

The Social Deck — thesocialdeck.com.au Community and stakeholder engagement consultancy. The inclusion of social marketing as a core service raises questions — social marketing is about persuading communities toward predetermined outcomes, which is philosophically at odds with co-design. Verify before referencing.

Creating Communities — creatingcommunities.com.au — Perth, WA Community development and social planning consultancy. Community engagement planning in infrastructure contexts is typically consultation, not co-design. Verify depth of participatory methodology before including in the main directory.

Tim Rob Don Dow — timrobdondow.com — Melbourne, VIC Strategic design consultancy with 13+ years of practice. Works across retail, wayfinding, customer experience, and education. Good strategic design practice but no documented lived experience framing, community power-sharing, or social sector grounding that signals participatory co-design.

Conduct — conducthq.com Strategic facilitation and design thinking training. Strong workshop facilitation but not primarily a design practice. Verify if relevant.

Airteam — airteam.com.au UX research and design agency. Participatory methods in research phase. Verify co-design credentials.

The Strategy Group — thestrategygroup.com.au Human-centred intelligence firm. Verify distinction between HCD consulting and co-design practice.

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Notes on What's Not Included

This directory deliberately excludes:

• Large management consulting firms (Deloitte, PwC, McKinsey) whose "co-design" practice is ancillary to management advisory
• General brand or graphic design agencies without documented participatory methodology
• Market research firms whose work is extractive rather than participatory
• Organisations that reference "collaboration" as a project style rather than a community design philosophy

The distinction that matters: co-design is a philosophy about who has knowledge and who gets to shape outcomes — not a workshop format or a consultation step.

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*This directory was compiled by The Feeling Designer in April 2026. It is not exhaustive and will be updated as the field grows. In the pipeline is a searchable and interactive database paired with jobs board - A place of discovery made to help Feeling Designers find purposeful and meaningful careers in design.

To suggest an addition or correction: hello@thefeelingdesigner.com.au*

The Feeling Designer — thefeelingdesigner.com