The Co-design Workshop

The Co-design Workshop

Designing With Students, Not Just For Them

Designing With Students, Not Just For Them

Project description

Service BluePrint

Co- design

Interventions

Project description

Service BluePrint

Co- design

Interventions

context and goal

Make study abroad feel navigable, not overwhelming.

To uncover the reasons students withdraw from study-abroad programs, we conducted participatory co-design workshops with students at different stages of the journey.

Participants reconstructed their experiences using physical journey maps, emotional markers, and reflection journals.

This approach revealed moments of uncertainty across the process — particularly around timelines, financial planning, and access to peer knowledge — turning individual experiences into shared insights that informed our service ecosystem and blueprint.

Designing With Students, Not Just For Them

What this workshop unlocked

Students didn’t just need “more info.” They needed the process to feel legible: what happens next, who can help, and what “good progress” looks like after acceptance especially in the pre-departure phase where pressure peaks.

3 Key findings

Peer reassurance matters

Students wanted structured, light-touch connections to returning students to normalize anxiety and answer questions without booking meetings.

Visual proof builds confidence

Students wanted authentic photos (classrooms, housing, daily life, student work) to set expectations and reduce “unknowns.”

A simpler timeline is stress relief

Deadlines varied across programs, and students struggled to understand sequence. They asked for a unified planner or checklist view.

Impact Summary

The Key finds then helped us with the interventions we share in another case study:
More authentic visuals, a simpler timeline/checklist, and structured peer reassurance — all designed to centralize and prepare information for the students without increasing staff overhead.

Designing With Students, Not Just For Them

What this workshop unlocked

Students didn’t just need “more info.” They needed the process to feel legible: what happens next, who can help, and what “good progress” looks like after acceptance especially in the pre-departure phase where pressure peaks.

3 Key findings

Peer reassurance matters

Students wanted structured, light-touch connections to returning students to normalize anxiety and answer questions without booking meetings.

Visual proof builds confidence

Students wanted authentic photos (classrooms, housing, daily life, student work) to set expectations and reduce “unknowns.”

A simpler timeline is stress relief

Deadlines varied across programs, and students struggled to understand sequence. They asked for a unified planner or checklist view.

Impact Summary

The Key finds then helped us with the interventions we share in another case study:
More authentic visuals, a simpler timeline/checklist, and structured peer reassurance — all designed to centralize and prepare information for the students without increasing staff overhead.

3 Key findings

Peer reassurance matters

Students wanted structured, light-touch connections to returning students to normalize anxiety and answer questions without booking meetings.

Visual proof builds confidence

Students wanted authentic photos (classrooms, housing, daily life, student work) to set expectations and reduce “unknowns.”

A simpler timeline is stress relief

Deadlines varied across programs, and students struggled to understand sequence. They asked for a unified planner or checklist view.

Impact Summary

The Key finds then helped us with the interventions we share in another case study:
More authentic visuals, a simpler timeline/checklist, and structured peer reassurance — all designed to centralize and prepare information for the students without increasing staff overhead.

Facilitation

Facilitation

How we ran the session

How we ran the session

We tested the workshop as a team first (dry run) to tighten timing and prompts, then facilitated with clear roles: lead facilitator, co-facilitator/timekeeper, note-taker/observer, and materials coordinator.

1

PHASE 1 · 10 MIN

Warmup intro & program Cards

Participants chose a Program Card representing a real Pratt destination and shared what drew them to study abroad

2

PHASE 2 · 20 MIN

Journey Mapping

Build the journey with tangible pieces, highlight where confidence rises/falls, and capture “unknowns.”

3

PHASE 3 · 15 MIN

Journaling Prompts

Document emotions + moments of confusion (especially after acceptance / before departure).

4

PHASE 4 · 10 MIN

Group discussion + synthesis

Compare journals, cluster sticky notes into themes, and translate pain points into opportunity statements

5

PHASE 5 · 5 MIN

warp-up

“If you could fix one thing tomorrow…” capture final priorities and explain next steps.

Mapping out their ideal journey through their study abroad program

Comparing each others notes and expectations

context and goal

context and goal

Co-Design ToolKit

Every material was designed to lower the barrier to sharing.

Every material was designed to lower the barrier to sharing.

User Journey Map

User Journey Map

We used a Journey map based on information provided by the Office of Education Abroad. We wanted students reconstruct their study-abroad journey step-by-step and reflect on where moments of excitement, confusion, or uncertainty occurred.

We used a Journey map based on information provided by the Office of Education Abroad. We wanted students reconstruct their study-abroad journey step-by-step and reflect on where moments of excitement, confusion, or uncertainty occurred.

-Step 1

Program Cards

Participants chose a Program Card that interests them the most and discussed their reasons.


For prospective students, this helps them envision the study abroad program

Program Cards

Program Cards

Selecting the program

Selecting the program

Pratt Japan

Pratt Japan

/Summer @Tokyo,Japan

/Summer @Tokyo,Japan

Learn More on Terra Dotta ——>

Learn More on Terra Dotta ——>

Richard Sarrach

Richard Sarrach

rsarrach@pratt.edu

rsarrach@pratt.edu

Archaeology

of

Future Rituals

Archaeology

of

Future Rituals

Storytelling in Spain

Storytelling in Spain

/Summer @Barcelona & Madrid,Spain

/Summer @Barcelona & Madrid,Spain

Learn More on Terra Dotta ——>

Learn More on Terra Dotta ——>

Carmen Malvar

Carmen Malvar

cmal1315@pratt.edu

cmal1315@pratt.edu

Support Member & Resources Cards

Support Member & Resources Cards

Representing Faculty, OEA staff, advisors, peers, and family

Representing Faculty, OEA staff, advisors, peers, and family

Helps you navigate the study-abroad process — from choosing a program to preparing for departure and staying connected while abroad.

Helps you navigate the study-abroad process — from choosing a program to preparing for departure and staying connected while abroad.

Office

of

Education

Abroad

Office

of

Education

Abroad

Academic

Advisor

Academic

Advisor

Makes sure your study-abroad courses fit your academic plan and count toward your degree requirements.

Makes sure your study-abroad courses fit your academic plan and count toward your degree requirements.

Financial

Department

Financial

Department

Handles tuition, scholarships, and payments related to your study-abroad program, helping you stay informed about costs and deadlines.

Handles tuition, scholarships, and payments related to your study-abroad program, helping you stay informed about costs and deadlines.

Shares firsthand experiences, advice, and tips about what to expect and how to prepare for your program.

Returning

Student from

same course

International Fairs

International Fairs

In person fair to see what we got to offer

In person fair to see what we got to offer

Poster/Flyer

Poster/Flyer

You might have seen me around the campus

You might have seen me around the campus

Office Time

Office time with the OEA folks, they can help yu

One Pratt

One Pratt

One

One

your one stop shop for everything Pratt admin stuff

your one stop shop for everything Pratt admin stuff

-Step 2

Support memebers & Resource Cards

These cards represent the key people, offices and resources that play a role in their experience.


Each card describes who and what they are and how they help.

-Step 3

The Journal

Participants can talk about their experiences or expectations on these journal


For prospective students, this helps them envision the steps involved and the challenges they may face throughout the process.

Journey Journals

Personal documentation of their mapped experience

Quotes & Insights

The co-design workshops allowed us to move from research synthesis to system-level

Returning Student

“I got my visa approval only two weeks before departure — everything felt rushed.”

Prospective Students

Prospect students suggest a to-do list of Application process

Prospective Students

Students thought it would benefit them to have early access to the syllabus and also works done from the pervious students

Prospective Students

“I wish I could see where we’ll live and what past students did — it would help me feel prepared.”