The Democracy Labs follow a uniquely structured co-creation method that brings together diverse citizens, policymakers, and civil-society actors in a highly guided, creativity-driven environment. Unlike conventional workshops, the process unfolds through a carefully sequenced flow of sensemaking, provotyping, and collective dreaming.

Participants first build shared understanding based on their lived experiences, then engage with a provocative scenario that disrupts assumptions and opens new perspectives, and finally co-design future democratic innovations using specialised templates and design-futuring tools. This distinctive methodology enables people to tap into tacit knowledge, think beyond habitual solutions, and collaboratively create imaginative yet actionable proposals for more inclusive democratic systems.

The purpose of the sensitising toolkit is to guide participants in revisiting past and recent events where they felt engaged or disengaged, empowered or disenfranchised as citizens in what concerns their ability to participate in decision making processes impacting their lives.

Our toolkit is designed for a diverse audience committed to driving change. Researchers seeking data-driven insights, policymakers shaping future policies, and activists advocating for social justice will find valuable resources here. By leveraging collective expertise, we aim to empower these groups to tackle complex issues with innovative strategies.