Getting Started =============== What is Co-Design Assistant? ---------------------------- Co-Design Assistant is an AI-powered collaborative platform that guides multidisciplinary teams through a structured co-design methodology to **plan, assess, and refine digital services**. It is developed as part of the `DestinE (Destination Earth) `_ initiative — the European mission to build a high-precision digital model of the Earth. The platform addresses a core challenge: **Grand-Distance** — the knowledge and relationship gap between disconnected stakeholder communities (researchers, engineers, policy-makers, end-users) who must work together to create viable Earth Observation services. The platform combines: - **Conversational AI** — An assistant that guides you step-by-step through the methodology - **Structured templates** — Standardised forms to capture project knowledge at each phase - **Diagnostic tools** — Assessments to evaluate project maturity across 5 dimensions - **Collaborative workspace** — Shared projects where multidisciplinary teams co-create Why Use Co-Design Assistant? ---------------------------- Co-Design helps you: - **Validate your idea early** — The Flash Diagnosis quickly reveals strengths and weaknesses before you invest resources - **Structure collaboration** — The 4-phase methodology ensures nothing is forgotten or overlooked - **Bridge knowledge gaps** — The AI assistant helps connect disparate domains and stakeholder perspectives - **Build for longevity** — The Resilient-Fit approach considers multiple time horizons, avoiding short-term fixes that don not scale The 4-Phase Methodology ----------------------- Co-Design follows a structured process divided into 4 phases. Each phase produces concrete deliverables that feed into the AI's understanding of your project. .. figure:: _static/codesign_methodology.png :alt: Co-Design Methodology Overview :align: center :width: 100% *Overview of the 4-phase Co-Design methodology — from user identification to outcome formulation.* .. list-table:: Description of co-design phases :header-rows: 1 :widths: 8 12 35 25 20 * - Phase - Name - What you do - Example - Key deliverables * - 1 - Approaching Users - Identify and engage potential users through a progressive process: preliminary diagnosis of the use ecosystem, targeting promising users, establishing first contacts, and building co-design relationships. - e.g. contacting local water agencies to validate interest in a flood forecasting service - User Monitoring Framework, Stakeholder ID Cards * - 2 - Co-Design Diagnosis - Assess the technical system (data, information, usage, value) and actor relationships using the Data-Information-Value (DIV) framework. Identify missing elements, key challenges, and structure a co-design action plan. - e.g. mapping which DestinE datasets are available and which stakeholders produce or consume them - DIV Assessment, Co-Design Action Plan * - 3 - Workshop Sessions - Organise collaborative workshops with users to clarify needs, build working relationships, address integration issues, and explore service uses. Each workshop follows a tailored protocol guided by the diagnosis findings. - e.g. a half-day session where end-users sketch their ideal dashboard for drought monitoring - Workshop Reports, User Needs Documentation * - 4 - Outcomes - Formulate co-design outcomes using a resilient-fit approach: synthesise key findings, build a strategic roadmap across time horizons (short/mid/long-term), and plan for capacity building, research opportunities, and sustained collaboration. - e.g. defining a 6-month pilot with a public agency and a 3-year scaling plan with additional partners - Outcomes Diagram, Resilient Action Plan .. tip:: You don't need to complete all phases in one sitting. The platform saves your progress and the AI picks up exactly where you left off. The 5 Dimensions ---------------- Every project is evaluated across 5 dimensions that reflect different aspects of readiness: .. list-table:: :header-rows: 1 :widths: 20 35 45 * - Dimension - What it measures - Example questions * - **Usefulness** - Does the project solve a real, validated problem? - Have you identified target users? Is the value proposition clear? * - **Operability** - Can it be technically implemented? - Are data sources available? Is the infrastructure ready? * - **Usability** - Will target users actually use it? - Are users involved in design? Are feedback loops in place? * - **Sustainability** - Is it viable long-term? - Is there a funding model? Who maintains it after launch? * - **Scalability** - Can it grow and adapt? - Can it handle more users/data? Are partners engaged? These dimensions are scored during diagnosis and visualised as a radar chart — helping you quickly spot weaknesses. Quick Start ----------- 1. Sign in ~~~~~~~~~~ Navigate to the platform URL and authenticate with your organisation credentials (via Keycloak SSO). 2. Start a Flash Diagnosis (optional but recommended) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Not sure if your project is ready? Start with a **Flash Diagnosis**: - Answer 12 questions across the 5 dimensions - Get an AI-generated assessment with a radar chart - Receive personalised recommendations for improvement - Convert the diagnosis into a full project if you want to proceed This takes about 10 minutes and gives you immediate, actionable feedback. 3. Create a project ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From the home dashboard: 1. Click **"Create Project"** 2. Fill in the form: project name, author, domain, organisation, expertise, service idea, and objectives. A description is optional. 3. You become the **Admin** of the project .. tip:: Be specific in your **service idea** — the AI uses this to tailor its guidance. "A dashboard for farmers" is less helpful than "A decision-support dashboard combining Copernicus satellite data with local sensor readings to optimise irrigation schedules." See :doc:`01-user-guide/02-features` for full details on each field. 4. Invite your team ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ An **invite code** is automatically generated when you create a project. Share it with collaborators so they can join via **"Join an existing co-design journey"** on the welcome page. See :doc:`01-user-guide/02-features` for the full flow. 5. Start co-designing ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Open your project and start a conversation with the AI assistant: - The assistant guides you through each phase in order - It suggests relevant templates when structured input is needed - It searches your accumulated knowledge to give contextual answers - Templates appear as interactive forms directly in the chat - Completed templates enrich the AI's understanding of your project .. mermaid:: graph TD User --> Template User --> Chatbot Chatbot --> Template Chatbot --> KB["Knowledge Base"] Template --> KB KB --> Chatbot *The virtuous knowledge cycle — the user interacts with templates and the chatbot; both feed the Knowledge Base, which in turn enriches the chatbot's responses.* What Happens Next? ------------------ As your team progresses: 1. **Phase 1 — Approaching Users** — You identify stakeholders and define the project scope 2. **Phase 2 — Co-Design Diagnosis** — You assess the technical landscape and integration needs 3. **Phase 3 — Workshop Sessions** — You build user profiles and map journeys 4. **Phase 4 — Outcomes** — You plan for sustainability and define success metrics The **Roadmap** shows your progress. The **Knowledge Base** centralises everything you've produced. Periodic **diagnosis re-assessments** track how your project matures over time. .. note:: The platform is accessible via any modern web browser. No installation required.