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.

Overview of the 4-phase Co-Design methodology — from user identification to outcome formulation.

Description of co-design phases

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:

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 Using the Platform 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 Using the Platform 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

        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.