What we do

Creative engagement activities

Rather than rely on typical surveys and questionnaires, or asking people to comment on exhibited drawings, we prefer to develop creative engagement activities which are specific to each situation. Although traditional consultation techniques can be valuable, there are many reasons why people may not feel comfortable or able to contribute. This can limit who participates.  They can also result in unachievable ‘wish lists’ and raised expectations which cannot be met; and over the years, multiple consultations can lead to ‘consultation fatigue’.

Creative activities can appeal to a wider section of the community, especially children, young people and those who are less confident in reading, writing and speaking.  We tailor activities to help us find out about a place through the perspective of those who live, work or visit it.  Activities also help to learn about people’s ambitions for a place, and the problems that need to be solved to make it successful.  While people are engaged in an activity, there is often the opportunity to talk to them about the project and place in a relaxed and informal environment.

In the Aber Valley Outdoor Spaces project, we designed and ran a series of creative activities to help us learn more about how the local community perceives and connects with the landscape on their doorstep. A themed photo challenge and making postcards from ‘My Fantastic Aber Valley’ drew out a number of themes and ideas which informed the rest of the project.

Co-design and co-creation

Involving people in the design and/or creation of buildings and outdoor spaces helps give them a sense of belonging, value and ownership of the project.  We guide the process collaboratively, listening to people’s views and bringing their thoughts and ideas together to inform design decisions.  Rather than handing over the design process entirely, we engage creatively, listen to what people have to say, and gather together their thoughts and ideas, before ‘filtering’ them to inspire and inform design decisions.  The ‘filtering’ could include identifying common themes and rationalising ideas in the context of the opportunities and constraints presented.

Temporary installations

We think there is lots of potential for temporary interventions and meanwhile uses as part of placemaking plans, town centre regeneration and building reuse projects.  They offer a relatively low-cost, practical way to test ideas, gather feedback and demonstrate that action, not just planning, is taking place.  Interventions still need to be well-designed and thoughtfully considered, but they can be cheaper than permanent construction, meaning they can often be implemented right away, without waiting for large amounts of fundraising.

Our pop-up community orchard for our Gather project was a great way to engage local people in thinking about the future of their place. The temporary installation turned a forgotten patch of land in Aber Valley (south Wales) into a community garden and gathering space for a month. This allowed people to imagine how the space and other places in the valley could be transformed permanently in the future. It enabled us to test some ideas that emerged through the project, while gathering feedback from local people. Even the process of installing the orchard turned out to be a great way to engage, with people stopping to chat and find out what was going on.

Visual material - drawings and models

We understand the importance of having good, engaging visual materials to help people understand and imagine the possibilities of a project.  Good drawings and physical models are useful for gaining and maintaining support from stakeholders and local communities, and help strengthen funding or grant applications and investment in a project.  As well as conventional architectural drawings, such as plans, sections and elevations, we like to make collages or 3D perspective views which capture the sense of place and communicate what it would feel like in the space.  Our drawings for Railway Gardens, a green community space in Splott, Cardiff, were used at community engagement events and supported a successful planning application. They also helped secure funding from the National Lottery, the Co-operative Foundation and the Welsh Government to implement the proposals.