War and Peace in Codesign

This paper argues that codesign should look into how codesign comes into being in practice, what I call design before design, and the pragmatic and political questions that arise in this context. Using the example of the work that goes into creating and sustaining interest in codesign among prospective participants the pragmatics and politics of codesign itself is questioned. It is argued that codesign is not necessarily in the interest of the people it is ostensibly ‘for’, and that codesign in its implementation of its particular ideals of participation and democracy is following a ‘logic of war’ where winning, losing or making a tactical retreat are the only possibilities. However, as code signers it is suggested that we exchange this logic with a more diplomatic and designerly approach to allow for both creativity and concession out of a concern for improving codesign.