Accelerated Design Events

Accelerated Design

An evidence-based approach to change based on a simple premise; people believe in what they design and own what they co-create

What is accelerated design?

At the heart of the approach are Accelerated Design Events (ADEs). These are events that bring together a group of between 30 and 300 people to work through challenges and issues quickly and develop action. They typically last between one and three days. Every ADE is unique; it is created to achieve specific outcomes, using a variety of techniques and methods (including environment, facilitation processes, technology, knowledge and collaborative work techniques) that have been shown to create the conditions for large scale change.

The philosophy is about working collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams, across organisations and learning from each other to tackle challenging problems. It is about developing implementation approaches “with” and not “done to”, in the spirit of working to ‘do with’ not to ‘do to’ patients and communities, focused upon prevention, self-care and empowering citizens themselves.

There is a significant amount of pre-work design to enable significant outcomes to be achieved. In Accelerated Design, a variety of rapid and highly interactive methods are used to test propositions, problem solve, agree priorities and gain participants investment for future actions.

The pre-work for an ADE is led by a local design team made up of a cross section of people who will contribute to the event. Increasingly, the Horizons team organises design team meetings for ADEs on a virtual basis that makes it easier for busy people to contribute from wherever they are on the day of the meeting.

Benefits of an accelerated design approach

Evaluation evidence shows that the Accelerated Design approach often makes more effective use of all the assets of the local system; people, relationships, partnerships and local knowledge than other approaches to change. It leads to better solutions to complex challenges, creates energy and momentum for change and increases the likelihood of change being delivered.   ​

Accelerated Design enables teams to do a significant amount of work in a short timescale; they can achieve in a day what might take three months using conventional approaches. In addition, Accelerated Design can:​

  • Build the capacity and skills of leaders to deliver ambitious plans​
  • Help leaders to role-model the values and behaviours of systems leadership ​
  • Tackle and address long-standing issues and problems​
  • Support the implementation of early wins that create momentum and belief​
  • Enable a shift in gear from planning to leading change. 

For further information about accelerated design events please get in touch.