A Structured Model for Designing and Evaluating Cross-Disciplinary Co-Creation Workshops

Cross-disciplinary co-creation workshops are increasingly used to address complex societal challenges; however, their design and evaluation often lack methodological rigour and transparency. This scientific work introduces a structured and transferable model for designing and evaluating cross-disciplinary co-creation workshops, grounded in a three-layer architecture: (i) preparatory and contextual elements, (ii) workshop design and execution, and (iii) evaluation and reflection. The model explicitly integrates logistical planning, participant selection, facilitation strategies, artefact generation, and systematic evaluation through a Goal–Method alignment framework, thereby strengthening the validity and reproducibility of workshop-based research. The model is demonstrated through a case study entitled 'A Co-creation Workshop on Circular Economy in the Irish Construction Sector'. The workshop brought together diverse stakeholders from academia, industry, and policy to collaboratively explore barriers, solutions, and digital toolkits supporting circular economy adoption. Multiple data sources, including artefacts, observations, and extensive recorded discussions, enabled triangulated analysis of both processes and outcomes. Findings highlight the importance of intentional participant selection, structured facilitation, and artefact-mediated interaction in transforming disciplinary diversity into productive collaboration. By positioning workshops as rigorous research instruments rather than informal engagement activities, this work contributes a practical yet theoretically grounded framework to support future cross-disciplinary co-creation initiatives.