4.5 Co-creation and community participation

Co-creation means involving consumers, users or communities in shaping products, services, narratives or circular practices. In circular fashion, this may include repair workshops, clothing care events, swap events, upcycling challenges, feedback on durability, participatory redesign, user-generated care tips, or community storytelling around garment life.

Co-creation can build trust because people feel part of the transition rather than simply being targeted by it. It can also generate practical insights. Users often know where products fail, what instructions are unclear, which services are inconvenient, or why take-back systems are not used.

For brands and designers, building a community around circular practices can create value beyond individual campaigns. It can strengthen customer loyalty, generate ongoing feedback, increase participation in services such as repair or resale, and help brands understand how products are actually used over time. A strong community can also become a source of advocacy, peer-to-peer learning and brand differentiation, particularly when participation is based on shared values and meaningful exchange rather than one-off promotion.

However, co-creation needs clear boundaries. Brands should avoid extracting unpaid creative labour from communities or using participation as a superficial engagement tactic. Participation should be purposeful, transparent, and, where appropriate, credited or compensated.

For SMEs, co-creation does not need to be complex. A small repair event, feedback session or local clothing swap can create valuable learning and stronger community relationships.

Co-creation is strongest when participation does not end with the activity itself, but is followed by clear communication about what happened, what was learned and what value was created.

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