Can communities redesign development? Inside the Aga Khan Foundation’s new toolkit for shifting power

Many people living on the margins have long known what it means to do more with less.

And if necessity is the mother of invention – then understanding this has been key to the development of the Aga Khan Foundation’s (AKF) new toolkit, the Accelerate Impact Guide to Human-Centred Design for Social Innovation.

“People will say ‘oh but you’re the expert, you know these things’,” reflects Munir Ahmad, AKF’s Global Lead for Innovation and Design. “But over time it became clear that you are not the expert, people are the experts – they are the ones who know best the challenges they’re facing and the best solutions to these challenges.”

Human-centred design: meeting people where they’re at

Recognising this, and compelled by questions around how to scope and scale human-centred design – a recognised approach grounded in a deep understanding of human needs and behaviours, and driven by participatory, collaborative, and iterative processes – the Accelerate Impact team at AKF embarked on a five-year journey. Their goal was to develop a toolkit that is accessible, actionable, locally relevant and easily customisable.

“We looked at all existing toolkits, and found that they were too corporate, rigid or generic,” says Ahmad. “We needed something that reflected the complexity of [development] work – and that could meet people where they are, not where the textbook says they should be.”

“We need to equip people with the tools and resources to be able to put human-centred design into practice,” agrees Katie Krummeck, the toolkit’s lead designer and innovation advisor. “What was already out there was not quite right for folks working in development – so we created our own.”

The result is a guide that goes beyond traditional human-centred design methodologies by addressing key critiques and establishing a process that is both rigorous and adaptable. In doing so, it empowers local communities to collaborate with development professionals in leading their own innovation processes – shifting the traditional power dynamic in development work and placing lived experience at the centre of innovation.

The toolkit aims to strike a careful balance between structure and flexibility. It offers clear, accessible guidance for those new to human-centred design, and is also adaptable for seasoned practitioners navigating complex contexts.

Rather than oversimplify, it actively engages with the intricacies of entrenched social issues, supporting solutions that are both context-specific and impactful.

Co-creating solutions based on community insights

Ethical co-design is a central principle of the toolkit. This ensures communities are active participants in shaping interventions that affect their lives.

“It’s about designing together – based on community insights, not our assumptions,” says Ahmad. “It’s designing with communities and not for them.” The toolkit has been extensively tested in Central and South Asia, and has undergone multiple iterations based on real-world feedback. It has since been used to co-create effective solutions that reflect the realities of the communities AKF and partners serve.

Having hosted workshops and training sessions on implementing human-centred design, the team found that many communities and practitioners still had questions and doubts after completing training. This is where the toolkit has proven most effective as it provides ongoing, context-specific guidance that users can rely on after formal training ends.

While it is too early for any quantitative outcomes, the guide’s impact is already being noticed.

“Farmers, who were both co-designers and beneficiaries of an HCD-led [human-centred design] solution in Rasht Valley, Tajikistan, ended up co-financing 50% of the implementation costs, demonstrating the confidence and commitment that emerged from their year-long engagement in the HCD process,” notes Gulru Azatshoeva, Senior Programme Officer, Gender and HCD at AKF Tajikistan.

“Learning human-centred design is exciting, but applying it is not easy. Yet with this toolkit, we no longer needed someone to guide us step-by-step. It helped us to choose the most appropriate tools and approaches for each context – and gave me the confidence to implement successfully.”

A practical, tested tool for rethinking how development is done

Now freely available via AKF’s Learning Hub, the toolkit invites practitioners, partners and communities to rethink how development is done – moving beyond prescriptive models toward approaches that are co-created and community-led.

As aid budgets shrink and challenges grow more complex, the future of development depends on doing more with less – and on centring community participation. The Accelerate Impact Guide to Human-Centred Design for Social Innovation offers a practical, tested tool for organisations ready to trust local knowledge and lived experience, and design alongside the people they serve. Rooted in the belief that those closest to the problem are closest to the solution, it empowers teams to cost-effectively shift power, strengthen partnerships and deliver lasting impact.