From Children’s Drawings to Textile Designs: Developing a Co-Design Model for Creative Arts and Design Education in Ghana

This study developed a co-design model for integrating children’s drawings into textile design and production within Ghana’s Creative Arts and Design (CAD) curriculum. Using a qualitative research design informed by Design-Based Research, the study involved 24 teachers and 120 visual artworks produced by pre-school and primary school learners from the northern, central, and southern zones of Ghana. Through co-design sessions, learners engaged in establishing narratives, contextual reflection, ideation, and low-tech prototyping to transform their artworks into textile designs and products. The findings informed the development of a context-specific model comprising three iterative phases and six textile design stages: motif, trace, transfer, arrange, colour, and texture. The model provided opportunities for learners to develop creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, decision-making, and practical design skills while expressing their cultural identities and everyday experiences. The study concluded that integrating co-design into the CAD curriculum can promote child-centred, culturally responsive, and inclusive learning while positioning children as active design partners. The study recommended incorporating the model into pre-school and primary school teaching practices to strengthen creative learning and practical textile design education in Ghana.