As SingularLogic, coordinators of the ENHANCE project and leaders in the co-design of its One Health toolkit, we are proud to share that the project has achieved one of its first key milestones: the identification of the use cases that will guide the toolkit’s development.
This milestone was reached through a co-creation methodology, built on a phased, iterative approach that places stakeholders at the heart of digital tool development for coastal management.
Laying the Groundwork Through Iterative Stakeholder Co-Creation
Our co-creation process began with groundwork: together with our project partners and stakeholders we defined user personas, which represent the diverse groups affected by coastal ecosystem challenges. These personas were then used to generate user stories—concise scenarios that articulate real needs and goals. Through workshops and multiple feedback loops, we refined these stories into concrete user requirements, ensuring that every aspect of the platform reflects the realities of those who will use it.
This participatory design is reinforced by multiple rounds of workshops, where stakeholders validate and prioritize requirements, test early prototypes, and provide input on usability and accessibility. The iterative nature of the process means that each phase builds on the last: initial user flows and service descriptions are enhanced through stakeholder feedback, and demo versions of the toolkit are subjected to structured usability assessments.
This ensures that the final product is not only technically robust but also intuitive and accessible to a wide range of users, from municipal officers and aquaculture professionals to educators and citizen scientists.
Figure 2: Co-creation session of Case Study 2 (Pagasitikos Gulf, Volos, Greece)
From Insights to Action: Identifying Eight Use Cases
Thanks to this collaborative journey, we identified eight use cases representing key aspects of coastal management under the One Health framework. The first two use cases focus on visualization and monitoring: providing real-time water quality alerts and fostering citizen participation in environmental monitoring.
The next four address sustainable management and risk assessment, enabling stakeholders to visualize One Health indicators for urban beaches, support sustainable aquaculture, monitor protected areas, and generate dynamic coastal risk maps for policy regulation.
The final two use cases center on training and education, offering formal and non-formal learning tools that leverage real-world data and citizen science to build environmental literacy and support eco-tourism.
Building a Toolkit for the Future of Coastal Management
Together, these use cases illustrate the breadth and depth of the ENHANCE toolkit’s ambition. By weaving together stakeholder input, technical innovation, and a commitment to participatory design, the project is setting a new standard for digital solutions in coastal management.
The co-creation methodology ensures that every feature and function is shaped by those who will use it, resulting in a platform that is not only effective in addressing environmental and health challenges, but also inclusive, adaptable, and ready to evolve with the needs of its community.
Conclusion
Through an iterative, stakeholder-driven process, the ENHANCE project has built a solid foundation for its One Health digital toolkit. The eight identified use cases reflect real needs across monitoring, sustainable management, policy support, and education. By grounding every step in co-creation, ENHANCE is developing a toolkit that is practical, inclusive, and adaptable, and well-positioned to support the future of coastal management.
Author(s) Bio:
Antonia Vronti: R&D Project Manager, SingularLogic, bringing solid background in Social Sciences and experience managing a range of projects. She focuses on service co-design, organising and hosting workshops that bring stakeholders together for meaningful discussions on design, functionalities, and features. Her commitment to co-creation drives the development of user-centred solutions that meet stakeholder needs and deliver tangible outcomes.
Dr. Stamatia Rizou: R&D Manager, SingularLogic leading a multidisciplinary team in data technologies and AI applications. She holds an Electrical and Computer Engineering degree from NTUA and a PhD in distributed systems from the University of Stuttgart. With over 10 years of experience in EU-funded research, she has been a Marie-Curie fellow, co-supervised multiple PhD students, and currently coordinates and leads research in EU projects across various sectors. She has also served as an expert evaluator for the EU’s H2020 and Horizon Europe programmes.