“We have a large group of people who are excluded from society because they don’t dare to try. In the long run, this leads to mental ill health.”
– Per Calais, Cognition Team, Karlstad Municipality

Background

People with cognitive challenges risk being excluded from society’s range of activities, culture, support, and services. Not because they lack the will — but because information is often difficult to access, unclear, or hard to navigate.

Karlstad Municipality identified the problem early on, through close collaboration with the target group and the cognition team within the health and social care administration. Design work began as early as 2018, but the pandemic put the process on hold. In 2023, the work resumed — with new energy, broader support, and a clear ambition: to create a tailored digital guidance service, developed in close collaboration with the users themselves.

Challenge

How can a municipality make it easier for people with cognitive difficulties to take part in what society offers — in an independent, reassuring, and accessible way?

The need encompassed both access to information and practical guidance — for example, how to get to a place, what to expect at an event, or what support is available. At the same time, the solution needed to be scalable and usable by other groups with similar needs.

The process

1. Mobilisation and needs formulation
The process started with workshops and large-scale meetings in early 2023, involving several administrations (e.g. health and social care, culture and leisure, social services, upper secondary and adult education). The cognition team provided expertise, and user representatives were involved from the outset.

2. Market dialogue through RFI
An RFI was published in May 2023, complemented by videos describing the challenge from the user’s perspective. The RFI was cross-linked with a webpage and widely disseminated, followed by an innovation forum on 26 May where suppliers could present their ideas.

3. Demand Acceleration procurement in three phases
Following the market dialogue, the municipality proceeded to procure development work using the Demand Acceleration model.

4. Implementation and further development
The Demand Acceleration process resulted in a long-term development partnership with WeKnowIt AB, who developed the Open City service in close collaboration with user representatives, the cognition team, innovation managers, and communications staff. The users’ perspective was central in every phase.

The result: Open City

“Open City” is a digital service that makes it easier for people with cognitive difficulties to find, understand, and participate in activities and offerings in the city. The solution was developed together with the target group and designed to meet different needs for clarity, security, and support in everyday life. Features include:

Features include:

• Tailored, simplified information — written to be easy to understand
• Visual aids – such as symbols, icons, and images that reinforce the message
• Clear step-by-step directions – to support independent orientation
• How-to videos – short videos showing how to use the service or take part in different activities
• Adaptation for different levels of independence – from fully guided to more self-directed use

The service was launched in Karlstad in October 2024 and is used as part of the municipality’s digital support for residents with cognitive challenges. It is adaptable to other target groups with similar needs. The City of Trollhättan implemented the service in 2025.