Background: Co-design holds the potential to facilitate authentic and equitable collaboration between stakeholders and can be regarded as both a philosophy and a method that aligns with the values of person-centred care, which stresses equality and partnership. However, reflection on the role of the researchers and power relationships is necessary to ensure genuine and equal stakeholder participation in the design process. Currently, we lack creative solutions on how to include such reflections in the design process. As researchers leading a co-design project, we interrogated our interactions with stakeholders in consecutive reflective interviews and dialogues that accompanied a series of co-design workshops in interviews and dialogues. This study aimed to provide insight into how co-design workshops can be best facilitated to ensure a well-balanced, equal and collaborative group dynamic. Design: a qualitative descriptive study. Sample and setting: two researchers (nursing and human interaction) leading a co-design project. The project aims to develop person-centred tools that facilitate person-centred communication and enable people living with chronic pain to manage their lives better. It includes stakeholders such as healthcare professionals and patients. Data collection and analysis: A thematic analysis of ten consecutive individual semi-structured interviews and five dialogues recorded between September 2023 and January 2024, 24 hours after workshops with stakeholders. Results: Preliminary results show that co-design workshops require careful management to achieve a balance and dynamic that honours the participants’ illness and life narratives yet enables tapping into the creative energies necessary for co-design and creating new, empowering narratives. For the researchers, it can be a challenge to navigate this process. Including patient representatives as moderators and a flexible project design play an important role in managing group dynamics. Conclusion: Reflection is essential for researchers to become aware of power relationships and equality to ensure person-centred, balanced, productive group dynamics in co-design.