Residents of the city are being encouraged to take part in a series of "design thinking" workshops - defined as a process for creative problem solving - and give their views on the way they want Ballarat to look in the future.

Taking place over the next month, the sessions are aimed to allow people to contribute to a vision of the city much broader than just tourism, according to the City of Ballarat mayor Samantha McIntosh.

"We want everyone to be involved," she said. "This is very much a long-term strategy. We will be targeting different parts of the community. We want everyone to benefit."

The 10 workshops sessions are being run by Paul Blake and Lisa Marie Dema from local company Splendid Studio.

Mr Blake said he wanted to help the local community generate ideas for the Ballarat is Open strategy.

"Design thinking works in all areas and in all industries and all scenarios. It works because people who don't necessarily think of themselves as creative have the space to generate and contribute ideas and strategies.

He said a number of exercises would help to come up with a number of potential solutions.

"I don't have a view on how Ballarat needs to be marketed. My job is to facilitate the sessions. We are independent arbiters to unlock other people's views."

"Our brief is to go very broad and very deep in terms of exploring of what a future Ballarat could look like, in terms of business, in terms of tourism, in terms of city pride."

He said the workshops would be split into two sections, one to get a sense of how people feel about Ballarat at the moment and one to develop concepts for improving it in the future.

"We're citizens of Ballarat and we are super excited to be part of the project," he said.

Council officers say the feedback and ideas generated at the forums will help shape a 'Ballarat Prosperity Framework', which they hope will be considered by councillors in the early months of next year.

Cr McIntosh said council would continue with the delivery of tourism services as part of a much broader approach.

Asked what the title 'Ballarat is Open' meant, she replied: "It means what it says. It is about being inclusive and being very visionary. It's about involving the whole community. "

Cr McIntosh also confirmed to The Courier that tourism visitor targets will form part of the framework document put together by council.

Have you signed up to The Courier's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in Ballarat.