Short answer
Actively design for inclusion within participatory processes by addressing potential barriers to shared space, common ground, and flexible project scope.
- Field
- User-Centred Design
- Source
- Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction (2023)
- Method
- Qualitative Interview Study
- Sample
- 10 participants
- Evidence
- Moderate effect
Despite its aims, participatory design can inadvertently create barriers to inclusion due to challenges in establishing shared spaces, developing common ground, and balancing funding with open-ended processes. This user-centred design research insight is drawn from a 2023 study published in Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction. Using Qualitative interview study with 10 participants, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Actively design for inclusion within participatory processes by addressing potential barriers to shared space, common ground, and flexible project scope.
Participatory Design Practices Can Exclude, Not Include, Users
Despite its aims, participatory design can inadvertently create barriers to inclusion due to challenges in establishing shared spaces, developing common ground, and balancing funding with open-ended processes.
Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction · 2023
Key Findings
- 01Difficulty in creating shared spaces that truly empower all participants.
- 02Challenges in establishing common understanding and goals among diverse stakeholders.
- 03Tension between securing funding and maintaining the open-ended nature of participatory design.
Application
Design takeaway
Actively design for inclusion within participatory processes by addressing potential barriers to shared space, common ground, and flexible project scope.
How to apply
When planning a participatory design project, dedicate specific time and resources to pre-design activities focused on building rapport, establishing shared language, and defining clear, yet flexible, project goals.
Project actions
- 01When using participatory methods, think about how to make sure everyone, especially quieter members, can contribute equally.
- 02Plan activities specifically to build understanding and agreement among your diverse user group.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Focuses on a critical, often overlooked, aspect of participatory design.
- +Grounded in the experiences of expert practitioners.
Limitations
The findings are based on expert practitioners' perspectives, which may not fully represent the experiences of all participants in participatory design.
Reliability & validity
The validity is strengthened by interviewing expert practitioners. Reliability might be limited due to the qualitative nature and small sample size, making direct replication difficult.
Think critically
How might the geographical and cultural context of the practitioners (Global North) influence the identified challenges and their proposed solutions?
Design Principles
"Inclusive participatory design requires proactive strategies to overcome inherent challenges in shared space creation, common ground development, and resource management."
Designers and researchers aiming for inclusive outcomes must critically examine their participatory design methodologies. Understanding these inherent challenges is crucial for developing more equitable and effective co-design processes that genuinely empower all stakeholders.
What This Means for Your Design
Even when trying to include everyone in design, it can be hard to make sure everyone feels equal and understood. This is because it's tricky to create spaces where everyone feels empowered, to get everyone on the same page, and to balance needing money with letting ideas flow freely.
How to use in your project
- 1.Use this research to justify the need for specific facilitation techniques or pre-design activities in your project to ensure inclusivity.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
This research by Elsayed-Ali, Bonsignore, and Chan (2023) highlights that participatory design, despite its aims, can inadvertently lead to exclusion. Challenges in creating empowering shared spaces, developing common ground, and balancing funding needs with open-ended processes were identified. This suggests that for my design project, it is crucial to implement specific strategies for facilitation and stakeholder engagement to ensure genuine inclusivity.
Source
Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction
Exploring Challenges to Inclusion in Participatory Design From the Perspectives of Global North Practitioners
journal · 2023
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about participatory design practices can exclude, not include, users?
- Actively design for inclusion within participatory processes by addressing potential barriers to shared space, common ground, and flexible project scope. Evidence: Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction (2023).
- Why does "Participatory Design Practices Can Exclude, Not Include, Users" matter for design?
- Designers and researchers aiming for inclusive outcomes must critically examine their participatory design methodologies. Understanding these inherent challenges is crucial for developing more equitable and effective co-design processes that genuinely empower all stakeholders.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Actively design for inclusion within participatory processes by addressing potential barriers to shared space, common ground, and flexible project scope.
- What were the main findings?
- Difficulty in creating shared spaces that truly empower all participants.. Challenges in establishing common understanding and goals among diverse stakeholders.. Tension between securing funding and maintaining the open-ended nature of participatory design.
- What research method was used?
- Qualitative Interview Study with 10 participants.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2023 journal from Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When planning a participatory design project, dedicate specific time and resources to pre-design activities focused on building rapport, establishing shared language, and defining clear, yet flexible, project goals.
- What are the limitations?
- The study focused on practitioners in the Global North, potentially limiting the generalizability of findings to other cultural contexts. The sample size was small.