Short answer
Designers must move from designing *for* users to designing *with* users, integrating their expertise and lived experiences throughout the entire design lifecycle.
- Field
- User-Centred Design
- Source
- Journal of Participatory Research Methods (2023)
- Method
- Rapid Scoping Review of Reviews
- Sample
- 28 studies
- Evidence
- Strong effect
Actively involving individuals with direct experience of a problem or phenomenon in the research and design process leads to more relevant and effective solutions. This user-centred design research insight is drawn from a 2023 study published in Journal of Participatory Research Methods. Using Rapid scoping review of reviews with 28 studies, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Designers must move from designing *for* users to designing *with* users, integrating their expertise and lived experiences throughout the entire design lifecycle.
Integrate Lived Experience for Robust Design Outcomes
Actively involving individuals with direct experience of a problem or phenomenon in the research and design process leads to more relevant and effective solutions.
Journal of Participatory Research Methods · 2023
Key Findings
- 01Recommendations for researchers engaging with participatory methods fall into three sub-themes: early-stage considerations for study design and planning, conducting the research, and dissemination and knowledge exchange.
- 02Key recommendations are provided for both individual researchers and academic institutions to support and implement participatory research practices.
Application
Design takeaway
Designers must move from designing *for* users to designing *with* users, integrating their expertise and lived experiences throughout the entire design lifecycle.
How to apply
When initiating a new design project, identify key stakeholders with lived experience and establish mechanisms for their meaningful involvement from the initial concept phase through to testing and refinement.
Project actions
- 01Clearly define who your 'participatory' stakeholders are and why their input is crucial.
- 02Plan how you will genuinely incorporate their feedback, not just collect it.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Synthesizes recommendations from multiple reviews, providing a broad overview of best practices.
- +Offers actionable insights for both researchers and institutions.
Limitations
It can be challenging to recruit and retain participants for ongoing involvement, and ensuring equitable representation can be difficult.
Reliability & validity
The reliability of the findings is enhanced by aggregating data from multiple reviews. Validity is supported by the broad scope of databases searched and the focus on published academic reviews.
Think critically
How can designers ensure that participatory research doesn't become tokenistic, and that the voices of all stakeholders are genuinely heard and acted upon?
Design Principles
"Co-creation and stakeholder involvement are essential for developing relevant and impactful design solutions."
This approach ensures that design solutions are grounded in real-world needs and contexts, moving beyond assumptions to address genuine user challenges. By co-creating with stakeholders, designers can uncover nuanced requirements and foster greater acceptance and impact of their final products or systems.
What This Means for Your Design
To make your designs really work for people, you need to involve them directly in the design process from the start.
How to use in your project
- 1.Reference this study when justifying the inclusion of user research methods that involve direct collaboration with target users or communities.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
This design project adopted a participatory approach, recognizing that integrating the lived experiences of end-users is crucial for developing effective and relevant solutions. As highlighted by Scher et al. (2023), actively involving stakeholders with direct experience of the problem domain leads to more robust design outcomes by ensuring solutions are grounded in real-world needs and contexts.
Source
Journal of Participatory Research Methods
Participatory Research Emergent Recommendations for Researchers and Academic Institutions: A Rapid Scoping Review
journal · 2023
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about integrate lived experience for robust design outcomes?
- Designers must move from designing *for* users to designing *with* users, integrating their expertise and lived experiences throughout the entire design lifecycle. Evidence: Journal of Participatory Research Methods (2023).
- Why does "Integrate Lived Experience for Robust Design Outcomes" matter for design?
- This approach ensures that design solutions are grounded in real-world needs and contexts, moving beyond assumptions to address genuine user challenges. By co-creating with stakeholders, designers can uncover nuanced requirements and foster greater acceptance and impact of their final products or systems.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Designers must move from designing *for* users to designing *with* users, integrating their expertise and lived experiences throughout the entire design lifecycle.
- What were the main findings?
- Recommendations for researchers engaging with participatory methods fall into three sub-themes: early-stage considerations for study design and planning, conducting the research, and dissemination and knowledge exchange.. Key recommendations are provided for both individual researchers and academic institutions to support and implement participatory research practices.
- What research method was used?
- Rapid Scoping Review of Reviews with 28 studies.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2023 journal from Journal of Participatory Research Methods.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When initiating a new design project, identify key stakeholders with lived experience and establish mechanisms for their meaningful involvement from the initial concept phase through to testing and refinement.
- What are the limitations?
- The review focused on existing reviews, which may not capture all primary research or emerging participatory practices. The 'rapid' nature of the review might also limit the comprehensiveness of the findings.