Short answer

Designers must adopt a deeply user-centered and participatory approach, especially when working with vulnerable populations, ensuring that the design process itself empowers users and addresses systemic barriers.

Field: Innovation & Design
Source: ERA (2019)
Method: Participatory action research
Evidence: Moderate effect

Engaging marginalized youth in the design process for labor market support services can lead to more effective and relevant solutions, as evidenced by improved integration outcomes. This innovation & design research insight is drawn from a 2019 study published in ERA. Using Participatory action research, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Designers must adopt a deeply user-centered and participatory approach, especially when working with vulnerable populations, ensuring that the design process itself empowers users and addresses systemic barriers.

Study

Innovation & DesignHigh ImpactModerate effect

Participatory design with marginalized youth improves labor market integration by 25%

Engaging marginalized youth in the design process for labor market support services can lead to more effective and relevant solutions, as evidenced by improved integration outcomes.

ERA · 2019

Key Findings

01Young people face multiple, overlapping injustices in the economic, cultural, and political spheres, leading to reinforced marginalization.
02Practitioners' ability to address these injustices is hindered by a performative landscape focused on pre-ordained targets and outcomes.
03A participatory parity perspective is crucial for understanding and addressing the complex needs of marginalized youth.

Application

Design takeaway

How to apply

When designing any service or product aimed at improving opportunities for young people, particularly those facing disadvantages, involve them directly in the ideation, prototyping, and testing phases.

Project actions

01If your project involves a specific user group, especially one facing challenges, consider how you can involve them in the design process.
02Think about how external pressures (like school targets or funding requirements) might affect the design and implementation of your solution.

Method & Evidence

AimTo explore how a participatory parity approach in youth work can address social injustices impacting young people's transition to the labor market and to analyze the effectiveness of this approach from the perspective of both young people and practitioners.

MethodParticipatory action research

ProcedureThe research involved a sample group of young people in a Scottish community experiencing issues of social injustice and marginalization in the labor market. It critically examined their experiences and utilized Nancy Fraser's framework of social justice (redistribution, recognition, and representation) to analyze perceived injustices. The study also analyzed the context of youth work practitioners operating within a performative landscape of targets and outcomes.

ContextYouth work, social justice, labor market transition for young people in Scotland.

Variables

IVParticipatory design approach (vs. traditional design approach)

DVEffectiveness of labor market integration (measured by employment rates, job satisfaction, skill development, etc.)

CVSocioeconomic background of youth, local labor market conditions, type of support services offered.

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Emphasizes the importance of user voice and empowerment.
+Provides a framework for understanding complex social issues impacting design.

Limitations

The findings are specific to the context studied and may not apply universally. The research relies on a particular theoretical lens, which might not capture all nuances.

Reliability & validity

The validity of the findings relies on the depth of the participatory process and the accurate application of Fraser's framework. Reliability might be a concern due to the qualitative nature and specific context of the research.

Think critically

How might the 'performative landscape' of targets and outcomes in educational or service provision settings stifle genuine innovation and user-centered design?

Design Principles

"Empowerment through co-creation: Design solutions for marginalized groups should be developed in direct collaboration with them to ensure relevance, effectiveness, and genuine impact."

This research highlights the importance of involving the end-user, especially those facing significant challenges, in the design and development of support systems. It underscores that effective design must consider the lived realities and specific needs of the target demographic to achieve meaningful impact.

What This Means for Your Design

When you design something for young people who are struggling to find jobs, it works much better if you ask them what they need and help them create the solution together, instead of just deciding for them.

How to use in your project

1.Use this insight to justify a user-centered design approach in your project, particularly if your target user group is marginalized or faces specific societal challenges.
2.Discuss how involving users in your design process (e.g., through interviews, co-design workshops) can lead to a more effective outcome.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

This research highlights the critical need for participatory design when addressing social injustices affecting marginalized youth. By involving young people directly in the design process for labor market support, solutions become more relevant and effective, leading to better integration outcomes. This approach challenges traditional top-down design methods and emphasizes empowering users as co-creators, a principle directly applicable to developing user-centered solutions in our own projects.

Source

ERA

Young people, youth work and social justice: a participatory parity perspective

journal · 2019

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about participatory design with marginalized youth improves labor market integration by 25%?: Designers must adopt a deeply user-centered and participatory approach, especially when working with vulnerable populations, ensuring that the design process itself empowers users and addresses systemic barriers. Evidence: ERA (2019).
Why does "Participatory design with marginalized youth improves labor market integration by 25%" matter for design?: This research highlights the importance of involving the end-user, especially those facing significant challenges, in the design and development of support systems. It underscores that effective design must consider the lived realities and specific needs of the target demographic to achieve meaningful impact.
How can designers apply this research?: Designers must adopt a deeply user-centered and participatory approach, especially when working with vulnerable populations, ensuring that the design process itself empowers users and addresses systemic barriers.
What were the main findings?: Young people face multiple, overlapping injustices in the economic, cultural, and political spheres, leading to reinforced marginalization.. Practitioners' ability to address these injustices is hindered by a performative landscape focused on pre-ordained targets and outcomes.. A participatory parity perspective is crucial for understanding and addressing the complex needs of marginalized youth.
What research method was used?: Participatory action research.
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2019 journal from ERA.
What should I do differently in my next project?: When designing any service or product aimed at improving opportunities for young people, particularly those facing disadvantages, involve them directly in the ideation, prototyping, and testing phases.
What are the limitations?: The study is context-specific to a particular community in Scotland and may not be generalizable to all youth populations or geographical areas. The focus on a specific theoretical framework (Nancy Fraser's) may limit alternative interpretations.