Summary
Have you ever been a part of a participatory process or use of a participatory method only to find that it fell short of any real shift of power dynamics? Have you ever compared notes with another participatory designer only to find out their definition of participatory design is different than your own? Have you faced opposition from your organization in practicing design in a more participatory way? What does it even mean to practice participatory design in the civic space, for people in our society to be engaged in the practice of designing ways in which our societies can flourish? Join us, come into the conversation, and see what Victor Udoewa has to say about such experiences, the different definitions of participatory design and how participatory design can actually be used to reinforce hierarchies. One way he has found to dismantle that system is to practice radical participatory design. He will share what that means, how it looks, and how you can begin moving in that direction along with a direct challenge to our community of designers in regards to our own power.
Key Insights
-
•
Participatory design is ancient and inseparable from community history, not just a 20th-century invention.
-
•
Traditional design-as-facilitation reinforces power hierarchies as facilitators control decision-making and participant inclusion.
-
•
Radical participatory design requires community members to be full and majority team members, owning outcomes and narratives.
-
•
Facilitation is a form of power; transferring facilitation roles to community members is essential but challenging.
-
•
True empathy in design involves intellectual, emotional, and compassionate components, which are rarely fully achieved.
-
•
Radical participatory design naturally supports trauma-responsive and asset-based design methodologies.
-
•
Equity in remuneration must reflect the opportunity cost of community members, often warranting paying them more than professional designers.
-
•
Evaluating radical participatory design focuses on sustained power shifts among the majority of team members, not just design outcomes.
-
•
Community-led design leverages existing trust and relationships, making recruitment and logistics more effective.
-
•
Futures design sometimes masks political or economic constraints, requiring iterative approaches to realize participatory visions.
Notable Quotes
"Land acknowledgments don’t actually change the allocation of power or resources."
"When we empower others, we reinforce the hierarchy we seek to subvert."
"Facilitation is powered; decisions made between workshops happen without community presence."
"The model of designer as community member means designer skills are equal alongside community skills."
"Community members must outnumber professional designers and own the outcomes."
"Empathy is an impossibility because of the inherent power dynamics between designer and participant."
"Radical participatory design helps avoid retraumatization because community members know the lived experience."
"We should pay community members more because they give up precious time that professionals do not."
"Have a majority of design team members experienced a sustained and sustainable shift in power?"
"Let the community lead; they help figure out goals, outreach, and logistics from the very first step."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Many designers feel overwhelmed by hundreds of expected skills, which creates paralysis about where to focus."
Shaping design, designers and teams
November 8, 2018
"In a false start, design is perpetually fixing what development has done and is reactive, not proactive."
Sabrina Mach Nina WainwrightHow to Design Your Design Operating Model
September 29, 2021
"As we age, we all face some cognitive or physical challenges. Accessibility helps our future selves."
Samuel ProulxInvisible barriers: Why accessible service design can’t be an afterthought
December 3, 2024
"You can’t just throw another tool at accessibility problems; training and culture are just as important."
Saara Kamppari-MillerDesignOps for Inclusive Design and Accessibility (Videoconference)
May 26, 2022
"We had no recipe, no formula, just vibes, and some mystery box of ingredients."
Briana ThomasThe Quiet Force: Uncovering Hidden Leadership in High-Impact Design Teams
September 24, 2024
"A 101 conversation over coffee yields better insights than written reviews in 360 assessments."
Adam Cutler Karen Pascoe Ian Swinson Susan WorthmanDiscussion
June 8, 2016
"We wanted to move fast in the right direction, not just going anywhere for the sake of going there."
Operationalizing DesignOps
November 7, 2018
"If you are spinning and can’t get your team aligned, the issue is you have not talked to real customers recently."
Leah Buley Joe NatoliAsk Me Anything with Leah Buley and Joe Natoli, co-authors of The User Experience Team of One (2nd edition)
October 8, 2024
"The most important value delivered to customers is always the qualitative value—the emotional and experiential impact."
Nathan ShedroffDouble Your Mileage: Use Your Research Strategically
March 31, 2020