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
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Participatory design is ancient and inseparable from community history, not just a 20th-century invention.
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Traditional design-as-facilitation reinforces power hierarchies as facilitators control decision-making and participant inclusion.
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Radical participatory design requires community members to be full and majority team members, owning outcomes and narratives.
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Facilitation is a form of power; transferring facilitation roles to community members is essential but challenging.
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True empathy in design involves intellectual, emotional, and compassionate components, which are rarely fully achieved.
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Radical participatory design naturally supports trauma-responsive and asset-based design methodologies.
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Equity in remuneration must reflect the opportunity cost of community members, often warranting paying them more than professional designers.
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Evaluating radical participatory design focuses on sustained power shifts among the majority of team members, not just design outcomes.
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Community-led design leverages existing trust and relationships, making recruitment and logistics more effective.
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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."
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