The Politics of Materiality: Exploring Participatory Design Methods, Tools & Practices
Awais Hameed Khan, Stephen Snow, Scott Heiner, Robert Hardgrove, Sarah H. Matthews, Ben Matthews
Abstract
As participatory design approaches (PD) become incorporated into mainstream organizational practice, it becomes increasingly important for designers to consider how can participatory design tools, methods and practices be made more accessible, understandable and engaging for a broader audience. This paper presents a descriptive analytical framework that explores the materiality of artefacts used in PD, through various studies of the interaction of material and relational considerations and the implications of these interactions on design outcomes. We develop this framework by drawing lessons from (1) existing frameworks on materiality and PD tools; and (2) a series of empirical studies exploring materiality through a suite of artefacts, across different contexts and studies. We highlight the utility of this framework as a tool to reduce barriers for participation in design activities and increase participant engagement.