The ‘making’ of participatory and co-design for digital experiences in cultural heritage: a review
Vasiliki Nikolakopoulou, Panayiotis Koutsabasis
Abstract
Participatory Design (PD) and co-design have seen growing adoption in digital cultural heritage (CH) projects, yet there is limited orderly understanding of how these approaches are implemented across diverse contexts. This paper presents a systematic review of forty publications (2014–2024) focusing on the ‘making’ phase , and the PD organisation framework. We examine participant compositions, methods, tools, techniques, and digital outputs, mapping trends across museum environments, intangible cultural practices, archival documentation, and immersive technologies (AR/VR). Our analysis reveals a recurring tension between advanced technological solutions and the need for authentic, community-driven design, highlighting a need to ensure culturally grounded CH experiences. We also find that co-design, in which participants shape concepts throughout the design process with co-creative tools, remains uncommon, with many projects following more generic PD approaches that predominantly involve users during earlier or later evaluation stages. Nevertheless, the review showcases a growing inclusivity in heritage initiatives, addressing immigrant groups and accessibility concerns. A key contribution is an extended taxonomy encompassing participant roles, heritage fields, and digital experience types, offering a structured lens for practitioners and researchers to consider for future co-creative CH projects.