Course 2024 PhD Seminar on Participatory Design: Contemporary issues and concerns

This course provides an introduction to contemporary Participatory Design as a particular field of interdisciplinary research and practice. Participatory Design grew out of a concern for democracy and empowerment of users in the development and implementation of digital technology in the workplace. Today, the political values and ambitions of mutual learning through engagement and democratic innovation tunnels the field into diverse settings and challenges of society and the planet.

In the course, participants will be introduced to contemporary issues and concerns regarding user participation in the development of new digital technologies, as well as the diversification of Participatory Design to new domains and non-Western regions. During three days (and 6 modules) the participants will be introduced to diverse presentations by senior and younger researchers engaged in developing the field, including: the values and politics of participation; scaling of Participatory Design; evaluation of  Participatory Design projects and initiatives; decolonisation and co-design with marginalised communities, and design anthropological engagements with sustainable digital futures.

The interdisciplinary course is relevant for early as well as late stage PhDs from different backgrounds and fields. We will target a diverse group of PhD students working in different global contexts and geographical regions with participatory approaches and concerns. The course will be a combination of pre-course assignments, lectures, group work and participant presentations. Lecturers for this first edition of the PhD course include: Professor Heike Winschiers-Theophilus (Namibia University of Science and Technology), Assistant Professor Reem Talhouk (Newcastle University), Professor Susanne Bødker? (Aarhus University), Associate Professor Rachel Charlotte Smith (Aarhus University) and Professor Claus Bossen (Aarhus University).

Participants will be introduced to and debate contemporary issues regarding user participation in the development of new technologies, especially IT, as well as the diversification of Participatory Design to new domains and non-Western regions.

To register for participation in the course, please submit the following: 1-page motivation, research question and focus, and how it relates to or engages Participatory Design. 1 page CV and publication list.

Literature (Subject to changes)

Bossen, C, Talhouk, R, Vines, J. (2024) “Chapter 2: Scaling of Participatory Design”, In “Routledge International Handbook in Contemporary Participatory Design” (forthcoming)

Clarke, R., Talhouk, R., Beshtawi, A., Barham, K., Boyle, O., Griffiths, M., & Baillie Smith, M. (2022). Decolonising in, by and through participatory design with political activists in Palestine. In Proceedings of the Participatory Design Conference 2022-Volume 1 (pp. 36-49).

Kensing, F., & Greenbaum, J. (2012). Heritage: Having a say. In Routledge international handbook of participatory design (pp. 21-36). Routledge.

Bødker, S., Dindler, C., Iversen, O. S., & Smith, R. C. (2022). What Is Participatory Design?. In Participatory Design (pp. 5-13). Cham: Springer International Publishing.

Frauenberger, C., Smith, R. C., Loi, D., Forlano, L., Iversen, O. S. “Chapter 6: Emerging Technologies and Alternative Futures, In “Routledge International Handbook in Contemporary Participatory Design” (forthcoming).

Smith, R. C., Loi, D., Winschiers-Theophilus, H., Huybrechts, L. & Simonsen, J. (eds. 2024), Routledge International Handbook in Contemporary Participatory Design, London: Routledge (forthcoming).

Smith, R. C., & Iversen, O. S. (2018). Participatory design for sustainable social change. Design Studies, 59, 9-36.

Winschiers-Theophilus, H., Smith, R., van Amstel, F., & Botero, A. (2024), (Chapter 5), Decolonising Participatory Design. In “Routledge International Handbook in Contemporary Participatory Design” (forthcoming).

Winschiers-Theophilus, H., Chivuno-Kuria, S., Kapuire, G. K., Bidwell, N. J., & Blake, E. (2010, November). Being participated: a community approach. In Proceedings of the 11th Biennial Participatory Design Conference (pp. 1-10).

Course leaders

Rachel C. Schmith & Claus Bossen

Lecturers

Professor Heike Winschiers-Theophilus (Namibia University of Science and Technology)

Assistant Professor Reem Talhouk (Newcastle University)

Professor Susanne Bødker (Aarhus University)

Associate Professor Rachel Charlotte Smith (Aarhus University): rsmith@cc.au.dk

Professor Claus Bossen (Aarhus University): clausbossen@cc.au.dk

Venue

TBA

Course dates:

• 10 June 2024 09:00 - 16:00
• 11 June 2024 09:00 - 16:00
• 12 June 2024 09:00 - 16:00