Session 7 – Participatory Design Approach
Numerous design concepts can be adopted by companies in an organisational context. The Participatory strategy allows for the business and all the technical representatives to work together in order to develop the ideal solution. Blomberg and Kensing (1998) state that “The politics of design, the nature of participation and methods, tools and techniques for carrying out design projects” are issues that have to be scrutinised.
The participants or ‘technical representatives’ must be identified in the case of Company U and Q where a training event is being developed. The users would involve all those required to work on the new system for which the training is being held. They would range from the Administrative staff, to the Directors and also include Trainers of the system. Gaffney (1999) describes that companies “generally agree that users should be consulted at market research and testing phases” but “design is the domain of the developers”. It is important to understand that users are the experts in the work flow of the system that would be developed and it is crucial to involve them to present a “reality check in the design process”. The use of meetings, observation and constant appraisal with the users will ensure that the organisation has a forum that provides continuous feedback allowing for any issues to be identified immediately.
Other important participants would include Managers or Directors who would not directly interact with the system, but their familiarity with the project is crucial. Through numerous meetings, this participant is aware of the progression of the project and constantly feels involved. The ultimate decision to progress with the project will be with this participant underlining the importance of their involvement.
The Analysts and Designers are critical participants who through the adoption of this strategy can translate the user requirements into a plan that can be understood by the developers. Through the use of brainstorming, scenario and paper prototyping alongside the user, detailed analysis of the problems of the current system can be observed and a solution communicated that is appropriate by both the user and the developer requirements.
Developers and Implementers are another technical representative required. This method will provide an opportunity for them to meet, work with and understand their users. Gaffney (1999) identifies that “developers often have no real knowledge of user interface design” and through the use of paper prototyping, the developer and user can visually detail the requirements of the system.
Finally, Facilitators and Trainers would be the final most necessary participants. Trainers must be involved in the development to have a clear understanding of the user requirements and to understand the exact workflow that the product achieves. After the deployment of the product to the users, classroom sessions, one-on-one training methods and even video conferencing tools can be used to train users.
Gaffney (1999) identifies that while this approach may develop feelings of loss of control by technical personnel, adopting this ‘low-tech’ technique “prevents one individual or group from controlling the design activity, and gives equal voice to all participants.”
1 comment:
Excellent reflections on Participatory design! I am impressed with the level of analysis. You identified both the benefits as well as some of the limitations of this approach.
Excellent use of references as well. One thing to note: when you copy directly from a source then you need to provide the page number as well e.g. (Smith, 2008, p.7). Also you need to add the list of references at the end of your written work for those who want to follow this topic and explore further.
Great job!
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