SummerPIT talk by Claus Bossen

Participatory Design (PD) is an approach to the development of IT that distinguishes itself from other kinds of user involvement and user centered design by having aims that go beyond developing good products and services. Better quality of (work) life, democratic development of technology, mutual learning and equality are amongst the aims mentioned when PD practitioners go beyond looking at tools and techniques for facilitating interaction between between lay-participants and IT designers. Despite this, few studies have been conducted of what participants in PD projects gain by their participation. The talk will present results and points of interest from two qualitative studies of PD projects conducted with colleauges at the department of Information Studies, Aarhus University