research-article

Reflexive engagement: enacting reflexivity in design and for 'participation in plural'

Authors:

Helena KarastiAuthors Info & Claims

PDC '16: Proceedings of the 14th Participatory Design Conference: Full papers - Volume 1

Pages 21 - 30

https://doi.org/10.1145/2940299.2940302

Published: 15 August 2016 Publication History

Abstract

This paper joins the discussion on participation in Participatory Design (PD) by proposing reflexivity as an orientation for engaging in design and for the plurality of participation. Based on our study in which a social media-supported collaboration model was designed with professionals working against workplace harassment, the paper recounts how the designer--researcher's reflexive orientation allowed participation to be uncovered as manifold and dynamic and how this affected the design process. We discuss the critical sensitivity and attentiveness enacted in design practice as reflexive engagement that encouraged negotiations of roles, goals, and technology. Regarding participation, we discuss reflexive engagement with multiple relationships, participatory assemblies and their intersections and overlaps---participation in plural---in our study. We conclude by proposing the conceptualization of reflexive engagement as an orientation for PD designers to engage in the particularities of situated design practices, while holding to the ethical (political), practical and creative commitments of PD.

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Index Terms

Reflexive engagement: enacting reflexivity in design and for 'participation in plural'
1. Human-centered computing
  1. Interaction design
    1. Interaction design process and methods
      1. Participatory design

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cover image ACM Other conferences

PDC '16: Proceedings of the 14th Participatory Design Conference: Full papers - Volume 1

August 2016

192 pages

ISBN:9781450340465

DOI:10.1145/2940299

Editors:
Claus Bossen
Aarhus Universitet, Denmark
,
Rachel Charlotte Smith
Aarhus Universitet, Denmark
,
Anne Marie Kanstrup
E-learning lab, Department of Communication and Psychology, The Faculty of Humanities, Aalborg University
,
Janet McDonnell
University of the Arts London, UK
,
Maurizio Teli
Madeira Interactive Technologies Institute, Funchal, Portugal
,
Keld Bødker
Roskilde Universitetscenter, Denmark

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Published: 15 August 2016

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Aarhus University

PDC '16: The 14th Participatory Design Conference

August 15 - 19, 2016

Aarhus, Denmark

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https://doi.org/10.1145/3689042
Venn-Wycherley MKharrufa ALechelt SNicholson RHowland KAlmjally ATrory ASarangapani V(2024)The Realities of Evaluating Educational Technology in School SettingsACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction10.1145/363514631:2(1-33)Online publication date: 5-Feb-2024
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https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3613904.3641954
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