Step 7 | Reflect
At the end of your project, you should revisit the assumptions you made in Phase 2 and reflect on where you were right, where you were wrong, what methods were successful, and what you might do differently next time. Like Design Thinking, Participatory Design Thinking is an iterative process that doesn’t stop at the completion of a project. Your process should never be set in stone, but should always be[...]
Step 6 | Participatory Design Thinking
The Participatory Design Thinking model is a hybridization of Participatory Design methods with the Design Thinking workflow. The traditional Design Thinking model (Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test) is an iterative process of problem-framing, ideation, and prototyping. It is a highly effective model for producing collaborative ideas—though, at times, it can lack opportunities for designers and stakeholders to collaborate. The Participatory Design Thinking workflow attempts to address this separation by including[...]
Step 5 | Assumption Personas
In this step, you will create a few Assumption Personas. Think of these as brief dossiers representing imaginary stakeholders. Look over the list of assumptions of cultural values you made in Step 4. Next, take one of your assumptions from each of these dimensions and group them together into a persona. Go ahead and give this persona a proper name. You might even add an avatar to help you imagine[...]
Step 4 | Check Your Biases
Use Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Theory to make estimations about cultural values. Hofstede’s theory groups several patterns found across cultures into six categories (or dimensions): Power Distance:the extent to which members of institutions and organizations expect and accept that power is distributed unequally Social Dependence:the extent to which members of a society are dependent upon others and are obligated to maintain social connections Gender Roles:the differences in emotional meanings and societal[...]
Step 3 | Identify the Stakeholders
Identify the stakeholders affected by the project. This is not limited to “end users,” but might also include: Customers Manufacturing workers Transportation specialists Waste Disposal workers Community leaders Regulatory boards Trade Unions Suppliers Investors Creditors Etc. Knowing who is affected by problems will help you pinpoint who to work with to find possible solutions.
Step 2 | Identify the Constraints
Design constraints are limitations imposed on possible design solutions. These include limitations that are out of your control (such as those imposed by stakeholders, the development organization, or by external regulations) as well as ones that are self-imposed as a way to improve design. For example: What are the time and resource limitations? Are you working within local or state government restrictions? Are there certain must haves that your project[...]
Step 1 | Identify the Problem
Loosely define the problem you are trying to address. This will give your project direction, but it is important not to be overly rigid. The more you discover, the more your problem definition is likely to shift. Begin by identifying “pain points” that need to be addressed. A pain point is a specific problem that a prospective stakeholder is experiencing. These can be as diverse and varied as stakeholders themselves, and[...]