Keywords: user-driven approach, user- centered design, experiencing, participatory design research methods, policy making, design research tools, co-creation, crowd sourcing, user generated content, context mapping, generative sessions.

1. Involving Citizens in Policy Making with Participatory
Design Research Methods and Tools (2011)
Sandra Cecet
sandra.cecet @gmail.com
ABSTRACT quality of life within urban areas is leading to social and
Nowadays user-driven approach is a key. In design field environmental development which is called Smart City.
there is a changing movement from technology push to
user-centered design. Number of cases showed that this The label Smart City is a concept when human and
approach is efficient for innovation process in both new social capital, traditional transport and ITC
product and service design. Recently it shifted from (Information and communications technology)
improving usability and ergonomics to wider contribute to the sustainable economic development and
perspective such as emotions and experiences in people high quality of life with a wise management of natural
everyday life. New design research tools are being resources through participatory governing. EU project
developed recently to explore this domain that consists led by Vienna University of Technology identifies six
of tacit and latent knowledge and is difficult to express dimensions of Smart City, namely: smart economy
in words. As well different ways of involving user in (competitiveness); smart people (social and human
creation have acquired and still are being shaped. This capital); smart governance (participation); smart
user-driven approach could be also used by policy mobility (transport and ITC); smart environments
makers and citizens for designing, exploring, (natural resources) and smart living (quality of life).
experiencing and refining new policies and regulations.
This paper explains how participatory design research
STRUCTURE OF THE PAPER
methods used in design field could be useful in
involving citizens in their policy making process. As This paper consists of three parts. The first one is
well which particularly design research tools could be describing participatory design research methods and
helpful for better understanding of citizens and their the reason of their existence nowadays (social context).
context.
Second one discusses how those methods could be used
Keywords in policy making and could contribute to smart people
User-driven approach, user-centered design, and smart governance dimension by creating
experiencing, participatory design research methods, involvement among the citizens.
policy making, design research tools, co-creation, Third part explains the importance of understanding the
crowd sourcing, user generated content, context context of the users and citizens and which design
mapping, generative sessions. research tools could be useful in policy making process.
Topic nr 2.24: e-Participation: Involving citizens
1. PARTICIPATORY DESIGN RESEARCH
INTRODUCTION METHODS
This paper is focusing on the cities where concentration
of development greatly facilitates interaction between Social context
people. The report from the “Smart Cities Workshop,
Brussels 16th - 17th November 2009” introduces People are skeptical about the methods and goals of
meaningful factors and figures, namely that “cities play consumerism. They started to realize that through
an ever-more important role in social and economic networking they have an enormous amount of collective
development. Already today, 50% of the global influence on products and services. They are beginning
population lives in the cities, (…) rapid urbanization to use their influence to get what they want, how and
creates huge stresses in developing countries and when they want. People want by expressing themselves
developed countries too have underinvested in cities to participate directly in the design or policy
and are feeling the strain in terms of congestion, development process. Ongoing development of co-
pollution and land use.” creation, crowd sourcing and user-generated content
indicate that the active involvement of users in
However these problems are also high challenges which innovation is present. Looking from design
make cities the ideal platforms for changes and force management perspective according to Erik Roscam
authorities to innovate. The growing demand for better Abbing there are three general forces that can be held
responsible for this development:
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2. 1) Social – users have become more critical about
what they buy and use, and more involved in
their own behavior as consumers.
2) Economic- organizations have discovered that,
especially when it comes to innovation, the
gate between the business and the outside
world should be left open. Innovations based
on real needs in the real world have more
success and more economic value.
3) Technological- new technologies, social media
and web.2.0 have provided the platforms on
which organizations and users can share
Figure 2. Croud sourcing - 99designs.com
insights and ideas and collaboratively explore
innovations. User - generated content. This is a method where user
is facilitated to create a content and is allowed to share
(From Erik Roscam Abbing book ‘Brand-Driven and discuss it publicly. For instance
Innovation’) designbyme.lego.com, where Lego gives possibility to
design, share and buy personal Lego model. Using the
Lego Digital Designer 3 software it is possible to design
Participatory Design Research Methods and and build any model one could imagine. As well, Lego
Examples from Design Field:
allows to design unique packaging. After uploading
Co-creation. This is a method where user is actively personalized design to the webpage customer can buy
present in product or service creation. User prototypes model through the online Lego Store.
and tests product together with internal team. This
action takes place in controlled environment, for
instance Nokia Beta Labs is an open user-lead
community.
Figure 3. User-generated content - designbyme.lego.com
Figure 1. Co-creation - betalabs.nokia.com
Crowd sourcing. This means posing a question, an
assignment or a challenge to a large number of people,
based on ‘the wisdom of crowds’ ( Surowiecki, 2005).
Usually takes place in online environment where
participants can watch, discuss and compete with each
other. The perfect example is 99designs.com which is a
new generation of online service marketplaces. It gives
small companies more opportunities to find specialized
expertise and affordable labor. Main Street businesses
can shop in a virtual international bazaar of freelancers
to recruit computer programmers in Russia, graphic Figure 4. Designing with user, ‘Involving users in your
designers in San Francisco or data analysts in India. design efforts is a trade-off between reach and control
over content. The more people you want to reach, the
more you have to let go’. (from Brand-Driven Innovation
book by E.Roscam Abbing)
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3. 2. PARTICIPATORY DESIGN RESEARCH Those platforms contribute to the Smart City
METHODS AND POLICY MAKING dimensions, namely two of them: smart people and
The same tendency is present in governmental domain, smart governance. The advantage of participatory
where ‘public’ is turning into ‘participative’. I think platforms is that people are becoming more conscious
that the same methods mentioned above: co-creation, of their environment and are observing it with greater
crowd sourcing and user-generated content could be interest.
used as a source of information for creating the law.
Today is the right time for authorities to start innovation
3. THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING
by creating platforms or forums where citizens could
THE CONTEXT OF THE USER/CITIZEN AND
express themselves. It could be done not only through
USEFUL DESIGN RESEARCH TOOLS
social media but as well by participating in the
workshops and sharing experience. Citizens could The word context has variety of meanings. In this paper
provide authorities with valuable insights as they are the focus is on the environment surrounding human,
experts of their own experience, emotions and have the how people interact with it, understand and experience
best expertise about their neighborhood. it. By making user experience the source of inspiration
designers are coming up with the products and services
In designbyme.lego.com business model the whole
that are covering the real user needs. Understanding the
interaction with the customer was orchestrated, both
context of the citizens and their experiences is crucial in
interaction and service design are developed in a
policy making process too. With this approach the
brilliant way. In this case customer is as well a designer
government would be able to bring in new legislations
who gets personalized product. However, in most cases
which are changing future of citizens for the better. To
involving people actively in innovation process does
achieve this there are several design tools which could
not mean that they are designing the end product. It is
be borrowed from the design research discipline.
crucial to understand user-driven innovation’s
limitations. Those methods: co-creation, crowd Design research is an interesting field with many truly
sourcing and user-generated content are more design inspiring tools which help to understand the context of
research techniques than design techniques. Without the user and which give ability to empathize with
doubt they give rich insights, better understanding of people. In this paper I would like to point out the
the context. Nevertheless they still should be interpret Context mapping technique which was developed at
by the organization responsible for the end product. To Delft University of Technology by department of
capture in other words, research processes provide with Design for Interaction. This technique combines set of
data (data - raw information that should be analyzed) different tools together. It makes use of cultural probes,
which is inspirational but still it should be interpret generative sessions and storyboards. Context mapping
through lens of right values and norms. Only in that is a research where tacit or latent knowledge is gained
case it has the capacity to drive innovation. about the context of the use of the product or service.
’Tacit knowledge is that cannot readily expressed in
The same pattern is valid for policy making. The core
words. Latent knowledge is knowledge which people
aspect is to understand user-driven innovation
even do not know they possess, they only feel
limitations and use outcome of these research methods
it.’(Course Reader)
as an additional source of information and inspiration.
As well, participating in the process, or having
possibility to express their opinion, citizens would feel
actually more involved with the law established by
authorities.
According to the report from ‘Smart Cities Workshop,
Brussels 16th - 17th November 2009’ there are already a
number of examples of European cities using crowd
sourcing method for innovation and increasing the
efficiency of operation of the city’s complex ecosystem.
For instance, the Forum Virium Helsinki brings
together corporations, R&D institutions and the City of Figure 5. Different levels of knowledge on experience are
Helsinki to create future digital service. Crowd sourcing accessed by different tools (from the Course Reader)
communities called Living Labs are present as well in From Figure 5 I would like to point out generative
other cities (Luxemburg, Brussels and others). There is session tool which provides the data about people
a significant investment in developing participative knowledge, feelings and dreams. This type of
platforms. Many city-based Living Labs have been information certainly creates empathy with people and
members of the European Network of Living Labs inspires creators to think of the solutions which make
(ENoLL). Living Labs are examples where user-driven life better.
innovation is fully integrated with co-creation process
of new services, products and social infrastructure.
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4. Looking on this tool from the perspective of policy Definitely design research tools for instance context
makers and how to use it, in the beginning of the mapping could be used by policy makers for designing,
research it is crucial for multidisciplinary team to define exploring, experiencing and refining new policies and
what they want to know and from whom they wish to regulations in real-life scenarios. Those tools could help
learn. On the municipal level this partnership should to evaluate potential impacts of legislations before their
involve wide range of organization representatives: implementation. Context mapping ‘is such a powerful
authority, power companies, transport operators, small method because it deals with people in a very human
and medium enterprises, health services, universities way.’ ( Course Reader, Context mapping p.25) It states
and research centers. However bringing together that user is a specialist in his own experience and
interdisciplinary experts for the generative sessions is a provides participants with creative tools to enable them
very demanding task. to express as individuals.
After attending the generative sessions authorities, who
are creators of the law, would have a richer
understanding of the citizens’ context. Meeting the
participants, working with them would create empathy
as well. Having researcher’s report on the table is not
enough as then there is a big loss of valuable REFERENCES
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2. Report from ‘Smart Cities Workshop Brussels 16th-
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This paper explained shortly about participatory design http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/liv
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