Exploration of facilitation, materials and group composition in participatory design sessions

Motivation - To investigate how facilitation, material and group composition influence creativity in and outcomes of participatory design sessions. Research approach - Several participatory design workshops were held with end-users and designers. Different materials were used to trigger creativity. Analysis of effects of group facilitation, material and composition was based on observational notes, prototypes and interview data. Findings/Design - (1) Specific allocation of time for breaks and questions are useful. Examples or prototypes tied into the explanation of the domain and design challenge support the participants' understanding. (2) Paper prototypes are useful for non-designers to trigger creativity and allow for interaction between the group members while creating new prototypes. (3) Groups should be composed to contain a domain expert, designer and end-users as well as someone taking the role of a moderator leading the group work. Research limitations/Implications - We did not follow a strictly conditional experiment set-up with our sessions. For an in-depth and systematic analysis of influencing factors a rigid set-up is advised. Originality/Value - The research makes a contribution to an investigation of factors influencing the process and outcome of participatory design sessions. Take away message - To allow for creativity and collaboration, participatory design sessions need to be set-up with care. Summarizing, groups should be composed of endusers, designers, domain experts and have a designated moderator. Prototypes are useful in the briefing, and should be provided to each group as paper versions to be used in the creative process. The researcher has the crucial task of facilitating the session, allowing enough time for questions and breaks and adapt explanations to the knowledge of the participants. Copyright 2012 ACM.