Participatory Design in Human-Computer Interaction: Cases, Characteristics, and Lessons

Participatory Design (PD) has become increasingly prevalent in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) research. However, there remains a lack of comprehensive understanding of how PD has been used by HCI scholars. To bridge this gap, we sampled PD application cases (N = 185) from the SIGCHI conferences over the past decade and examined these cases through the dimensions of application features (e.g., contexts and functions of PD) and PD principles (e.g., its political commitment and mutual learning principle). Our analysis reveals the various ways PD has been applied in HCI and how its core features have been or have not been manifested in these cases. Based on these findings, we reflect on the conceptual understanding of PD within the HCI community and discuss potential misconceptions. Ultimately, we hope this work can serve as a useful reference for HCI researchers and beyond who are interested in incorporating PD into their design and research practices.