How can participatory design inform the design and development of innovative technologies for autistic communities?
How can participatory design inform the design and development of innovative technologies for autistic communities?
Purpose –This paper reflects upon on the opportunities and challenges of engaging with a wide variety of stakeholders during the design, development and evaluation of innovative technologies for people with autism. Autism is defined in part by difficulties in social communication and interaction, and is therefore particularly pertinent when considering the opportunities and challenges of participatory design.
Design/methodology/approach – A series of presentations from key researchers and practitioners are reviewed, highlighting contemporary issues about how technologies have been designed to improve educational support using a range of methods and processes for stakeholder involvement.
Findings – Involvement per se does not constitute engagement as a design partner. The interdisciplinary nature of Participatory Design, combined with the viewpoints of communities beyond academia, need to be integrated in a manner that allows for different perspectives and voices, and for the ‘trace’ of the contribution to be evidenced. The level of evidence required for demonstrating effective support needs to be considered in terms of both the outcomes of projects and the processes for involving stakeholders in participatory design.
Originality/value – This paper offers an up-to-date insight from lead researchers into key debates about the benefits and challenges of Participatory Design with autistic people and the broader autism community. Its value lies in raising questions about, and discussing evidence that challenges, some of the assumptions that underpin both Participatory Design processes and the needs of the autistic community.
115-120
Brosnan, Mark
752fa25f-332e-47d4-9f9f-76862509e2cb
Parsons, Sarah
5af3382f-cda3-489c-a336-9604f3c04d7d
Good, Judith
3955a47e-da9e-414d-9f85-971386208259
Yuill, Nicola
283a73fb-b03e-4185-9acd-85fdc7992743
2016
Brosnan, Mark
752fa25f-332e-47d4-9f9f-76862509e2cb
Parsons, Sarah
5af3382f-cda3-489c-a336-9604f3c04d7d
Good, Judith
3955a47e-da9e-414d-9f85-971386208259
Yuill, Nicola
283a73fb-b03e-4185-9acd-85fdc7992743
Brosnan, Mark, Parsons, Sarah, Good, Judith and Yuill, Nicola
(2016)
How can participatory design inform the design and development of innovative technologies for autistic communities?
Journal of Assistive Technologies, 10 (2), .
(doi:10.1108/JAT-12-2015-0033).
Abstract
Purpose –This paper reflects upon on the opportunities and challenges of engaging with a wide variety of stakeholders during the design, development and evaluation of innovative technologies for people with autism. Autism is defined in part by difficulties in social communication and interaction, and is therefore particularly pertinent when considering the opportunities and challenges of participatory design.
Design/methodology/approach – A series of presentations from key researchers and practitioners are reviewed, highlighting contemporary issues about how technologies have been designed to improve educational support using a range of methods and processes for stakeholder involvement.
Findings – Involvement per se does not constitute engagement as a design partner. The interdisciplinary nature of Participatory Design, combined with the viewpoints of communities beyond academia, need to be integrated in a manner that allows for different perspectives and voices, and for the ‘trace’ of the contribution to be evidenced. The level of evidence required for demonstrating effective support needs to be considered in terms of both the outcomes of projects and the processes for involving stakeholders in participatory design.
Originality/value – This paper offers an up-to-date insight from lead researchers into key debates about the benefits and challenges of Participatory Design with autistic people and the broader autism community. Its value lies in raising questions about, and discussing evidence that challenges, some of the assumptions that underpin both Participatory Design processes and the needs of the autistic community.
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Accepted/In Press date: 15 December 2015
Published date: 2016
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Local EPrints ID: 397496
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/397496
PURE UUID: 44230a55-502c-490d-9186-e2571078b4b3
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Date deposited: 01 Jul 2016 15:15
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:38
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Author:
Mark Brosnan
Author:
Judith Good
Author:
Nicola Yuill
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