Bonded design in the virtual environment: the transition of a participatory design methodology

Abstract

PurposeThis paper examines how bonded design (BD), a participatory design methodology, was influenced by the transition to working in a virtual environment necessitated by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.Design/methodology/approachAbiding by the participatory design tenets of creativity, learning-by-doing and mutual learning, the BD methodology was created for the specific purpose of fostering meaningful communication and interaction between two disparate groups. Previous iterations of BD are discussed, including its naissance with intergenerational teams, its adaptation to provide a framework for a university-wide initiative, the Faculty Information Technology (IT) Liaison Program that brought together faculty members and IT professional staff, and its current use in helping public librarians to develop with older adults, targeted library programming and services.FindingsAnalysis of the findings from the assessment of the BD methodology in different physical contexts demonstrates that the flexibility in the makeup and order of design techniques (discussion, evaluation, brainstorming, prototyping, consensus-building) makes BD potentially adaptable to online spaces. Recommendations for implementing the BD methodology online are outlined. It is argued that BD’s adaptability makes it an ideal method for creating meaningful and productive collaborations within both physical and virtual environments.Originality/valueThe proposed iteration of the BD methodology responds to a need for innovative practices to foster collaborative work in a virtual environment. BD is a unique, inclusive and cost-effective methodology to encourage meaningful interaction and communication between disparate groups in physical or online contexts.

The Inclusion of Children on the Autism Spectrum in the Design of Learning Technologies: A Small-Scale Exploration of Adults’ Perspectives

“…Examining the processes of design and the experiences of the participants, it is reasonable to conclude that the design project reported here does indeed reflect many of the traditions and processes usually associated with PD. The exploratory nature of engaging in a design project for all of the participants necessitated the need to learn by doing, adopt creative and collaborative approach to problems that emerged and to foster meaningful communication between the various groupings that comprised the design team (Nesset et al, 2021). In this study, the early phases of the design process were characterised by mutual learning which matured so that the adult participants became increasingly aware of the role they could play in empowering the participating children.…”

Advocating for a more active role for the user in LIS participatory research: a scoping literature review

“…In response to perceived shortcomings within the Bonded Design Methodology (Nesset et al. , 2022), especially in terms of the divide between the researchers and the research participants.…”

“…Brunskill et al, 2021;Garc ıa-Catal a et al, 2022;Rybin Koob et al, 2022) and elderly communities (e.g. Acosta et al, 2022;Fuss et al, 2022;Nesset et al, 2022), we have more narrowly defined our focus to research with community-based groups/teams rather than representatives of a larger demographic.…”

“…In response to perceived shortcomings within the Bonded Design Methodology (Nesset et al, 2022), especially in terms of the divide between the researchers and the research participants. A scoping literature review was conducted to determine the role of research participants (typically termed "users") within LIS participatory research.…”

Bridging the Gap Between Designers and Users

“…the inclusion of those most effected by design in the design process (Bardzell, 2010), 2. placing designers in the role of facilitator rather than expert (Subramaniam et al, 2018), 3. collaboration with older adults, who have respected expertise and are codesigners rather than research subjects (Costanza-Chock, 2020), and 4. a humility-based codesign approach emphasizing truly shared agency (Spiel, 2020) Participatory design has recently been an effective method for enabling meaningful collaboration with specific populations in LIS research, including children and youth librarians (Subramaniam et al, 2018), and young people around issues of power (Magee et al, 2022) and health entrepreneurship (Subramaniam et al, 2014). Codesign has also been generatively used with older adults in library contexts (Nesset & Stewart-Robertson, 2021), home technology contexts (Pradhan, Jelen, et al, 2020), fitness app design (Harrington et al, 2018) and voice agents for VUI (Harrington et al, 2022).…”