What You Gain and What It Takes

Abstract

Within1 the field of design various methods are available that allow users to be involved in the design process. Based on a participatory design project in the context of paediatric physiotherapy, this paper shares reflections of a relatively inexperienced design student, trained to involve users in a designer-led fashion. We highlight the values that a participatory approach brought her (i.e. what was gained) and what this approach required of her as a designer (i.e. what it took). The main benefits were a deeper understanding of the context and shared ownership among stakeholders. Achieving these benefits required the student to show qualities of courage, social sensitivity and responsiveness. Our reflection suggests that besides the teaching of methods and techniques, design education should also address the personal or professional qualities that can benefit design students in participatory design projects.