Research
Publications
LIST OF PUBLICATIONS
- Countering tokenism in e-participation: Potentials of participatory design in democratic policymaking
- Adopting a diffractive approach to journey mapping in the exploration of scaling citizen assemblies in Sweden
- Sustainable Transitions through Democratic Design: Insights and Reflections on Doctoral Training
Countering tokenism in e-participation: Potentials of participatory design in democratic policymaking
The implementation of e-participation platforms in policymaking has removed spatial and temporal barriers to citizen engagement; however, digitalisation also introduces new challenges which undermine democratic values and risk participation outcomes becoming symbolic and superficial. In this paper, we conducted a narrative literature review and examined barriers in e-participation through the framework of narrow and broad sense tokenism. Through a theoretical discussion, we position participatory design (PD) as a steward in addressing tokenistic participation, focusing on PD’s notion of creating carefully designed participation ‘spaces’ and ‘approaches’ that foster more democratic, deliberative, and inclusive forms of digital participation, thereby countering tokenistic tendencies.
View publication →Adopting a diffractive approach to journey mapping in the exploration of scaling citizen assemblies in Sweden
This paper presents an experiment with participants of a city-level citizen assembly in Sweden. During the experiment, journey mapping was used within a diffraction apparatus, and diffractive reading enabled the collective exploration of barriers to and opportunities for scaling citizen assemblies. This diffractive approach enabled plurality to be explored, complexity to be visualised, and shifted the researcher’s position, increasing participants’ power over their voice. Further research is recommended to explore how diffraction and service design can mutually benefit each other to facilitate sustainable transitions.
View publication →Sustainable Transitions through Democratic Design: Insights and Reflections on Doctoral Training
This publication explores the evolution of doctoral education in design. It addresses challenges such as preparing graduates for complex socio-environmental issues, integrating AI and developing leadership skills for service and policy design. It presents the training methods and tools used in CoDesign4Transitions to address these challenges, such as the PhD Canvas, which aim to empower doctoral candidates to act as agents of change, foster collaboration with partners and each other, and facilitate knowledge exchange. Through ethical participation and regular self-assessment, the network ensures that learning remains inclusive, respectful and responsive to community needs.
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