Participatory design has a strong moral and political commitment to including users in all design decisions from the start of a project. Hence, the ambition of participatory designers reaches beyond mere user involvement. Many of the creative participatory techniques the participatory-design community has developed have spread out. However, in spite of an impressive list of inspiring projects and major contributions to design practice, participatory design remains somewhat marginal. This chapter aims to identify why this might be so. It also looks at recent developments, such as the design of IT infrastructures, collaboration with marginalized groups, and extending participation to communities.
Critical reflections on the blind sides of frailty in later life