deltagerdesign

Deltagerdesign, often translated as participatory design, is an approach to design in which end users and other stakeholders are actively involved in making decisions that affect the design of products, services, or systems throughout the development process. The goal is to create solutions that better meet the needs of those who will use or be affected by them, and to increase acceptance and usability.

The practice originated in the Scandinavian design and labor movements during the 1970s and 1980s, with a focus on democratic involvement in the design of work processes, information systems, and public services. It emphasizes equal collaboration between designers and participants, mutual learning, and the distribution of design influence across diverse groups.

Typical methods include workshops, collaborative brainstorming, scenarios and storyboards, co-design sessions, participatory prototyping, and iterative testing with users. Projects often proceed through cycles of exploration, ideation, prototyping, and evaluation, with facilitation that aims to balance power dynamics and encourage inclusive participation.

Benefits of deltagerdesign include solutions that reflect real user needs, improved usability and acceptance, and empowerment of participants. Challenges can include longer timelines, resource demands, potential power imbalances, and the risk of tokenistic involvement if participation is not meaningful.

In practice, deltagerdesign is applied across fields such as information technology, healthcare, urban planning, and public sector services, aligning design outcomes with user values, contexts, and everyday work.