Participatory Design with Children in Science Centers

Children participation during design process, where young people are assigned the role of a design partner, is challenging traditional power relations between the adults and young people. In order to address these issues, application of Participatory Design as an approach and the methods, provides a set of guidelines focusing on democratic practices. These in turn can empower marginalized user and contribute with deeper understanding of the use and the user itself. Literature concerning existing practices in the museums and science centers about visitor participation, is arguing for various ways of user inclusion. Though, the visitor as a design partner is rather challenging existing understanding of what is the role of the visitor. This study examines how children participation during redesign process of an installation in the science center, can contribute to deeper understanding about the user experience. In order to apply Participatory Design approach and the method Future Workshop, I chose to analyze initial design process of the installation through theoretical framework called, Actor Network Theory. The analysis will provide an overview over the actors, which contributed to the design process, but also will help to identify who was marginalized during the development of the installation. The application of the theoretical framework enabled planning and designing of the intervention method, Future Workshop. As a result the method established deeper understanding of user´s experience of an installation, and empowered marginalized children during the design process. Inclusion of museum professionals into the redesign process, addressed also the issue of power relations, where all invited participants had to co-design as design partners. The outcome of the study was giving a say to younger participants, where they could reflect and elaborate on the use and redesign of the installation together with the museum professionals