Design for collaboration in South Africa : an activity theory perspective on participatory design

Abstract

Participatory Design (PD) is increasingly being used as a methodology by local government, private designers and design researchers in the Western Cape, South Africa, to democratise the design of product service systems (PSS). Activity theory, specifically Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) offers PD researchers and practitioners involved in the collaborative design and development of socio-technical PSS’s an interpretive lens through which to a) identify existing and potential contradictions and tensions within and between work activity systems for design interventions, and b) provide designers with a conceptual model of investigation. In the last decade participatory development studies have interrogated public participation and approaches to the involvement of civil society in their own development, essentially embracing a shift from passive participation to active participation. PD and participatory development share a number of beliefs, methodologies and goals. This thesis explores the potential of CHAT in contributing to the extension of PD practices, beyond a workplace focus and into the sociotechnical development of communities at large. Legacy projects and activities - those aimed at extending the impact of emergent design and innovation - arising out of Cape Town’s designation as World Design Capital 2014 often require community-based participatory design (CbPD) and the development of socio-technical PSS through holistic approaches, centred around participant needs, activities and aspirations. This approach can contribute to social capital and more active citizenry. The research presented in this thesis draws from an in-depth CbPD project based in an informal settlement in Cape Town, South Africa. The project focussed on solid waste management (SWM) work and life activities and resulted in co-designed PSS solutions. Based in a quad-helix partnership between local government, the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, private designers and the community members themselves, this project a) tested CHAT in the fields of CbPD and PSS design, identifying tensions and contradictions as opportunities for design intervention and, b) produced conceptual and process models, which blend CHAT and service design, for further testing in the design of socio-technical PSS. The overall result is a homegrown methodology for CbPD