reclaiming participation: an ethical struggle played out through design

During my PhD I developed a framework to support service providers to evaluate design participation and build the capability of service users to use design to reconfigure their social care relations. I continue to develop the framework through its application in different organisational settings.

Participation is often enacted through formal methods like elections, consultations, and focus groups. While useful, these approaches can prioritize structure and measurability over ongoing collaboration, adaptability, and care. My PhD research explored how shifting towards more relational, iterative engagement allows stakeholders to shape services through lived experiences and continuous interaction.

Drawing on Mikhail Bakhtin’s concept of dialogism, I view participation as an evolving process shaped by everyday interactions rather than just structured moments. The approach highlights how conversations, relationships, and interactions with “things” (such as objects, policies, and services) continuously shape and reshape service design.

Inspired by feminist care ethics and studies on participatory models, I argued that rigid, justice-based frameworks often overlook the informal, relational dimensions that sustain meaningful participation. My research developed a framework that treats “things” as dialogic utterances, helping organisations identify gaps and opportunities for deeper engagement.

By applying this perspective, service organisations can move beyond procedural participation toward more inclusive, adaptable, and care-centered approaches. This work offers a tool for rethinking participatory design to one that fosters genuine collaboration and responsive service evolution.