What is it about?
This research article explains how WhatsApp (or other similar mobile instant messaging services) can be used to participate users in remote, international design collaborations. We draw insights from three case examples, where the designers have used WhatsApp to remotely connect with users due to reasons such as the designers being from different country than the users, or the users being located in a remote location. WhatsApp is usually widely available, easy to use, and offers necessary technical features to be used in design collaboration. While we have found that WhatsApp offers the users a way to communicate directly from the use situation, the dedication of the participants to the design process might be difficult to upheld through mobile communication.
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Why is it important?
Using WhatsApp in design collaboration can increase the inclusivity of co-design methodologies. Co-design is usually time and resource intensive, as the designers and the participants need to travel to meet in order of immersing themselves to design process. Using WhatsApp decreases the need to travel. As the software is widely available and easy to use, also less tech-savvy groups can independently participate in co-design. Also, in all three of our cases there were restrictions, such as limited possibilities to travel, that led to adoption of WhatsApp as a communication tool. Therefore our research article may help future researchers and practitioners in a situation where they might find themselves even if it has not been pre-planned.
Perspectives
I have found this article very interesting to write. In it we present a practical problem (a need to communicate with participants remotely) that has been present in several design collaborations. The observations from all the cases have been similar, and therefore we can present a joint understanding of how these collaborations should be executed. Also, I find it empowering that we are able to use software, that is so widely available for users.
Pietari Keskinen
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: User Participation through WhatsApp – Mobile Instant Messaging as a Medium for Distributed Co-design, July 2024, ACM (Association for Computing Machinery),
DOI: 10.1145/3643834.3661625.
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