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1. Refining Participatory Design for AAC Users

   Frisch, Blade; Vertanen, Keith (June 2025, ACM)

   Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is a field of research and practice that works with people who have a communication disability. One form AAC can take is a high-tech tool, such as a software-based communication system. Like all user interfaces, these systems must be designed and it is critical to include AAC users in the design process for their systems. A participatory design approach can include AAC users in the design process, but modifications may be necessary to make these methods more accessible. We present a two-part design process we are investigating for improving the participatory design for high-tech AAC systems. We discuss our plans to refine the accessibility of this process based on participant feedback. 

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2. Identifying Youths’ Spheres of Influence through Participatory Design

   https://doi.org/http://doi.org/10.16993/dfl.163  

   Coenraad, M.; Weintrop, D.; Eatinger, D.; Palmer, J.; Franklin, D. (June 2021, Designs for learning)

   null (Ed.)

   When designing learning environments and curricula for diverse populations, it is beneficial to connect with learners’ cultural knowledge, and the related interests, they bring to the learning context. To aid in the design and development of a computing curriculum and identify these areas of personal and cultural connection, we conducted a series of participatory design sessions. The goal of these sessions was to col- lect ideas around ways to make the instructional materials reflect the interests and voices of the learners. In this paper, we examine how the use of participatory design techniques can advance our understanding of the domains influencing today’s youth. Specifically, we examine the ideas generated by youth during these sessions as a means to understand what influences them and their ideas of cultural relevancy. In this work, we identify the resources children draw on across design activities and organize them to extend the Spheres of Influence framework (L. Archer et al., 2014). We identify seven spheres to attend to when designing for learning: Home and Family, School and Work, Hobbies and Leisure, Media, Interests, Peers, and Identity. 

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3. Participatory Design of AI with Children: Reflections on IDC Design Challenge

   Bai, Z.; Judd, F.; Polinsky, N.; Yadollahi, E. (April 2023, The ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Workshop - Child-Centred AI Design)
4. Game design experience for teachers’ design thinking in participatory design culture

   Pan, Y.; Ke, F.; Dai, C-P. (January 2022, Proceedings of the 16th International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS) 2022)

   Clark Chinn; Edna Tan; Carol Chan; Yael Kali (Ed.)
5. Teens and pets as participatory design partners

   Parekh, P.; Kane, S. K.; Polman, J. L.; Shapiro, R. B. (June 2022, Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning - CSCL 2022)

   Weinberger, A.; Chen, W.; Hernández-Leo, D.; Chen, B. (Ed.)

   Participatory Design (PD) aims to minimize the unintended consequences of designs and innovations by inviting users to engage in the process (Muller & Druin, 2012). Designing with some users—for example, pets—is challenging because pets communicate in unique ways. But it holds promise because pets and humans are companions. Expecting teens' relationships with pets to motivate them to be co-designers, we organized a virtual summer workshop engaging teens in activities to understand their canine and feline pets better and design an experience to improve their pets’ lives. We analyzed video recordings of teens' engagement at the camp and their descriptions of their experience design projects using qualitative thematic analysis. We found that caring and loving relationships with pets are also contexts for engaging in a systematic design process. 

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