On a Mismatch Between Design and Social Change
Kentaro Toyama · 2022
Social change projects, such as those undertaken under the banner of information & communication technologies for development (ICT4D), frequently address problems using a design-based approach and therefore inherit the values of what could be called “classical design.” One of those values, as we demonstrate through an examination of popular design textbooks, is to accommodate people’s needs, abilities, and behaviors. Accommodating people as they are, however, is very different from encouraging the internal changes in people – as either individuals or societies – that are required for meaningful social change. The inclinations of classical design are thus poorly matched to efforts intended to lead to social change. We flesh out this argument through an examination of classical design’s underlying ethos, an articulation of the difference between social good and social change, case studies of three ICT4D design efforts, and analysis of the implications of “giving people what they want.” We conclude with a call to draw a clear line between design for convenience or efficiency and innovation for social change in ICT4D pedagogy, research, and practice.