Co-Design Across Cultures: A Two-Country Study With Children
Zahra Dhuliawala, Haritha Malladi, Elizabeth Bonsignore · 2023
Through this paper, we present the results of an exploratory study conducted in India and the USA, examining how cultural and academic backgrounds shape children’s perceptions of themselves as design partners in participatory design. We used participatory design methods with two small groups of children from India (n=4) and the USA (n=8) to understand their perspectives and experiences. Our initial findings suggest that personal, familial, and educational experiences play a role in the way children view themselves as designers. We also observed that differences between children from the two countries may result in variations in how they approach participatory design. These initial findings may be taken up by future researchers and designers who aim to support more inclusive participatory design across cultures.