Uncovering facilitators and constraints in co-design with visually impaired children: A sociomateriality perspective
Anqi Rong, Nina Hansopaheluwakan Edward · The Design Journal · 2025
This research explores the factors that both facilitate and constrain the process of co-designing alongside visually impaired children (VIC). Understanding the facilitators and constraints is crucial, as it reveals how actors within a co-design project manage their mutual differences, thereby influencing the effectiveness and quality of the co-design process. The research involved 12 VIC aged 6 to 12 years who actively participated in co-designing a Year of the Dragon calendar. Utilising a sociomateriality lens, we analysed qualitative data to identify 16 new facilitators and constraints emerging from the interplay among six sociomaterial actors: children, organisation, guardians, designer, materials, and sociality. The research underscores the complexity of the co-design process with VIC, as some of the constraints also act as facilitators. This research contributes to a broader theoretical understanding of co-design practices and provides actionable strategies for practitioners and researchers working with VIC in various cultural settings.