Types, obstacles and sources of empowerment in co-design: the role of shared material objects and processes

Zamenopoulos, Theodore; Lam, Busayawan; Alexiou, Katerina; Kelemen, Mihaela; de Sousa, Sophia; Moffat, Sue and Phillips, Martin (2021). Types, obstacles and sources of empowerment in co-design: the role of shared material objects and processes. CoDesign: International Journal of CoCreation in Design and the Arts, 17(2) pp. 139–158.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15710882.2019.1605383

Abstract

Co-design is intrinsically linked to the notion of empowerment, however little research has focussed specifically on understanding the types, obstacles and sources of empowerment in co-design. This paper combines theoretical investigations with observations derived from co-designed research by academic and non-academic partners to explore these issues, in particular, the role of shared material objects and processes in supporting empowerment during co-design. The paper uses the notions of ‘power over,’ ‘power to’, ‘power with’ and ‘power within’ to tease out different aspects of empowerment, and draws on empirical observations to determine different obstacles and sources associated with each. The study therefore makes a theoretical contribution to the understanding of co-design as an empowerment process and should be useful for design researchers undertaking co-design projects with non-experts.

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About

• Item ORO ID
• 59969
• Item Type
• Journal Item
• ISSN
• 1571-0882
• Project Funding Details

• Funded Project Name	Project ID	Funding Body
  Connected Communities & Design Highlight: Empowering Design Practices: historic places of worship as catalysts for connecting communities	AH/M001709/1	AHRC Arts & Humanities Research Council
  Scaling up co-design research and practice: building community-academic capacity and extending reach (XD-12-111-TZ)	AH/K006711/1	AHRC (Arts & Humanities Research Council)
  Unearth Hidden Assets through Community Co-design and Co-production (XD-12-112-TZ)	AH/K006541/1	AHRC (Arts & Humanities Research Council)

• Keywords
• co-design; research co-design; boundary objects; empowerment
• Academic Unit or School
• Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) > Engineering and Innovation
  Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
• Research Group
• Design and Innovation
• Copyright Holders
• © 2019 Theodore Zamenopoulos, © 2019 Busayawan Lam, © 2019 Katerina Alexiou, © 2019 Mihaela Kelemen, © 2019 Sophia De Sousa, © 2019 Sue Moffat, © 2019 Martin Phillips
• Depositing User
• Theodore Zamenopoulos