The Show Must Go On: A conceptual model of conducting synchronous participatory design with children online

Title of the Paper

The Show Must Go On: A Conceptual Model of Conducting Synchronous Participatory Design With Children Online

Paper Information

• Research Domain: Human-Computer Interaction and Participatory Design, with a focus on conceptual models for children's participation in online design.
• Keywords: Participatory Design, Improvisation, Children, Design Methods, Online Interaction, Synchronous Collaboration, Digital Tools, User Experience
• Publication Date and Conference: CHI ’21, May 8–13, 2021, Yokohama, Japan
• DOI: 10.1145/3411764.3445715

Research Background and Problem Statement

• Identified Problems/Challenges:

  • Traditional participatory design typically emphasizes face-to-face interactions with children in physical settings, lacking dedicated research on synchronous online participatory design.
  • The COVID-19 pandemic forced researchers to shift design activities to online environments, which introduced challenges such as technical issues, uncertainties, and additional complexities in interacting with children.
  • Asynchronous online design has limitations, such as children potentially struggling to use platforms independently or lacking immediate guidance.
  • There is a lack of theoretical models, practical guidelines, and deep understanding of dynamic contingencies in synchronous online design.

• Why This Problem Is Important:

  • Synchronous online design can increase inclusivity for children, especially those with health issues that limit mobility or those living in remote areas.
  • Post-pandemic, synchronous online design may become a normalized mode for technological innovation involving children.
  • Effective design can empower children to better express their technological needs, fostering innovation in the field of human-computer interaction.

• Research Motivation and Related Work:

  • The authors were inspired by the theory of improvisation, which emphasizes the ability to adapt plans quickly and encourage flexible design innovation in the face of uncertainty.
  • The study aims to provide theoretical support for synchronous online participatory design while enriching HCI practices with concrete methods.

Solution

• Proposed Method or Solution:

  • The authors proposed a conceptual model to explain the factors to consider when conducting participatory design with children in synchronous online spaces.
  • The model includes three main themes: Project Logistics, People and Settings, and People’s Co-design Interactions.
  • Improvisation theory (HCI Improvisation) was used as a framework to guide methods for handling unexpected situations in design.

• Innovations:

  • Introduced five core characteristics from improvisation theory—Reflexivity, Transgression, Tension, Listening, and Interdependence—as practical references for addressing dynamic changes in design.
  • Adapted traditional offline design techniques (e.g., Comicboarding and Line Judging) for online environments, leveraging digital tools to support communication, collaboration, and creation.
  • Provided design recommendations and ethical considerations to enhance the user experience in online participatory design.

• Implementation Steps and Key Techniques:

  • Analyzed and processed raw design data, including video recordings of 10 online participatory design sessions, interviews with children, and generated design artifacts.
  • Experimented with and iteratively refined design techniques during each session, incorporating children’s feedback.
  • Transitioned design techniques to online environments using digital tools such as Zoom and PowerPoint for meetings, design activities, presentations, and collaboration.

Research Findings

• Specific Outcomes:

  • Developed a conceptual model to help researchers reflect on synchronous online design sessions and optimize future designs.
  • Deconstructed the unique dynamic changes and complexities of synchronous online spaces through 10 design sessions, such as technical failures and changes in children’s home environments.
  • Created design techniques tailored to online environments and demonstrated the process and effectiveness of real-time adjustments through case studies.

• Advantages Compared to Existing Solutions:

  • Compared to traditional asynchronous models, synchronous online models enable real-time exchange of ideas and interactions among children.
  • Provided a systematic framework to help researchers quickly adapt design plans in the face of unforeseen circumstances.
  • Emphasized principles of equality and democracy in design, improving the quality of collaboration between children and adults.

• Experimental or Evaluation Results:

  • Children’s engagement during sessions was closely related to the design themes and implementation techniques, with familiar themes such as games eliciting more active interest.
  • The experiments revealed various impacts of technology and home environments on design activities, such as technical interruptions, distractions, and children’s autonomy.

• Limitations and Future Directions:

  • Limitations include differences in children’s familiarity with technological tools, challenges in capturing comprehensive feedback during single sessions, and the need to refine the framework for addressing complex contingencies.
  • Future research should explore more hybrid design models combining physical participation with online interaction, investigate collaborative design in low-bandwidth environments, and develop more universally applicable technical frameworks to support children from diverse backgrounds in design activities.

Ethical Considerations and Design Insights

• Ethical Considerations:

  • Manage children’s screen time and health concerns; respect family privacy and ensure the security of video conferencing.
  • Address accessibility and equity of technological devices to ensure participation for children with limited bandwidth or fewer technological resources.

• Design Insights:

  • Designers should prepare solutions for technical failures in advance and adapt methods flexibly to incorporate children’s interests and diverse environments.
  • Emphasize the value of children as active designers in synchronous online design, balancing structure and freedom to foster creativity.