Chronology of participatory methods in design disciplines: Political, ethical, disciplinary, methodological and technological readings

Abstract

Tested with different approaches, participatory methods in design disciplines correspond to a framework consisting, on one hand, of theoretical reflections and disciplinary practices that seek to open up to other knowledge, and on the other hand, community-based and social solidarity practices that claim inclusion in decision-making, in civic rights, and for autonomy. To understand how this knowledge is articulated, the Chronology of Participatory Methods in Design Disciplines was elaborated, consisting of practices, publications, events, laws and historical events, raised in reference publications and online catalogues of practices. This Chronology allowed us to observe four distinct moments in the history of participation, from which we extracted readings on ethical, disciplinary, technological, methodological issues and on the political and economic context. This provided a robust historical overview of participation in design disciplines, where it was possible to identify the methods adopted at each moment, helping to contextualize current practices.