ABSTRACT
Engaging with people and societal issues to explore tangible solutions should not, in theory, be too difficult. Collaborative design methods have been employed and improved incrementally since the 1970s, and there are some inspiring examples that have benefitted individuals and whole communities. There are, however, many more examples of collaborative design that have fallen short, often due to lack of time, resources, belief, and an understanding of what design can do. Although insights have been gained from research, participation in design projects often has little in the way of tangible impact on people’s lives and the societal issues that affect them, such as education, housing, and health. This has led to mixed reactions to collaborative design approaches. As collaborative designers, we engage with people in order to help them change their futures; let’s make sure we do that.
