Advocating for vulnerable populations, a critical analysis of codesign activities in the public sector

Simon Lalonde
MFA Design Research and Development, 2020

Thesis Abstract:
In the context of the public sector, co-design can act as a citizen’s advocacy apparatus by enabling laypeople to engage in the design of public policies and services. However, there is a need to ensure that the voices of vulnerable populations are considered when presenting the outcomes of the co-design in a plenary session. If the vulnerable participants, including minorities and those who may have contextual difficulties with expressing their ideas, are not accounted for, the co-design suffers from a democratic deficit.

The research presented here examines the ideas and nuances offered by different participants through the plenary sessions of a co-design activity. By comparing the unique perspective of each participant, the issues and key moments of plenary sessions are identified. This research offers potential mechanisms of synthesis that limit the omission of ideas from vulnerable peoples during public project development co-design activities.

Simon Lalonde is originally from Montreal, Canada. He graduated from the University of Montreal in 2017 with a B.F.A. in Industrial Design.He is currently pursuing a M.F.A. in Design Research and Development at The Ohio State University, while working as a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Department of Design. His interests revolve around social design, UX design, and participatory design. His research examines the democratic process of co-design plenary sessions in public project development.

Filters: 2020, Graduate Studies, Design Research and Development, MFA Thesis