Participating Informally: Opportunities and Dilemmas in User-Driven Design

Abstract

This paper draws attention to the hidden influence of human subjectivity and informal patterns of social interaction within the systems development process. Through an extended case analysis, it uncovers a level of activity beneath the surface of structured methodologies and formalised arrangements which can be intense and problematical for the various stakeholders yet crucial in rendering systems viable in the context of use. By contrast with conventional images of passive, dependent or as yet unenfranchised users, we demonstrate the active agency of grassroots staff in claiming space to assert themselves, taking the initiative and developing their own resources to secure viable systems. Essentially, we offer an account of how two data entry workers breached the terms of their contracts to become de facto designers and programmers, successfully customising applications software that proved functional despite formalised procedures rather than because of them. Though eventually securing the tacit approval of managerial grades, this was a tense and struggle-suffused activity for the individuals concerned. It also adds a significant gender dimension to the capacity to control final outcomes. By revealing the dilemmas they confronted, and relating these to an appreciation of the creative space they levered open, we reflect on the wider significance of this episode for the ideals and project of participatory design.