Participatory Design with Community: Reflection on Power, Privilege, and Public Good

ABSTRACT

In this exploratory talk, I will reflect on two participatory technology design projects --- one in Nepal and one in the U.S. --- that engage with and support marginalized communities. The first project involved co-designing computing resources with an anti-sex trafficking organization and survivors living in a shelter home. The second, an ongoing multi-site effort, is a collaboration with nonprofit organizations that assist formerly incarcerated individuals (returning citizens) in their re- entry journey. While the contexts differ, commonalities exist around the prevalence of stigma, structural challenges, and the optimism as well as limits of technology in changing the condition. These projects have yielded insights on assets-based design and methodological considerations to promote agency and power in complex social contexts.

I will then take a critical turn to examine two fundamental questions: What is the right thing to do? and Have we done it? Questions around the tangible impact of these projects and whether the academic contributions meaningfully translate into public good remain open. Through this reflection, I hope to prompt a discussion on the values that guide community-based design and explore ways to bridge the gap between academic output and community-driven change.

BIOGRAPHY

Aakash Gautam is an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh with dual appointments in the Department of Computer Science and the Department of Information Culture and Data Stewardship. He completed his Ph.D. from Virginia Tech in 2021 for which he received the SIGCHI Outstanding Dissertation award. He is interested in designing socio-technical approaches to support dignity, well-being, and the collective capacity of marginalized communities. Learn more about him and his work at      https://aakash.xyz/.