Reflexive co-design: A participatory design protocol for socially responsible information technology based on responsible research and innovation

Abstract

Participatory design has been explored to develop socially responsible information technologies. Information technologies on the Web, which significantly influence contemporary society, are used by a public consisting of an unspecified number of people. Therefore, participatory design, which has traditionally focused on deeply examining specific groups of people and specific situations, needs to consider the public outside the place of design toward connecting to technology governance after the technology is implemented in society. This study aims to identify the elements needed for design activities in participatory design to connect with technology governance and to propose and evaluate a practical design protocol. Referring to responsible research and innovation, a technology governance framework, we clarify the need to bring institutional reflexivity to the co-design activities and propose the Reflexive Co-Design protocol. We then executed a workshop study concerning on web search technology. As a result, the co-designers expressed 11 values, 6 categories of solutions, and 7 categories of reflective evaluations regarding information gathering, considering the public outside the design activity, including conflicting perspectives. Based on the result, we clarify that Reflexive Co-Design makes co-designers aware of the limits of their knowledge and that no values or solutions are absolutely socially good. Finally, we conclude that Reflexive Co-Design has introduced collaborative reflexivity, which leads to institutional reflexivity, into co-design activities. We discuss the need for an environment to introduce institutional reflexivity in the social implementation of technology to link participatory design to technology governance in the future.