‘Involve me and I’ll understand’: creative capacity building for participatory design with rural Cambodian farmers

Abstract

Participatory design (PD) has proven successful in the design of technologies in Western markets and shows promise as a method for humanitarian technology development. However, there have been few studies of PD in developing markets. In general, these studies have noted several process challenges due to cultural, societal and geographical differences. These challenges are restricting the widespread use of PD approaches for, and with underserved communities, and in turn reducing the long-term impact each project could make. This article presents findings from the implementation of creative capacity building workshops in rural Cambodia. Findings include suggested refinements to the design process; the need for flexible delivery methods; and the development of guiding questions for understanding the participant and ensuring appropriate educational content. The workshops show promise as a methodology for enhancing designer–participant collaboration in PD.

Keywords:

• Participatory design
• capacity building
• agriculture
• developing context
• design process

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Agile Development Group and the community in Takeo, Cambodia for their support and cooperation throughout this study. The authors acknowledge that the article does not discuss the important area of remuneration. Participants were gifted small bags of grass seed as a thank you for their participation; this will be discussed in future publications.