Rethinking Notions of 'Giving Voice' in Design

The notion of 'giving voice' to under-represented groups in design is fraught with issues of power and interpretation. This workshop will address socio-methodological issues at play across design contexts, and build a community comprised of those who seek to support the expression and inclusion of diverse needs, abilities, and experiences in design. Research often involves participants who communicate in ways which are in line with assumed social norms and practices (e.g. those who communicate verbally), while those who communicate differently can be under-represented in design research. We highlight a need to broaden the inclusion and support of communities who have different communication needs, including; people with functional communication impairments, neurodiverse people, people who experience adverse life situations or trauma, people who are discriminated against or under-represented, and many, many other individuals and communities. We aim to unpick - and develop pragmatic solutions to - several challenges around working with diverse communities in research and practice, producing functional guidelines for design research in this area and problematising current methods and terminology.