Aasha Sharma
Participatory Research (PR) is a gamut of research designs, methods, and frameworks that use systematic inquiry, directly collaborating with those affected or being studied. (Cargo & Mercer, 2008). The research design and problem are co-constructed through partnerships between researchers and stakeholders, community members, or others with insider knowledge and lived expertise of the problem. The focus of Participatory research is to empower stakeholders; hence, its research design involves them in the entire research process, encouraging findings that are culturally embedded, promoting social change.
Participatory Research (PR) methods are broad approaches that centre on collaboration with community members or stakeholders throughout the research process. These methods are grounded in principles of inclusiveness, empowerment, co-learning, and action. They differ from traditional research by emphasizing shared ownership of the research process and outcomes. A few established Participatory research methods are Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), Participatory Action Research (PAR), Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR), Feminist Participatory Research (FPR), Ethnographic Participatory Research, Participatory Learning and Action (PLA), and Digital Participatory Research / Participatory Digital Methods. The key characteristics of PR are Collaboration, Contextual Relevance, Empowerment, Reflexivity, and Action-Oriented.
Commonly used Participatory Research tools are Mapping Tools for Social Mapping or Resource mapping, Diagramming and Visual Tools, Ranking and Scoring Tools, Group Discussion Tools like focus groups, Storytelling, and Community Workshops, Observation and Survey Tools, Participatory Data Analysis Tools like Thematic Mapping of Findings, Action-Oriented Tools like SWOT and Visioning Exercises.
Design thinking (DT), on the other hand, emphasizes user-centred problem-solving. Originated to solve business problems related to product innovation or service innovation. It is the process of approaching the situation with an unbiased lens and with several iterative cycles of empathizing with the user and collecting insights to first define the problem. Then,using several techniques like brainstorming, mind mapping, etc, the team generates all possible ideas to finally come to the most suitable one for prototyping and testing.
Design Thinking Tools used by researchers may be enumerated stage-wise. For the first stage- Empathize, Empathy Maps, User Interviews, Observation, and /or Shadowing techniques are used. For the second stage –Define, Point-of-View Statements and Problem Trees (also used in PR). For the Third stage –Ideate, Brainstorming, Mind Mapping, and SCAMPER techniques are used. The fourth stage is to make a tangible Prototype of the idea,where Low-Fidelity Prototypes, Mock-ups, & Wireframes are used. The last stage is Test, where user Testing and A/B testing are used.
Participatory research, particularly participatory action research (PAR), emerged in developing countries to give voice to and empower marginalized communities. It aimed to systemize indigenous and local knowledge for social action and to create more equitable and democratic societies.
Design thinking has evolved since its inception from a business innovation tool to a highly effective method in community-based research, utilizing collaborative problem-solving, fostering empathy, and generating context-specific solutions with the community.
Participatory research is about deep, equitable co-ownership of knowledge and solutions, whereas design thinking is a structured, iterative process for creative and innovative solutions. Participatory Research (PR) and Design Thinking (DT) both evolved from a desire to involve end-users in the creation of knowledge and solutions, moving beyond traditional top-down approaches.
Hence, there are great integration possibilities of combining both approaches in participatory innovation projects. ‘Design thinking for social change’, ‘designing for beyond humans’, and ‘design thinking for life’ are newer forms that have emerged and are being applied in various contexts. When applied for social change it becomes it becomes a handy tool to understand the real needs of people affected by social problems. Real need identification then leads to co-creation of solutions along with the communities and not for them. Testing these solutions and then refining them until they are deemed to be effective may drive long-term sustaining change through Participatory innovative thinking.
Integrated Synergies can be created by collaborating with both approaches, even if the nature and depth differ. Empathizing can be enhanced in Design thinking with participatory research by putting greater emphasis on empowering involvement with stakeholders. Similarly, participatory research can generate powerful and innovative solutions by incorporating diverse perspectives used in the Design Thinking approach.
Case Study: One of the best examples is The Jeevan Bindi Project, which integrates the best of both approaches. The issue of Iodine deficiency among women in the rural areas of Maharashtra was a major public health concern. This deficiency leads to diseases like goiterand results in developmental issues in children and other health problems. Several attempts to create awareness and also make iodine medicines available for free did not work for the women. A Singapore-based consulting Grey Co, along with a local NGO together was pooled in to solve the issue. The project began with a participatory approach where the team worked on deeply understanding the lived experiences, cultural practices, and health challenges of women in rural India. This helped them explore why traditional iodine supplementation (e.g., tablets, iodized salt) was ineffective — due to access issues, awareness, or cultural factors. It was found that these women were so engrossed in serving their families and performing their duties that they would forget to take care of themselves.Cultural factors turned out to be very important. This is where Design thinking was used to understand how cultural practices may be infused into designing a solution for this issue. The team empathized with these women to understand cultural behaviors, health needs, and daily routines. One observation was that bangles and bindis were the most important part of their cultures, and that they would never forget to wear them. Through brainstorming and ideating,the team created test versions of iodine-infused bindis and distributed them in small batches.Community-rooted design led to high adoption rates and real impact on iodine deficiency reduction, reinforcing the fact that Health interventions succeed when integrated into existing cultural practices rather than a forceful imposition. Design Thinking can be embedded within a Participatory Research (PR) approach to co-create an innovative, culturally sensitive, and life-saving intervention.
To conclude, Design thinking can be used as a method within a broader participatory research project, especially during the solution co-creation and testing phases.
References
Aflatoony, L., Hepburn, K., & Perkins, M. M. (2024). From empathy to action: Design thinking as a catalyst for community-based participatory research in dementia caregiving. Design Health (Abingdon), 8(1), 24–45. https://doi.org/10.1080/24735132.2024.2307225
India TV News Desk. (2015, April 5). Jeevan Bindi: The new way to fight iodine deficiency among rural Indian women. India TV News. https://www.indiatvnews.com/buzz/life/jeevan-bindi-iodine-deficiency-rural-women-grey-group-126.html
Katoppo, M. L., & Sudradjat, I. (2015). Combining participatory action research (PAR) and design thinking (DT) as an alternative research method in architecture. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 184, 118–125. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S187704281503311X
Think Design. (n.d.). Participatory design in user research. Think Design. https://think.design/user-design-research/participatory-design/
Vaughn, L. M., & Jacquez, F. (2020). Participatory research methods: Choice points in the research process. Journal of Participatory Research Methods, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.35844/001c.13244
Aasha Sharma, PhD, is a Professor of Circular Design Thinking at SIOM, Symbiosis International University, Pune, India. Her expertise lies in leveraging design methodology to transition organizations toward circular economy models.
Disclaimer: All views expressed in the article belong to the author and not necessarily to the organisation.
Acknowledgement: This article was posted by Aashvee Prisha, a research intern at IMPRI.
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