Early experiences with participation in persuasive technology design

Abstract

Persuasive technology, designed to change behaviors and attitudes, stands on uneasy moral ground. A key concern is the appropriateness of the means of persuasion and the intent to persuade. Engaging with those who will use the persuasive technology can ensure that it aligns with their own desires for change. This paper presents an early case study applying participatory design methods to persuasive technology in the context of a college EcoHouse. After presenting the methods and results, I synthesize lessons learned for the intersection of participatory design and persuasive technology design: begin with participants who want change, attend to power relations, promote reflection, start with simple behaviors, use examples to educate and inspire, explore designs in parallel, and be open to not designing technology. Finally, I identify challenges for future work: designing an effective design process, negotiating tensions between effectiveness and reflectiveness, and evaluating the impact of participation.