The Benefits of Using Design Workbooks with Speculative Design Proposals in Information Communication Technology for Development (ICTD)

Abstract

This article argues that design workbooks can benefit the field of Information Communication Technology and Development (ICTD). To demonstrate this, I present a workbook comprised of 12 speculative design proposals. I then present findings from interviews conducted with 22 participants in Bungoma, Kenya; I used the workbook images as prompts during these sessions. My findings suggest that the design workbook method supports a participant-driven interview process. The workbook images prompted rich responses from participants about the contexts where the ideas would exist. These responses draw attention to the practical problems that might accompany the introduction of the ideas into their communities. Significantly, these responses also included critical feedback. Important information was gleaned from comparing and contrasting the multiple ideas in the workbook; these insights include novel understandings about surveillance and participant/researcher relations. These findings motivate a discussion about how design workbooks support different ways for people to participate in the design process, and encourage different outcomes in ICTD.