Leveraging Collective Intelligence in Participatory Design Research Using Information and Communications Technology

Design is in the midst of undergoing significant changes in its potential to engage large crowds of people using information and communications technology (ICT) in participatory processes. As design becomes increasingly tasked with playing a role in improving the human condition, it must determine how to best engage existing diverse knowledge from crowds and evolve beyond traditional design approaches to solve non-traditional problems. The notion of using information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D) to aggregate diverse knowledge within participatory processes represents great promise, yet it must be better understood in an emerging design landscape. This research combines leading perspectives into a set of comprehensive guidelines to inform the use of ICT within participatory design research capable of engaging the collective intelligence of participants. It also documents the exploration and evidence of a social movement known as ‘Idle No More’ as potential for a future application of these guidelines.