An evaluation theory for participatory design: Design Empowerment Framework (DEF)

Participatory Design (PD) emerged alongside the push for democracy during the technological advancements of the 1960s. Despite its frequent application, the literature lacks sufficient studies addressing the ‘what’, ‘how much’, and ‘how’ PD contributes in terms of both processes and outcomes – leaving a gap in supporting the arguments for its use. This study seeks to address this gap by explicitly exploring PD as an intervention leading to participant empowerment. It extends its scope by examining how empowerment occurs in existing PD projects through the lens of Theory-Based Evaluation. The proposed framework guides researchers to design, manage, and evaluate PD projects, offering valuable feedback on how the process functions for stakeholders providing project resources. It raises awareness among participants about their role, how they can contribute, and the benefits they can derive from their involvement.