Participatory Design with Underprivileged Citizens of Developing Countries: Obstacle and Prospect Encountered in the Field Study in Jakarta, Indonesia

摘要

This article presents challenges and opportunities of employing participatory design approach with underprivileged citizens of developing countries. Through our on-going community project that develops recycled craft products in the interest of obtaining extra income for the mothersof Penjaringan, Jakarta, obstacles and prospects of employing participatory design method has been identified. The method which is known to bring the whole stakeholders into the design process is now preferred when the end product is intended to respond the real needs of its users. However,for such methods to be successful, designers in charge to work with underprivileged citizens must understand that they will be working under very different conditions than when doing participatory design in an established society. There are economical (quantitative) as well as cultural (qualitative)discrepancies among plural settlers of Jakarta, where the underprivileged suffers the least access to good quality infrastructure, which in turn affecting their self-actualization, aesthetic sensibilities and workmanships. Our field study revealed that participatory design methods may be advantageousonly if the designers firstly take the lead and empower those who have been hindered economically and culturally, before we can expect them to participate in the design process optimally. As long as the empowerment process is carried out, we realized that participatory design with underprivilegedcitizens of developing countries has a prospect to bring out outcomes of at least two types: First, products that suits participant’s existing socio-economical condition, and second, the empowered design process itself improves citizens’ workmanships valuable for their own futureproductivities.