Participatory IT Design

Participatory IT Design presents a state-of-the-art method for introducing new information technology systems into an organisation, illustrated by case studies drawn from a ten-year research project. The goal of participatory IT design is to set sensible, general, and workable guidelines for the introduction of new information technology systems into an organisation.

Reflecting the latest systems-development research, this book encourages a business-oriented and socially sensitive approach that considers the specific organisational context as well as first-hand knowledge of users' work practices. It allows all stakeholders—users, management, and staff—to participate in the process. Participatory IT Design serves as a guide to the theory and practice of this process, useful as a reference work for IT professionals and as a textbook for information technology courses at introductory through advanced levels.

Drawing on work from a ten-year research programme where the authors collaborated with Danish and American companies, the book offers a framework for carrying out IT design projects, complemented by case studies that exemplify the process.

The method highlighted in Participatory IT Design, known as the MUST method (a Danish acronym for theories and methods of initial analysis and design activities), was developed and tested in thirteen industrial design projects for companies and organisations, including an American airline, a multinational pharmaceutical company, a national broadcasting corporation, a multinational software house, and American and Danish universities.

The first part of the book introduces the concepts and guidelines on which the method is based. The second and third parts are structured as a practical toolbox for utilising the MUST method. Part II elaborates on the four phases of a design project: initiation, in-line analysis, in-depth analysis, and innovation. Part III explains the method's sixteen techniques and related representation tools, providing an overview followed by specific descriptions of each in separate sections.