Anticipation dialogue method in activity-driven design of ICT TOOLS

In the design of complex information systems for different domains a balance between theory-driven and practice-driven approaches is at best developed in a collaborative communication process between designers, researchers and end-users. We have developed a method within the context of participatory design which is based on dialogic communication between researchers and end-users. A dialogic relationship between different stakeholders takes place in future workshops, in which experiences of different stakeholders are integrated in a way that makes possible to portray the situation from different perspectives. The workshop participants firstly develop in small groups a vision of the future state, in which the situation is imagined from the future perspective by considering which kind of problems they have at the moment and by which way the problems could be treated within a longer time perspective. Secondly, reflective thinking is promoted by letting each group at the time to present their ideas while others are listening. We have found that the development of mutual understanding between different stakeholders is a complex process that needs time. Even though the used dialogic method has shown to be promising, new ways to build communication and understanding between end-users, researchers and designers are needed.