I am interested in the topic of participation, particularly in the way civic participation intersects with participation in the design of digital services and technology. I am curious about possibilities for commons-based and communal IT as well as understanding the processes of participatory IT design as they unfold over time. Empirically, I have studied the way groups of citizens self-organize around topics of interests, how they use information technologies for that purpose, and what type of design work is at hand in such configurations. My theoretical and conceptual framework draws from Scandinavian participatory design, design research, civic participation, the commons, and computer supported collaborative work. I am working with concepts such as artifact ecologies, infrastructures/infrastructuring, and commons/commoning. I usually follow an ethnographic approach, often combined with participatory design interventions, to collect rich qualitative data. 

In terms of societal and industry impact, I aim through my research to bring forward a democratic sensitivity to the design of digital services and IT and digitalisation more broadly, in and across the private and public sectors, highlighting the need to engage people as citizens that have agency in shaping their digital landscapes. I am also interested in what could the role of the participatory design researcher be in such contexts.

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@jsaadsu