Transformative Narratives: Fostering Ubuntu-Inspired Participatory Design Practices

Farao, Jaydon and Mthoko, Hafeni and Densmore, Melissa (2024) Transformative Narratives: Fostering Ubuntu-Inspired Participatory Design Practices, Proceedings of Participatory Design Conference 2024: Exploratory Papers and Workshops, 11-16 August 2024, Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia, PDC '24, 2, 107-113, Association for Computing Machinery.

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Abstract

Emerging within the diverse tapestry of African wisdom and knowledge, Ubuntu, a philosophy of shared humanity and interconnectedness, offers exciting pathways for transforming participatory design (PD) practices in the Global South. Beyond a mere call for inclusion, Ubuntu inspires decolonial approaches and has the potential for sustainable innovation in design that resonates with local contexts. While communal and indigenous philosophies have increasingly guided decolonial PD efforts, particularly in the Global South, Ubuntu presents a unique lens for embracing both practical methods and a shift towards interconnectedness as a design ethos. This exploratory paper proposes concrete Ubuntu-guided PD techniques, leveraging storytelling and shared narratives, to cultivate a deep sense of interconnectedness within PD research. By amplifying these modes of engagement, we pave the way for alternative, “otherwise” knowledge production and participatory approaches, and future explorations of other indigenous and decolonial philosophies in PD research.

Item Type:	Conference paper
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Ubuntu philosophy, decolonial design, participatory design, pluriversal design., storytelling
Subjects:	Human-centered computing > Human computer interaction (HCI) Human-centered computing > Human computer interaction (HCI) > HCI theory, concepts and models Human-centered computing > Interaction design > Interaction design process and methods > Participatory design
Alternate Locations:	https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/3661455.3669878
Date Deposited:	17 Oct 2025 06:27
Last Modified:	17 Oct 2025 06:27
URI:	https://pubs.cs.uct.ac.za/id/eprint/1769

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