MUST - a Method for Participatory Design

Abstract

The paper presents a conceptual framework and a coherent method for design in an organizational context within the PD tradition. The MUST method has been developed throughout 10 projects in Danish and American organizations, and it has recently been evaluated, and adopted by IT professionals within a large Danish organization. The method is based on thorough participation with users and managers, and it combines the use of ethnographic techniques and intervention. The paper describes the application area and perspective of the MUST method, presents six general principles on which the method is based. and describes five main activities providing a stepwise decision making process in relation to the overall design process. The paper concludes with a brief comparison of the MUST method with other approaches and by summing up the main points.