Children-as-design-partners work sits in the participatory design tradition of co-creating with users. Working with children depends on understanding their goals, language and constraints rather than adult proxies. A structured process reference for planning partner sessions and turning them into design decisions. Practical framing for research-led iteration when partners include children and caregivers.
People
Janet Read
Methods
User InterviewsUser interviews explore people’s circumstances, experiences and needs through a guided conversation. Use them when you need to understand a problem in depth or learn how a service fits into someone’s life. Recruit current or likely users, prepare open questions and possible follow-ups, and ask for concrete examples rather than idealised accounts. Start with consent, listen carefully, and allow useful unexpected topics to emerge. A discussion guide keeps the research focused without turning it into a rigid questionnaire. Interviews can accompany usability tests when you also need to observe people using a service.
Ethnographic ResearchStudying people in real contexts — homes, workplaces, clinics — to understand culture, practices and constraints. Immersion and observation reveal what people actually do, not only what they say.
Workshop FacilitationWorkshop facilitation guides a group towards a shared outcome without imposing the facilitator’s preferred answer. Define the purpose, prepare activities and materials, and create opportunities for everyone to contribute. Combine individual thinking with discussion when helpful, listen for different perspectives and adjust the plan to the group’s needs. Record decisions and clarify who will take the next steps. Use facilitation when a team must explore a problem, generate ideas or agree actions together; successful participation matters as much as the visible workshop outputs.