From Objects to Relations: Materially-Mediated Participation in Social Innovation

Abstract

Participatory design methods are widely used in social innovation to engage communities in addressing the challenges they face. However, these methods are often treated as neutral tools for collaboration, with limited attention to how they actively shape participation and the forms of knowledge that emerge from practice. This study examines how participatory design methods configure engagement through the lens of materially-mediated participation, asking how material mediation shapes participation and the knowledge produced in practice. Drawing on a qualitative, practice-based study of Solution Mapping workshops conducted in East Flores, Indonesia, the research analyzes the method-in-use across three stages: preparation, field engagement, and collective reflection. Rather than evaluating outcomes, this study focused on how methodological components, such as guides, notes, cards, and canvases, mediate interactions, distribute facilitative roles, and structure sensemaking among participants. The study found that material artifacts function as accessible entry points for participation, enabling engagement through tangible objects and observable practices. This object-centered orientation supports efficient interaction in time-constrained, community-based settings, where formal design language may be unfamiliar. Simultaneously, it introduces a shift from objects to relations that remain only partially articulated. While material practices are readily captured and shared, relational and systemic dimensions tend to remain implicit, revealing a form of epistemic filtering that is embedded within the method. Building on these insights, this study introduces materially-mediated participation as a conceptual lens to understand how participatory design methods both enable and constrain knowledge production in social innovation contexts. This perspective foregrounds the non-neutral role of methods in shaping participation and offers implications for designing participatory approaches that more effectively balance material accessibility with relational and systemic understanding.