Designing for Ownership in Participatory Design

Abstract

This paper explores how ownership is formed in participatory design projects and argues that ownership is not an automatic outcome of participation, but the result of genuine inclusion, agency, and shared power. While participatory design often positions ownership as a desirable goal, little attention is given to how it is fostered or what it actually entails. Drawing from Arnstein’s Ladder of Participation (1969, 2019) and the psychological theory of ownership (Pierce et al., 2001, 2003; Renz & Posthuma, 2023), this article examines how these frameworks intersect to shape participant experience. The analysis is grounded in a participatory design case study in Gothenburg, Sweden where the aim was to understand how residents can be engaged and involved in municipal urban projects. By mapping moments of inclusion and exclusion, the study reveals that ownership emerges when participants feel meaningfully involved in decisions and see tangible outcomes from their engagement. This paper contributes to design research by offering a more nuanced understanding of ownership as an affective and ethical dimension of participatory processes. It challenges designers to move beyond symbolic inclusion and consider how to intentionally design for ownership, recognizing its potential benefits and risks in long-term, community-centred projects.