Varanasi, U., Šerpytytė, R., and Olsson, T. (2026) Frictions and constraints of institutioning: Facilitating equitable participatory design with migrants in municipalities, in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
Abstract
Applying participatory design in the public sector is both challenged and fuelled by the diversity and dynamism of changing populations, particularly with institutions looking to engage and integrate their migrant residents. We examine the capabilities of Participatory Design (PD) in a Finnish municipality, providing empirical evidence of the frictions and constraints of institutioning efforts towards equitable participation. Through the lens of institutioning, we analyse the political and social nature of institutional participatory approaches by the municipality. By engaging NGOs as civic intermediaries in between migrants and the public sector, we unpack the metacultural discourses, institutional strategies and policies that may promote or hinder participatory efforts by the city. Analysing the frictions in institutioning participation, we posit learnings for how PD practitioners can understand and mitigate the related challenges.