Conducting online participatory design from the United States with children in South Korea with a focus on cultural awareness

Participatory Design (PD) is a commonly used method in Western cultures with roots in Scandinavia. After the COVID-19 pandemic, many PD practitioners have transitioned to an online space, where researchers and participants from different geographical locations can co-design together. Yet, we do not fully understand how different cultures collide, mix and blend in the online co-design space. By understanding how one’s culture influences the participation of a child, researchers can better structure sessions to elicit diverse input. This study examines a case study of researchers and participants from South Korea and the United States co-designing together. Close analysis of video recordings, analytic memos, and parent/child interview data demonstrates the ways in which children participated in design sessions. Facilitators paid special attention to various cultural sensitivities. Applying the theory of cultural awareness from public health literature, we offer implications on how scholars who are not fully embedded in the culture where co-design happens can understand other cultural norms and in response, create spaces in which co-design can occur successfully despite different cultural norms. Our findings show how different parts of the ecological systems from ideology, education systems, and ethnicity all influence children’s participation in sessions.