Abstract
This paper presents a process called Future Newspapers, which aims to advance Participatory Design (PD) practices in rural China. The study draws on a service design project in a Chinese village to develop new revitalization strategies. In the project, 57 villagers organized into five social groups representing various backgrounds created five sets of future news reports of their village in the People’s Daily in 2030. The results show that the characteristics of newspaper journalism align with key service design principles, rendering Future Newspapers a distinctive PD tool. This tool could provide a framework for participants to develop and evaluate concepts for service and strategic innovation, even if they have no prior design knowledge. Moreover, it enables designers to establish a common language with the public sector. In essence, the paper highlights the role of Future Newspapers in facilitating inclusive and efficient service innovation and development of Chinese villages.
Disclosure statement
There are no competing interests to declare.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Ziwei Lin
Ziwei Lin is a PhD candidate at Service Futures Lab, the University of the Arts London, where her research interests revolve around Participatory Design, Speculative Design, and Service Design in the public sector. She is dedicated to advancing design practices that have a profound societal impact.
Yiying Wu
Bow Yiying Wu is a Lecturer in Social Design at the University of Sydney, School of Architecture, Planning and Design. Before moving to Australia, she worked at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Aalto University. Her research interests are design anthropology, design fiction.