Designed by end users: Meanings of technology in the case of everyday life with diabetes

Abstract

This paper presents end users' ability to work across boundaries in design. The point of departure is a research project in which 60 end users participated as co-designers of ICT to support their everyday lives with the chronic illness diabetes. In additional to a series of digital co-designs, 22 mock-ups designed by the end users emerged from the project. These mock-ups/end-user designs are analyzed, with a focus on boundaries. This design case presents end users' ability to create continuities across boundaries through their willingness to step into the unknown territory of ICT design and through their fusion of meanings of technology, diabetes, and everyday life experience in their designs. The paper concludes with reflections on engagement in boundary relations and call for embracing end users' contributions to design by focusing on horizontal and hybrid cooperations. © 2013 Springer-Verlag.