Future newspapers as a participatory design tool for Chinese rural service innovation

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.