User gains and PD aims

We present a study of user gains from their participation in a participatory design (PD) project at Danish primary schools. We explore user experiences and reported gains from the project in relation to the multiple aims of PD, based on a series of interviews with pupils, teachers, administrators, and consultants, conducted approximately three years after the end of the project. In particular, we reflect on how the PD initiatives were sustained after the project had ended. We propose that not only are ideas and initiatives disseminated directly within the organization, but also through networked relationships among people, stretching across organizations and project groups. Moreover, we demonstrate how users' gains related to their acting within these networks. These results suggest a heightened focus on the indirect and distributed channels through which the long-term impact of PD emerges.