The imagination and public participation: a Deweyan perspective on the potential of design innovation and participatory design in policy-making

Democratic practices remain an ongoing concern in Participatory Design (PD), with increasing focus being directed towards citizens’ roles formal decision-making processes. Linking to such concerns, this article explores the potential of John Dewey’s democratic vision as a political frame for PD. As means pursuing this, we reference Innovation research programme, which has, over last decade, investigated PD methods community contexts Scottish Highlands and Islands. Alongside also explore emerging public participation agenda policy-making. Noting some challenges relation agenda’s implementation, propose that design can play role helping realise it affords. To illustrate present exemplar case drawn from our programme and, doing so, demonstrate how allows us both rationalise past action prospect future activity policy-making concerns. conclude, outline what see be key value adopting Deweyan within general.