An intuitive heuristic tool for participation in technical decision-making

an empirical study in a rural settlement in the semi-arid region of the state of Rio Grande do Norte

Abstract

This article investigates the extent to which an intuitive heuristic tool can broaden the participation of non-specialists in technical decisions—a dimension that remains comparatively underexplored in participatory design processes. The aim was to develop, apply, and evaluate a tool to integrate these participants into a project's technical decision-making. The research consisted of an empirical-experimental study conducted at the Agrovila Santa Luzia–Modelo II rural settlement in the municipality of João Câmara, state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, focusing on the design of small-scale production-support equipment using roundwood from the Caatinga. The methodology combined reference studies, scale-model making, tool development, and participatory charrette-style workshops. The results demonstrate participants’ agency in decisions concerning stability, alignment, bracing, base reinforcement, and load-bearing capacity, as well as a reduction in barriers associated with technical representation. It is concluded that the tool has the potential to broaden social participation intuitively in the technical decisions of a design project, demonstrating the viability of heuristic devices as forms of sociotechnical mediation in professionally assisted participatory processes.