Activity analysis in participatory design and analysis of participatory design activity

Most ergonomic publications from French-speaking countries refer to Activity Analysis as the core of their rationale and their methodological approach (De Keyser, 1991; Wisner, 1989). On the other hand, the same ergonomists are increasingly involved in the participatory approaches to industrial design processes. The aim of this paper is to discuss some questions, or even some paradoxes, raised by this development: (1) To what extent can any reference to Activity Analysis be useful when design is concerned, since activity in future situations cannot be observed? (2) Is ergonomic Activity Analysis necessary when a participatory approach is involved, assuming the fact that the workers involved know everything about their own work? (3) Is there no contradiction between Activity Analysis as a bottom-up approach, and systemic design, which is more a top-down process (Hendrick, 1993)? This contribution is based on two long-term participatory interventions in the design of complete plants that are fully presented and discussed elsewhere (Daniellou and Garrigou, 1990; Daniellou et al., 1990). Section 1 discusses the role of Activity Analysis in a participatory design process. Section 2 presents the results of an a posteriori analysis of the participatory process in one of the two interventions.