Citizens' advisory council actively shapes the intelligent suggestion system in the Kraft-Copilot project

The Kraft-Copilot project held a hands-on workshop with the citizens' advisory board on May 22, 2024. The project aims to develop and test an adaptive, gamified learning and networking platform in a participatory manner with young adult carers. To this end, various methods are used to generate knowledge together and develop technology in a participatory manner.

As part of the hands-on workshop, an adaptation of the techno-mimesis method (Dörrenbacher, Löffler, Hassenzahl 2020) was used to develop the platform's intelligent suggestion system in a participatory manner. The performative approach from human computer interaction research, in which designers embody and imitate the technology themselves, was developed and tested for the first time in the context of developing service robots.

How did the method work?

The citizens' advisory board took on the role of the technology and simulated the platform's suggestion system. All advisory board representatives developed suggestions for suitable support services for the individual situation of typical users (personas).

After talking about it, it was discussed why a certain offer fits a certain situation; which criteria were crucial for the selection, and which information about the persona and/or offer was necessary to prepare a suitable proposal.

What insights were gained?

It became clear that more information about the person to be supported may be necessary to make a tailor-made proposal. Decisive criteria for the selection of offers included the accessibility of the offers, the regionality, and the duration of the care activity. The findings from this participatory process were incorporated into the design of the proposal system.

The workshop shows how the participatory development of the suggestion system strengthens trust in the platform and promotes the acceptance and use of digital health interventions in the target group. Particular attention will be paid to the influence of the intelligent system on building trust.