Participatory Design for Positive Impact: Behind the Scenes of Three NLP Projects

AbstractResearchers in Natural Language Processing (NLP) are increasingly adopting participatory design (PD) principles to better achieve positive outcomes for stakeholders. This paper evaluates two PD perspectives proposed by Delgado et al. (2023) and Caselli et al. (2021) as interpretive and planning tools for NLP research. We reflect on our experiences adopting PD practices in three NLP projects that aim to create positive impact for different communities, and that span different domains and stages of NLP research. We assess how our projects align with PD goals and use these perspectives to identify the benefits and challenges of PD in NLP research. Our findings suggest that, while Caselli et al. (2021) and Delgado et al. (2023) provide valuable guidance, their application in research can be hindered by existing NLP practices, funding structures, and limited access to stakeholders. We propose that researchers adapt their PD praxis to the circumstances of specific projects and communities, using them as flexible guides rather than rigid prescriptions.