Abstract
This research explores how participatory design can transform the image into a polyvocal and co-created form of representation. Working with Southeast and East Asian migrant mothers, the project positions participants as co-designers who actively shape both the narrative and visual dimensions of their stories. The image, in this context, is no longer a static artefact but an evolving medium—one that emerges through collective authorship, cultural dialogue, and shared interpretation. Through participatory workshops, collaborative mapping, and iterative visual experimentation, the research investigates how personal narratives of motherhood and migration can be translated into layered visual forms. These may include composite photographs, interactive data visuals, or digital interfaces that merge voice, image, and motion. Each artefact reflects multiple perspectives and negotiations of identity, revealing how images can hold and express contradictions, emotions, and hybrid cultural experiences. Polyvocality operates as both a methodological and aesthetic principle. It challenges singular portrayals of motherhood and resists dominant visual conventions by amplifying diverse voices within a shared visual field. The project proposes that when images are co-designed, they become spaces of negotiation—dynamic and relational, rather than representational or fixed. Ultimately, this research reimagines the image’s form as participatory, polyphonic, and transformative. By weaving together participatory design and polyvocal storytelling, it seeks to expand the image’s potential as a medium for empathy, agency, and cultural connection across digital and social contexts.
Presenters
Tammie LeongSenior Lecturer, Art and Design Department, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
PARTICIPATORY DESIGN, POLYVOCALLITY, COLLECTIVE REPRESENTATION, MIGRANT MOTHERHOOD, INTERACTIVE NARRATIVE, REFLEXIVE
