PKI: Crafting critical design

In this paper we discuss the value of an open, responsive research structure in the context of a multi faceted, critical design project that has participation at its core. Problems with data delivery rendered our original design research structure unviable. Turning to the crafts that underpinned our research enabled the emergence of a new-open and responsive-structure. As a direct result, we arrived at a number of unexpected, highly valuable outcomes. The contributions of this paper are fourfold: 1) we provide a 'live' story from research practice, within which, 2) we argue the usefulness of a core provocative question to ensure saliency of critical designs, 3) we demonstrate the value of unresolved prototypes in eliciting participant engagement, and 4) we discuss how craft can serve as method, technique and tool to scaffold an open, responsive research structure. A number of researchers have highlighted the need for documentation and reporting of design process [9, 20, 37, 42] including, specifically, in the context of critical design [6]. We respond to these calls.