Abstract
This paper presents the methodological framework of an ongoing design research project focused on cultural creation in rural contexts. It structures the design work that precede co-creation workshops, including the design of tools, participant criteria, session formats and preliminary analyses to understand community needs. Based on design research in rural regions of Aragón (Spain), the study integrates human-centred and community-based design to adapt participatory processes to low-density territories. Initial results include a mapping of key actors, a first set of metrics for evaluating participation and collaboration, and the identification of gaps that justify a specific methodological guide for rural cultural projects. The paper contributes to debates on how design research can scaffold ethical, inclusive, and context-specific processes, and shows how it can support social change by connecting cultural rights, territorial justice, and innovation for sustainable rural development.
Keywords
participatory design; rural innovation; preliminary design; methodological framework
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.1452
Citation
Sanz Segura, R., Gallina, G., Manchado Pérez, E., and López Forniés, I. (2026) From values to metrics: A methodological framework for early-stage design of rural cultural project, in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.1452
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Included in
From values to metrics: A methodological framework for early-stage design of rural cultural project
This paper presents the methodological framework of an ongoing design research project focused on cultural creation in rural contexts. It structures the design work that precede co-creation workshops, including the design of tools, participant criteria, session formats and preliminary analyses to understand community needs. Based on design research in rural regions of Aragón (Spain), the study integrates human-centred and community-based design to adapt participatory processes to low-density territories. Initial results include a mapping of key actors, a first set of metrics for evaluating participation and collaboration, and the identification of gaps that justify a specific methodological guide for rural cultural projects. The paper contributes to debates on how design research can scaffold ethical, inclusive, and context-specific processes, and shows how it can support social change by connecting cultural rights, territorial justice, and innovation for sustainable rural development.