User participation and the role of information and communication technology

Office workers are hardly ever involved in the design of their buildings. Buildings, therefore, do not match the needs of the users. Today, more and more designers and managers are involving users in the design process. This paper describes different approaches to user involvement and the way ICT can be useful for each level of involvement. ICT can be used as a tool to inform users, to facilitate the participation of users and to create commitment. The paper ends with a discussion on when and how user participation and ICT should be used.