Revisiting and Broadening the Meta-Design Framework for End-User Development

Our contribution will review, analyze, discuss, and synthesize the research work done over the last 10 years exploring meta-design as a major framework for end-user development (EUD). The overriding perspective of our approach is grounded in the basic assumptions that (1) designers can prompt and support change in a community of practice, but they cannot predetermine it and (2) design and use mutually shape one another in iterative, social processes. The chapter argues and provides evidence that EUD should not be restricted to create new technologies but its most important and far-reaching impact will be to transform cultures by empowering all people to become active contributors in personally meaningful activities. The individual sections discuss and describe our basic framework, EUD applications in different domains, new conceptual developments that broadened the concept of meta-design, the identification of design trade-offs and drawbacks, and design guidelines. All of these activities have contributed to revisiting and broadening the meta-design framework for end-user development.