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Design+

ARTICLE
Stakeholder identification through participatory

and speculative design: A case study

Davide M. Parrilli 1 * and Giulia Calabretta 2
1 UNIDCOM, Design and Communication Research Unit, IADE - Faculty of Design, Technology and
Communication, Universidade Europeia, Lisbon, Portugal
2 Department of Design, Organisation and Strategy (DOS), Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering,
Delft University of Technology, Delft, South Holland, Netherlands

Abstract
As organizations face increasingly complex and shifting stakeholder landscapes,
innovative methods are needed to identify and engage with both present and future
stakeholders. This article explores the integration of participatory and speculative
design approaches for stakeholder identification. Our case study was conducted
within an international organization focused on intellectual property protection, and it
addressed a critical organizational task: Identifying actual and potential stakeholders.
Traditional top-down approaches to stakeholder identification were found to be
limiting due to the evolving nature of stakeholder relationships. Therefore, we proposed
a design-led approach that involved participatory workshops and speculative thinking,
empowering the organization to maintain a dynamic stakeholder list in the future.
*Corresponding author: The project involved interviews with key staff, participatory workshops to identify and
Davide M. Parrilli prioritize values, and a speculative approach – the Stakeholder Mapping Cone – to
(davide.parrilli@ identify stakeholders and predict their future impact. By combining the creativity of
universidadeeuropeia.pt)
speculative design with the inclusivity of participatory methods, the project allowed
Citation: Parrilli DM, Calabretta G. the organization to identify existing stakeholders and envision potential future
Stakeholder identification through
participatory and speculative stakeholders. This research demonstrates that speculative and participatory design
design: A case study. Design+. are viable methods for stakeholder identification, offering innovative approaches
2025;2(3):025060011. that challenge conventional strategies and empower organizations to adapt to future
doi: 10.36922/DP025060011
challenges. It also introduces the need to explore how speculative design can evolve
Received: February 8, 2025 into operative speculative design thinking.
Revised: May 13, 2025
Accepted: May 23, 2025 Keywords: Participatory design; Speculative design; Stakeholder identification;
Published online: June 11, 2025 Strategy; Value
Copyright: © 2025 Author(s).
This is an Open-Access article
distributed under the terms
of the Creative Commons 1. Introduction
AttributionNoncommercial License,
permitting all non-commercial use, The constant transformation of society into a web of complex systems – where difficult-
distribution, and reproduction in any to-solve issues are the norm – has pushed the discipline and practice of design to
medium, provided the original work
1
is properly cited. change and evolve. In their 1973 seminal paper, Rittel and Webber coined the term
Publisher’s Note: AccScience “wicked problems” to describe challenges that lack straightforward solutions and
Publishing remains neutral with cannot be framed in terms of right or wrong. Over the past decades, the complexity
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional of our societies, governments, and businesses has only increased due to technological
affiliations. advancements, globalization, and the growing demands of diverse social groups for

Volume 2 Issue 3 (2025) 1 doi: 10.36922/DP025060011