Lived experience in deliberative forums: a matter of design

Abstract

Deliberative forums, including randomly selected minipublics, are increasingly expected to incorporate lived experience into democratic decision-making. Yet, without careful design, they risk marginalizing, extracting, or essentializing these experiences. This paper argues that scholars and practitioners of deliberative democracy can learn from other democratic practices in which lived experience has been a central concern. Focusing on participatory theatre, protest movements, and digital activism, it shows that, despite their different purposes and institutional designs, these practices have developed valuable ways of engaging with lived experience while reducing the risks of marginalization, extraction, and essentialization. Drawing on three examples from the UK, Brazil, and Finland, all focusing on mental health, the paper identifies design principles for deliberative forums that better support lived experience. It argues that taking lived experience seriously is ultimately a matter of design.