Guerrilla Research Actions for Reflexivity: Engaging Design Communities in Informal Spaces of Dialogue and Self-positioning

In the contemporary landscape marked by systemic crises and com- plex interdependencies, participatory design faces the critical task of cultivating designers’ consciousness regarding their roles, privi- leges, and relational positions. This paper investigates reflective, positional, and relational practices implemented through a Guerrilla Research Action at Politecnico di Milano. By situating an anony- mous, interactive installation within everyday spaces of the campus, the action facilitated self-reflection among participants, including students, professors, professionals, and visitors, on personal and professional identities, team dynamics, and systemic power struc- tures. Conceived as a form of participation in the broadest sense, the guerrilla action invited participants to engage in a process of auto-ethnographic reflection - a situated inquiry into one’s own positioning and identity within design processes. Rather than fo- cusing on pragmatic toolkits for co-design facilitation, this research highlights the significance of designerly reflexivity before, during, and after participatory engagements. Insights gathered from par- ticipant interactions underscore the transformative potential of reflective practices in enhancing designers’ awareness, empathy, and responsibility. In this sense, the guerrilla action serves as a micro-infrastructure enabling recognition across differences, con- tributing to the discourse on participatory design as a relational process that fosters inclusion and equity through heightened self- awareness and systemic thinking.