This dissertation brings attention to the communication processes taking place during design of an Idea Zone at a science center. It focuses on the conceptual phase of design, during which designers seek to integrate the ideas and needs of stakeholders into design processes through such frameworks as Participatory Design (PD). In bringing a focus on communication process to conceptual design frameworks such as PD, I explore the assumed roles behind participatory design processes and the contexts created through those processes during actual design work. As these Idea Zone design efforts took place in a museum and also within the context of an ongoing action research program there, I explored the organizational challenges of cultivating spaces and conversations where designers, community members, researchers, and other participants cooperatively explored contexts and spaces for jointly designing together. A central assertion of this work is that the World Café, a designed discussion format, fits with the needs of a science center for inviting community participation in design processes. A related goal of this work was to test that assertion not as a success or failure but as an emergent and contingent process requiring changes and course adjustments through reflective practice. To do this, my central method was an ethnographic engagement in the spirit of action research where with the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) in Tampa, Florida I planned for and hosted a series of World Cafés revolving around design of an Idea Zone in the science center. Café participants included MOSI leadership and board members, designers, community members, University of South Florida (USF) students, museum staff, and other stakeholders. Data sources from the World Café included the Café planning efforts, conversations and other data generated during the Cafés themselves, as well as organizational outcomes from hosting the Cafés. Outcomes in this sense might include, for example, the potential for future Cafés around design of the Idea Zone or how what is learned in the Café becomes integrated into other Idea Zone design processes or everyday organizational contexts such as meetings at MOSI. In addition to the Café and as part of understanding Café outcomes, I also drew from data generated through follow-up interviews I conducted with Café participants including designers, community members, and others. Finally, I drew upon ethnographic data generated through my observations and interactions within the Idea Zone and the larger scene of MOSI, ranging from everyday conversations with museum visitors to the possibility of performances in the space. With this research we (MOSI, the MOSI community, and I) learned together 1) how assumptions and issues of participation play out during group communication processes in the conceptual phase of design, 2) about ways of engaging in ethically challenging work of designing group communication processes for design, 3) how generative metaphors for the group communication process might emerge from the World Café that foster flexible and inviting space for participatory design, and 4) how each of these local questions related to designing communication for design of the Idea Zone play out within the larger organizational context of MOSI specifically and science centers more broadly. Key outcomes from these four research questions include practical contributions to design for learning spaces in MOSI, how the World Café fits with Participatory Design processes at a science center and also potential redesigns for the future, how the World Café metaphor became a way to rapidly prototype new museum experiences, and how democratic invitations offered by MOSI to the community brought about creative possibilities for community design of the Idea Zone and for staff to engage in designing MOSI's broader organizational processes of change.

Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att få en större förståelse för vilka tankar och känslor kommunikationsansvariga i åtta svenska kommuner har kring begreppet ”kommunikativ organisation”, om och i sådana fall hur begreppet ”kommunikativ organisation” och forskning kring begreppet påverkar hur man planerar för och arbetar med sin kommunikation samt vem som gynnas av begreppet ”kommunikativ organisation”. Fokus i denna studie ligger på att undersöka tankar kring den ”kommunikativa organisationen” (Heide et al, 2019) men också på om och i sådana fall på vilket sätt den kommunikativa organisationen skiljer sig från andra liknande organisationsetiketter, till exempel den lyssnande organisationen, den innovativa organisationen eller organisationen som baseras på tillitsbaserad styrning (Bringselius, 2017).  Frågeställningar:  Hur tänker kommunikationsansvariga kring begreppet ”kommunikativ organisation”? Påverkar forskningen kring begreppet ”kommunikativ organisation” hur man planerar för organisationens kommunikation? Skiljer sig begreppet ”kommunikativ organisation” från andra organisationsetiketter? Vilka professioner gynnas av just begreppet ”kommunikativ organisation”? Teorier: Studien ingår främst i det kommunikationsteorietiska forskningsfältet och fokuserar mer specifikt på begreppen ”kommunikativ organisation” (Heide et al, 2019). Studiens teoretiska ramverk utgörs av Heides sju steg för en kommunikativ organisation samt forskning kring organisationsbegrepp och professionsforskning med fokus på kommunikatörer. Dessa teorier stödjer denna studies resultat och analys genom att åskådliggöra på vilket sätt ett begrepp påverkar hur de intervjuade kommunikationsansvariga benämner, strukturerar, paketerar och arbetare med sina organisationers kommunikation. Metod: För denna studie har ett operationaliseringsschema utifrån studiens syfte och frågeställningar kopplat till det teoretiska ramverket för begreppet ”kommunikativ organisation”, organisationsteori och professionsforskning satts upp. Därefter har individuella kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer med kommunikationsansvariga på åtta svenska kommuner genomförts. Efter genomförda intervjuer har insamlad data transkriberats och bearbetats genom kodning i analysprogrammet NVivo. Där har olika teman framträtt och utifrån detta har analys och diskussion samt slutsats arbetats fram. Slutsats: Ingen av de tillfrågade kommunikationsansvariga i de åtta kommunerna säger sig ha infört eller ha planer på att införa den ”kommunikativa organisationen” till punkt och pricka så som den beskrivs i forskningen (Heide et al, 2019). Det vill säga ingen av de intervjuade kommunerna hade någon form av styrande dokument eller plan för samtliga sju delar som slutrapporten ”Den kommunikativa organisationen” ställer upp för att man ska vara en kommunikativ organisation. Flera av de tillfrågade kommunerna säger sig dock arbeta med forskningsmaterialet som underlag för att vidareutveckla kommunens kommunikation och samtliga säger att det är viktigt och att man vill vara en kommunikativ organisation. / Purpose: The purpose of this study is to gain a greater understanding of what thoughts and feelings communication managers in eight Swedish municipalities have about the concept of "communicative organization", if and in such cases how the concept of "communicative organization" and research on the concept affect how one plans for and works with their communication and who benefits from the concept of "communicative organization". The focus of this study is on examining thoughts about the "communicative organization" (Heide et al, 2019) but also on whether and in such cases how the communicative organization differs from other similar "organizational labels"; for example, the listening organization, the innovative organization or the organization based on trust-based governance (Bringselius, 2017). Research question:  What do communication managers think about the concept of "communicative organization"? Does research on the concept of "communicative organization" affect how to plan for the organization's communication? Does the term "communicative organization" differ from other "organizational labels"? Which professions benefit from the very concept of "communicative organization"? Theories: The study is primarily part of the communication theory field of research and focuses more specifically on the concepts of "communicative organization" (Heide et al, 2019). The theoretical framework of the study consists of Heide's seven steps for a communicative organization as well as research on organizational definitions and profession research with a focus on communicators. These theories support this study's results and analysis by illustrating how a concept affects how the interviewed communication managers name, structure, package and work with their organizations' communications. Method: For this study, an operationalization schedule based on the purpose and questions of the study linked to the theoretical framework for the concept of "communicative organization", organizational theory and professional research has been set up. Since then, individual qualitative semi-structured interviews with communication managers at eight Swedish municipalities have been conducted. Since then, individual qualitative semi-structured interviews with communication managers at eight Swedish municipalities have been conducted. After conducting interviews, collected data has been transcribed and processed by coding in the analysis program NVivo. There, different themes have emerged and from this analysis and discussion and conclusion have been developed. Conclusion: None of the communications managers surveyed in the eight municipalities claim to have introduced or have plans to introduce “the communicative organization” to the letter as described in the research (Heide et al, 2019). That is, none of the municipalities interviewed had any kind of governing document or plan for all seven parts that the final report "The communicative organization" sets up for being a communicative organization. However, several of the municipalities surveyed say they are working with the research material as a basis for further developing the municipality's communication and all say that this is important and that they want to be a communicative organization.