So, what’s a provocateur?
A provocateur is a role within a design or co-design crew. Provocateurs come with different views to many professionals and long-time advocates in a context. While professionals and people with lived/living experience can be provocative, this is a deliberately separate role.
“Provocateurs don’t come with an obvious agenda, such as selling their consulting services or product. They must have some power literacy and be able to practise the mindsets for co-design. Provocateurs are part of the team; they don’t come to ‘fix’ marginalised people.”
Links to words and concepts:
Power literacy (self-awareness) ⚡
⁉️ Why do we need this role?
When we bring together professionals and people with lived experience, it’s often clear who is from what background. Provocateurs introduce a ‘buffer’ to soften power differences. Because many people with lived experience have less power than professionals (notably decision-making power), they are often less able to contribute to discussions and challenge professionals. That can include asking professionals to be more precise and avoid speaking in slogans (for example, ‘We need a holistic approach’), or challenging professionals who make unhelpful generalisations, use dated language or who talk about people in a deficit-focused or demeaning way.
“Provocation is different from agitation. Provocateurs don’t upset others or derail the process.”
🧏 What are the qualities of a good provocateur?
people who are outside the context you are working in
people who are committed to curiosity and compassion
people who don’t come with a solution in mind
people who can challenge professionals (even those with high positional power)
people who are critical and creative thinkers
people who notice the gaps in what people say, do and believe.
🔎 Where can I find a provocateur?
Certain people – such as artists, social and community workers, some social scientists and creatives – tend to have more of the capabilities above. I’ve also found great provocateurs in pastors, zookeepers, florists and campaigners. Most often, I recruit from my network – through friends and colleagues. I find that this enables a better curation of the overall co-design team (you know who you’re getting) and can help to guard against rogue provocateurs.