Bjerknes, G., & Bratteteig, T. (1987). Florence in Wonderland: System development with nurses. In G. Bjerknes, P. Ehn, & M. Kyng (Eds.), Computers and Democracy - A Scandinavian Challenge (pp. 279-295). Aldershot, England: Avebury. (edit)

This article uses a metaphor to illustrate a participative design process. A conversation between a nurse and a computer scientist describes some of the activities that formed part of the process. The major goal of the activities is the mutual learning that took place. The metaphor of “Florence” in “Wonderland” reflects the experience of the nurse “Florence” as she entered the “Wonderland” of nursing computer systems design. The metaphor is used again to summarize the nurse’s experience of feeling that she “didn’t even know what game was being play. When she found out that the game resembled croquet, she tried to apply the croquet rules she already knew. That is, she tried to apply system development methods. But it turned out that not all of the rules were valid …”. All of the participants “met surprises where they didn’t expect them” and they “experienced that well-known things are not what they seem to be”. -- Jeanie Wright (2003)