The objective of this paper is to discuss a possible dilemma that researchers can experience participating in development processes as both member of a studied society and as a researcher. There are methodological and ethical issues involved, opening up for challenging questions. Some of there topics were researched in a project where ad-hoc or ‘intuitive methods’ formed a platform for reflection. Aforementioned project, presented in this article, delivered several concepts for a comminication platform. The result was not specifically innovative per se. A far more interesting result was the lessons learned and the knowledge about new methods and roles of participation that was gained during the process.