This article presents a systematic literature review to identify trends towards opening up the social function of museums to participatory processes, as a framework of opportunity for design. We structure the literature review in three stages: identifying and analysing the most relevant literature, establishing the main approaches of participation mediated by design in museography processes from a social perspective, and present trends for future research. As a result, we present a characterization of the relationship between design and museum in social processes and an approach to the concepts of community and participation. Likewise, we analyse the trends that visibilise the potential of design to promote collaboration and dialogue processes between institutional and community voices due to identity processes. Finally, we identify the contribution that design has made through reflection, representation and construction of new narratives that link cultural heritage with the lived reality of the communities from processes based on plurality, collective construction, and power relations.