DEPARTMENT: Labz
Human-Centered, Self-Improving Websites: Big Lab, Carnegie Mellon University
By Chaehyeon (Chae) Kim, January 2025
Articles Tagged: Human computer interaction (HCI)
Articles & Features
SECTION: Features
Challenging Ableism: A Critical Turn Toward Disability Justice in HCI
A reflection on our learnings from the CHI 2022 "Dreaming Disability Justice in HCI" workshop, and why we continue to call for disability justice, despite the limitations of how we practice it within academia and industry.
By Cella M. Sum, Franchesca Spektor, Rahaf Alharbi, Leya Breanna Baltaxe-Admony, Erika Devine, Hazel Anneke Dixon, Jared Duval, Tessa Eagle, Frank Elavsky, Kim Fernandes, Leandro S. Guedes, Serena Hillman, Vaishnav Kameswaran, Lynn Kirabo, Tamanna Motahar, Kathryn E. Ringland, Anastasia Schaadhardt, Laura Scheepmaker, Alicia Williamson, June 2024
Brain-Load, Stress Levels, and Visual Complexity: Digital Tools for the Detection of Intangible Human-Environment Interactions
How does the built environment affect our brain? The way we perceive our environments plays a crucial role in how our brains respond to cognitive load. Understanding the impact of spatial complexities on our cognitive processes could inform future design guidelines for more responsive environments.
By Mirna Zordan, Seungwoo Je, May 2024
Understanding Human-building Interactions Using Computing
Reconstructing the network of life from molecular data is a complicated task. How can computational algebraic geometry play a role?
By Bowen Du, May 2024
Developing Wearables and Environmental Sensor Systems for Studying Ecosystems
Patrick Chwalek's research is focused on understanding various ecosystems and the living organisms within them. He has been creating a range of systems and tools, including wearables and environmental sensor systems, for researchers to use in the wild. In this interview, Chwalek talks about his experiences of deploying these systems outside the laboratory and shares his insights gained from studying different environments.
By Cathy Mengying Fang, Patrick Chwalek, May 2024
COLUMN: Careers
Crafting a Career in HCI: Three Decades of Work
By Elizabeth Churchill, February 2024
COLUMN: User Account
From AI to AR: Spotlight on UIST 2023: Celebrating 36 Years of History
By Eric J. Gonzalez, February 2024
DEPARTMENT: Labz
Computing for Social Good: University of Florida
By Alaina Smith, Juan Gilbert, February 2024
COLUMN: INIT
Readying Robots for the Home: The Evolution of Human-Robot Interaction
By Safinah Ali, Daniella DiPaola, October 2023
SECTION: Features
Power, Equity, and Building Better Robots
As HRI researchers, designers, and developers we need to reflect on the ways that power pervades the social contexts we're designing for and in. What can we do, with the power we have as designers, to produce more equitable HRI?
By Katie Winkle, October 2023
DEPARTMENT: Back
Humanoid Robots in Healthcare: Synergy of Empathy and Innovation
By Zhongxuan He, October 2023
SECTION: Features
On the Relationship between HCI Researchers and Creators---Or How I Became a Toolsmith
Research on creativity support tools in human-computer interaction often focuses on novel interaction design, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. Let's dive deeper and help creative activities "in the wild."
By Jun Kato, June 2023
Remaking Everyday Objects for Physical Computing
We are surrounded by objects that have been designed and made for a wide range of purposes. Alongside the development of specialized electronic devices, we can look to these objects as a functional resource for tangible computing. By deconstructing such everyday objects and uncovering their structures, they become a material that can be remade into new physical interactive systems.
By Clement Zheng, June 2023
Interactive Murals: New Interactions and Educational Opportunities for Diverse Youth
Interactive murals integrate electronics into traditional murals to create a new kind of public art as well as a new kind of large-scale and community-situated technology. This article introduces interactive murals along with a set of activities designed to engage young people in technology and the arts. We describe the process and outcome of workshops in which a muralist, two interaction design researchers, and a group of diverse teenagers designed and built a large-scale interactive mural on the exterior wall of a local building.
By Alyshia Bustos, Nanibah Chacon, Leah Buechley, June 2023
Physical-Digital Programming
Scientists, artists, and engineers are innovating with digital fabrication machines, yet they lack effective tools to program machines for unconventional tasks. We argue for programming language foundations to empower these practitioners to build bespoke fabrication workflows for themselves.
By Jasper Tran O'Leary, Gabrielle Benabdallah, Nadya Peek, June 2023
COLUMN: User Account
Why Do We Need to Learn about Citational Practices? Recognizing Knowledge Production from the Global Souths and Beyond
How do you decide which papers to cite, how many, and from which particular sources? We reflect and discuss the implications of these critical questions based on our experiences in the panel and workshops on the topic of citational justice that took place at CSCW, CLIHC, and India HCI in 2021.
By Amy Ogan, Frederick van Amstel, Gabriela Molina León, Juan Fernando Maestre, Kristin Williams, Nicola J Bidwell, Pedro Reynolds-Cuéllar, Saiph Savage, Sushil Oswal, Vishal Sharma, April 2023
SECTION: Features
Using Generative AI to Cultivate Positive Emotions and Mindsets for Self-Development and Learning
The arrival of new generative AI tools is creating waves. Here are some ideas for how we could channel them for supporting self-development and learning.
By Joanne Leong, April 2023
SECTION: Features
Ideas from Actions, Alternative Anatomical Architectures
In this curation of his work, performance artist Stelarc, explains the process of extending his body and his self while exploring movement, sound, and autonomy.
By Stelarc, January 2023
SECTION: Features
Why you being WEIRD to me?
HCI researchers and practitioners of all backgrounds need to consider the role WEIRD-ness plays in HCI methods, research, and communities and the impact that has on marginalized communities.
By Leslie Coney, July 2022
Machine learning fairness in big tech
Auriel Wright talks about her work on advancing fairness and equity in computer vision at Google.
By Adinawa Adjagbodjou, July 2022
Decoloniality in computing
This interview explores the relationship between social computing technology and decolonization and the relationship between coloniality and computing research.
By Jordan Taylor, July 2022
SECTION: Features
AI and essential labor
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, "essential work" became a calling card for the labor that kept the country running. But the activity of essential workers often occurs out of sight. For example, the products of waste workers are everywhere---clean floors, sanitized tables, objects made from recycled plastics---though workers themselves are often behind the scenes.
By Franchesca Spektor, Estefania Rodriguez, Samantha Shorey, Sarah Fox, January 2022
SECTION: Features
Designing technology that promotes users' digital wellbeing
Existing tools for digital self-control strongly rely on users' self-regulation strategies and capabilities. Recent work, however, highlights the importance of proactively assisting users in learning how to use technology through customizable and adaptable interventions.
By Alberto Monge Roffarello, Luigi De Russis, September 2021
Using sensors to measure inbox stress
Email notifications are constantly calling for our attention, and the volume of emails is ever-increasing. A research group at the University of California, Irvine explores how managing the inbox affects stress for different working populations.
By Fatema Akbar, September 2021
Toward a more empathic relationship between humans and computing systems
How might computing support us in becoming our better, more emotionally resilient selves? We explore this in an interview with the team from Microsoft Research's Human Understanding and Empathy group.
By Xuhai Xu, Karan Ahuja, Jasmine Lu, Mary Czerwinski, Jina Suh, Gonzalo Ramos, September 2021
Envisioning alternative relationships with the environment through computational design
Climate change is one symptom reflecting a larger problem of how we humans view ourselves as separate from the environment. How can computation and design help us expand our perception so we can better attend to the natural world?
By Malika Khurana, June 2021
Man on the moon (1969), women on the web (1991 and still going strong)
Whatever you do in your life, you can bring it all together to find your place. This is a story about the twists and turns of life---from architecture to HCI.
By Jeni Paay, March 2021
The shape of our feminisms
Understanding agency and empowerment outside the Global North.
By Maryam Mustafa, March 2021
HCI education of choice
This article is from the perspective of an Egyptian HCI educator who explores "designing" inclusive designers, and how decolonial thinking can address inclusion in HCI education as one possible critical lens.
By Shaimaa Lazem, March 2021
The usability and digitalization of healthcare
As interaction researchers strive to make sense of the forest, they should not lose sight of the trees.
By Christofer Rydenfält, Johanna Persson, April 2020
Future assistive devices: What's at stake for you or me?
In the future, small portable devices will be available for all kinds of purposes, not least as a support for people with different kinds of impairments. But is this purely a good development or are there possible dangers? In the latter case, how can we find a proper balance?
By Lars Oestreicher, September 2019
"But why?" Understanding explainable artificial intelligence
Opaque algorithms get to score and choose in many areas using their own inscrutable logic. To whom are said algorithms held accountable? And what is being done to ensure explainability of these algorithms?
By Tim Miller, April 2019
DEPARTMENT: Blogs
A world full of emojis
The XRDS blog highlights a range of topics from conference coverage, to security and privacy, to CS theory. Selected blog posts, edited for print, are featured in every issue. Please visit xrds.acm.org/blog to read each post in its entirety. If you are interested in joining as a student blogger, please contact us.
By Maria Gaci, January 2019
SECTION: Features
The search for my computer science
A journey spanning Nigeria, the United States, and Tanzania, is one woman's search for meaning and validation as a computer scientist.
By Judith Uchidiuno, October 2018
Computer scientists in action: Sauvik Das, usable security & privacy
By Sauvik Das, October 2018
Computer scientists in action: Lining Yao, fabrication
By Lining Yao, October 2018
Can we build the cyborg future we all deserve?
Knowing who we represent in HCI helps us understand what is at stake. Intersectionality can help us do better.
By Ari Schlesinger, December 2017
COLUMN: INIT
Incentives and Gamification
By Yannai A. Gonczarowski, Gustavo F. Tondello, September 2017
SECTION: Features: Motivating Participation
Games user research and gamification in human-computer interaction
Video games inspire new tools for creating engaging user experiences.
By Lennart E. Nacke, September 2017
Gamified and persuasive systems as behavior change agents for health and wellness
Gameful elements and persuasive strategies can motivate and encourage people to take charge of their health and achieve their ultimate wellness goal.
By Dennis L. Kappen, Rita Orji, September 2017