How Do Future Visions Shape the Field of Human-Computer Interaction?

Paper Title

How Do Future Visions Shape the Field of Human-Computer Interaction?

Publication Info

• Topic area: The influence of future visions on Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) research practices and paradigms.
• Keywords: Human-Computer Interaction, visions, Ubiquitous Computing, Tangible Interfaces, critical reflection, survey methodology, paradigms, pitfalls, benefits.

Background and Problem

• Problem / challenge: While visions for the future of computing are widely cited and influential, little is known about their practical value for HCI research or how researchers engage with them.
• Significance: Understanding the role of visions is crucial for guiding research, shaping paradigms, and addressing potential pitfalls in HCI, which is inherently future-oriented.
• Motivation and related work: Prior works have critiqued specific visions like Ubiquitous Computing and explored their rhetorical and cultural impacts. However, systematic insights into how HCI researchers use and perceive visions in their everyday practice remain lacking.

Solution

• Proposed approach: A survey of 172 HCI researchers to investigate their attitudes, uses, and critiques of visions in their research.
• Novelty:
  1. Identification of six benefits and five pitfalls of visions in HCI research.
  2. Distinction between uppercase Visions (field-shaping) and lowercase visions (design-oriented).
  3. Framework of tensions between benefits and pitfalls for critical reflection.
  4. Analysis of personal visions formulated by researchers.
• Procedure and key techniques:
  • Recruitment of CHI 2025 authors (4974 invitations sent, 172 completed responses).
  • Survey questions covering importance, influence, and practices around visions.
  • Open coding and affinity diagramming for qualitative data analysis.
  • Quantitative analysis of Likert-scale responses.

Results

• Concrete findings:
  • 85% of respondents agreed that visions play an important role in HCI research.
  • 75% rated specific visions as important or very important for their own research.
  • Six benefits identified: guidance, paradigm initiation, perspective, drive, narrative, and critical reflection.
  • Five pitfalls identified: restriction, misdirection, disregard for real problems, uncritical acceptance, and hype.
  • 27% of respondents had formulated personal visions, with many inspired by existing visions like Ubiquitous Computing and Tangible Interfaces.
• Advantage over baselines: Provides a systematic account of how visions influence HCI researchers, complementing prior critiques with empirical data and actionable insights.
• Experiments / evaluation:
  • Survey methodology with 172 respondents.
  • Analysis of responses to open-ended questions and Likert-scale ratings.
  • Identification of recurring visions and personal vision themes.
• Limitations and future work:
  • Potential bias due to the working definition of visions provided in the survey.
  • Overrepresentation of European respondents.
  • Limited depth in personal vision descriptions due to survey constraints.
  • Future work proposed: interviews with respondents, critical reading frameworks, and systematic approaches to vision engagement.

Summary

This study investigates the role of future visions in shaping HCI research, revealing their dual nature as both beneficial and potentially harmful. Six benefits and five pitfalls were identified, along with tensions between them, highlighting the need for critical reflection in engaging with visions. The survey results show that visions are central to HCI research practices, influencing paradigms, inspiring researchers, and guiding field-wide directions. However, concerns about uncritical acceptance, misdirection, and hype underscore the importance of developing vision-critical practices. The findings call for systematic approaches to critically engage with visions, including frameworks for reading, teaching, and public debate.