Looking inside the VR Music Scene: Mapping Platforms, Events and PeopleMusic is increasingly performed and experienced in Social Virtual Reality (Social VR), from VRChat raves to high-production concerts on bespoke platforms. Yet Human-Computer-Interaction (HCI) research still focuses mainly on building new VR systems rather than examining the communities that already create and sustain these practices. We present a cultural mapping of the Social VR music scene based on 84 survey responses, 27 interviews, and 17 event observations with diverse stakeholders, including audience members, musicians, developers, platform owners, and event organisers. We found that the scene operates as a fragmented cross-platform ecosystem sustained by user-generated infrastructure and continuous community labour. The bottom-up organisation produces role fluidity with individuals dynamically shifting between roles as performers, world builders, organisers, and audience members. However, the openness that enables this creativity also creates tensions between expectations of free access and the financial and emotional labour required to keep events running. Taken together, our findings reveal the vibrant cultural practices that continue to flourish in Social VR, even as corporate narratives declare the ``metaverse'' dead.2026SPSophia Ppali et al.CYENS Centre of ExcellenceSocial & Collaborative VRImmersion & Presence ResearchMusic Composition & Sound Design ToolsCHI
When the World Opens up: Journeys of People with Intellectual Disabilities in Social Virtual RealityAdults with intellectual disabilities (ID) face systemic social exclusion that narrows autonomy and life opportunities. While social virtual reality (VR) offers a powerful medium for identity expression and community belonging, research often adopts a remedial paradigm, focusing on training functional skills in scripted environments. This paper challenges this deficit-based model by treating social VR as an open world for participation. Following 11 adults with ID across multi-session engagements with VRChat, we employed an adaptive, relational method to scaffold participant leadership. Findings reveal that participants used the platform for interest-driven discovery, sustained through interdependent care webs. Crucially, the study demonstrates how social VR supports transferable confidence and emerging digital citizenship, enabling some users to transition from novices to community leaders. We contribute six Disability Justice-aligned design principles articulating a \textit{world-making paradigm} that reorients Human-Computer Interaction toward supporting personhood and self-determination in mainstream digital publics.2026ACAlexandra Covaci et al.University of KentSocial & Collaborative VRIdentity & Avatars in XRCognitive Impairment & Neurodiversity (Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia)CHI
When Your Therapist Is an Algorithm: Understanding the Role of AI in Mental Health Mobile ApplicationsMental health applications offer accessible alternatives to traditional care, with many now integrating AI features like chatbots and personalized recommendations. However, little is known about how AI is actually implemented or how users experience these features. Our study examines both developer positioning and user perceptions of AI in mental health applications. We systematically analyzed 244 mental health apps from the Apple App Store, identifying 12 distinct AI roles (e.g., coach, tracker, companion) and four interface types. We then conducted thematic and sentiment analysis of 996 user reviews from 27 AI-enabled apps to understand user experiences. Our analysis revealed recurring tensions around AI replacing human roles, trust, and augmentation. Our findings contribute a structured understanding of AI’s current roles in digital mental health and offer design recommendations for more effective and empathetic implementation.2026SASoraya S. Anvari et al.Dalhousie UniversityGenerative AI (Text, Image, Music, Video)Mental Health Apps & Online Support CommunitiesAffective Feedback & Emotion Regulation InterfacesCHI
Building Care That Fits Its People: Insights from Social-Media–Enabled Community-Based Rehabilitation in ThailandDigital health interventions in the Global South often rely on transmission models, assuming that delivering correct medical information yields better care. We challenge this view through an analysis of a multi-platform social media intervention for Community-Based stroke Rehabilitation(CBR) in rural Thailand. Following a collaborative development process with clinicians and a deployment across roughly 2,000 villages, we interviewed 28 caregivers, patients, and health volunteers. We found that communities appropriated the technology in unexpected ways, such as using videos as social objects to manage family hierarchies, integrating rehabilitation into Buddhist merit-making, and prioritising offline peer networks over online discussion. Our findings suggest that effective Human-Computer-Interaction (HCI) for digital health in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) should look beyond engagement metrics to support the appropriation of digital tools, enabling communities to integrate clinical protocols into their existing cultural and relational fabrics.2026ANAcarima Nanthanasit et al.University of KentDeveloping Countries & HCI for Development (HCI4D)Mental Health Apps & Online Support CommunitiesTelemedicine & Remote Patient MonitoringCHI
From Ephemeral to Actionable: Parent Perspectives on Speculative Family Speech TrackingPersonal tracking technologies for family life, including speech tracking, have long been conceptualised in HCI as tools to support wellbeing and parenting at scale. However, speech tracking is inherently invasive because it captures intimate family interactions, and its ethical introduction and appropriation into everyday life remains uncertain. Using research through design, we examined family speech tracking by developing seven plausible design fictions grounded in parenting theory, and then conducting a 1-week technology probe study with 60 parents to understand their perceptions. Parents envisaged both positive and negative outcomes for family speech tracking, including concerns about diminishing authentic connection and potential misappropriation. Unlike existing parenting interventions, parents envisioned technologies supporting children’s intervention goals directly rather than focusing on parental skill development. We contribute seven evidence-informed speculative speech tracking concepts, empirical insights revealing concerns about diminishing authentic parent-child connection, and identification of technical, interactional, and systemic sociotechnical dilemmas.2026SISeray B Ibrahim et al.King's College LondonVoice User Interface (VUI) DesignParticipatory DesignUser Research Methods (Interviews, Surveys, Observation)CHI
Responsible Trauma Research: Designing Effective and Sustainable Virtual Reality Exposure StudiesVirtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) enables controlled exposure to trauma-related stimuli to facilitate memory access and emotional processing. However, the field remains underexplored for complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD). Unlike single-trauma PTSD, C-PTSD requires highly individualized triggers that are difficult to identify and implement safely. We conducted a feasibility study with 11 patients, two trauma therapists, and a VR developer to explore integrating VRET into C-PTSD treatment while safeguarding all stakeholders. Initial findings indicate that simple objects can be just as effective as complex scenes, therapeutic success does not correlate with VR presence levels, and the design process itself became integral to therapy rather than preparatory. However, involving developers in therapy sessions led to considerable emotional stress and role confusion, which required a cautious approach. Based on these insights, we provide methodological recommendations for safe and patient-centered VRET studies that balance therapeutic effectiveness with stakeholder safety across the research process.2026ADAnnalisa Degenhard et al.University of UlmVR Medical Training & RehabilitationMental Health Apps & Online Support CommunitiesAffective Feedback & Emotion Regulation InterfacesCHI
To Cuddle, Mingle, Venture, or Guide: How Architectural Affordances Influence the Experience of Social VR PlacesSocial virtual reality (VR) encompasses a growing network of three-dimensional virtual worlds where users interact in a shared, embodied way. While research has focused on the social interactions between the users themselves, less is known about how the design of virtual spaces influences these interactions. Our study combines interviews with 15 social VR users logging over 1,000 hours and a 20-hour spatial protocol of a purposeful sampling of VR worlds. We analysed how spatial characteristics (including proportion, sightlines, materiality, atmosphere, and navigation) influence meaningful user interaction to turn space into place. We synthesised four place types for a new social VR typology: Cuddle worlds that encourage cosy conversations; Mingle worlds that facilitate new encounters; Venture worlds that promote exploration; and Guided worlds that elicit a sense of belonging with the online community. By relating architectural affordances to social patterns, we contribute insights towards the purposeful design of social VR places.2025JHJihae Han et al.Social & Collaborative VRImmersion & Presence ResearchVisualization Perception & CognitionDIS
Creating with Care: Co-Designing Immersive Experiences through Art-Making with People Living with DementiaThis paper explores the integration of co-design and art-making in developing technologies that support personhood in dementia care. While technologies for dementia care have advanced, there remains a gap in creating solutions that are directly informed by the experiences of people living with dementia and support their individuality. In collaboration with the specialist arts organisation Bright Shadow CIO, our work involves engaging people living with dementia in the design process. Over five weeks of co-design sessions, 44 participants worked alongside artists to craft four physical boxes that represent ``meaningful places.'' The physical boxes were then transformed into VR environments, allowing participants to immerse themselves in and interact with their creations from a first-person perspective. Our findings demonstrate that VR alone is insufficient in dementia care. For VR to be meaningful, it must be be part of a broader intervention that includes trust-building, sensory engagement, and creative involvement. Within this process, art-making serves as both a method and medium, providing a means of self-expression and connection to identity. Our findings challenge conventional approaches to dementia-focused VR, advocating for a shift toward inclusive and care-driven technology design.2025SPSophia Ppali et al.CYENS Centre of ExcellenceVR Medical Training & RehabilitationEmpowerment of Marginalized GroupsCHI
Translating HCI Research to Broader Audiences: Motivation, Inspiration, and Critical Factors on Alternative Research OutcomesAlternative Research Outcomes (AROs) go beyond traditional academic publications, taking diverse forms such as documentaries, DIY tutorials, or exhibitions. With growing recognition of the need for more inclusive and contextually appropriate research dissemination, AROs are particularly relevant in HCI and design research. Yet, little has been discussed on why it is important to work on AROs. What are key qualities of AROs? How can the HCI community benefit from learning more about creating AROs? By analyzing six case studies, we propose four qualities of AROs and demonstrate how they emerge in the timeline of a research project. We argue AROs can be adapted to diverse audience needs and share research insights that may extend beyond the original research goals. Our work contributes to a deeper understanding of how AROs can support inclusive research dissemination practices, enabling HCI researchers to engage broader audiences and extend the relevance of their work.2025MYMinYoung Yoo et al.Simon Fraser University, School of Interactive Arts and TechnologyParticipatory DesignInteractive Narrative & Immersive StorytellingCHI
Remote Rhythms: Audience-Informed Insights for Designing Remote Music PerformancesThis paper examines the design of technology for remote music performances, from the perspective of their audiences. In this process, we involved a total of 104 participants across the different stages of our project. Initially, we collected qualitative data from remote audiences using several methods, including surveys, interviews, and observations. Through the thematic analysis of this data, we identified four design dimensions consisting of 17 key elements that illustrate what audiences value in remote music spaces. We applied these insights in a participatory design workshop with diverse stakeholders, contributing to the development of speculative design ideas in this field. The paper concludes by presenting key design insights for future technology advancements in remote music performances. This research contributes to the evolving design space of remote music performances, offering valuable perspectives for researchers, designers, and industry stakeholders.2024SPSophia Ppali et al.Digital Art Installations & Interactive PerformanceInteractive Narrative & Immersive StorytellingDIS
It's About Time: A View of Crowdsourced Data Before and During the PandemicData attained through crowdsourcing have an essential role in the development of computer vision algorithms. Crowdsourced data might include reporting biases, since crowdworkers usually describe what is "worth saying" in addition to images’ content. We explore how the unprecedented events of 2020, including the unrest surrounding racial discrimination, and the COVID-19 pandemic, might be reflected in responses to an open-ended annotation task on people images, originally executed in 2018 and replicated in 2020. Analyzing themes of Identity and Health conveyed in workers' tags, we find evidence that supports the potential for temporal sensitivity in crowdsourced data. The 2020 data exhibit more race-marking of images depicting non-Whites, as well as an increase in tags describing Weight. We relate our findings to the emerging research on crowdworkers' moods. Furthermore, we discuss the implications of (and suggestions for) designing tasks on proprietary platforms, having demonstrated the possibility for additional, unexpected variation in crowdsourced data due to significant events.2021ECEvgenia Christoforou et al.CYENS– Centre of ExcellenceCrowdsourcing Task Design & Quality ControlAlgorithmic Fairness & BiasCHI