Bridging the Technical Gap: A Unified Representation Framework for Voice-based Community Engagement PlatformsHCI practitioners in development contexts utilize collaborative digital technologies for community engagement in international development, often mediated through platforms like social media, tele-conferencing, and Interactive Voice Response (IVR). However, the lack of standardized representation approaches for these platforms impedes effective communication among stakeholders. We propose a unified graphical framework for characterizing and representing collaborative platforms, focusing on audio/voice-based engagements. Our framework segments community engagement sessions into engagement formats, characterizing them with preconditions, configurations, and outputs, and visualizes them using state machine-based representations. A field study demonstrates the framework’s effectiveness in supporting stakeholder communication for real-life scenarios. We contribute to CSCW literature by providing a standardized approach that offers a common framework/language for discussing, developing, or reconfiguring collaborative platforms. Our findings show that this framework enables on-governmental organizations and researchers to navigate under-explored design spaces, enhancing the utilization of voice-based platforms for engaging distributed marginalized communities.2025MIMd Adnanul Islam et al.Working together (with other people)CSCW
MagnePins: A Modular, Affordable, and DIY Refreshable Braille and Tactile DisplayRefreshable tactile, braille and shape changing displays have been studied in HCI for many years and have recently become commercially available. These devices offer blind and low vision users the ability to read text directly from a computer application and also the exciting possibility for increased access to dynamic tactile graphics. Commercial devices and research prototypes, however, share similar challenges and tradeoffs including cost, scalability, and miniaturisation. Research prototypes typically have either a low pin count---some only a single cell or line of braille---or a pin pitch and pin dimension far larger than the braille specification. Commercial devices that achieve both high pin count and the 2.5mm pin pitch requirement suffer from high cost, due to the inherent complexity of thousands of individual, precision, electro-mechanical or piezo actuated pins. We present `MagnePins', an innovative, robust, and open source design that achieves a large pin array (24x89 in our prototype) with braille-compliant pin size and spacing of 2.5mm. It utilises a simple electromagnetic actuation mechanism driven by reliable driver circuitry and can be fabricated economically using cheap mass-produced elements in a well-equipped makerspace. Our tests of the device indicate high accuracy (of up to 99.97\%), and in testing with an expert touch reader, it provided high tactile resolution, and easy readability.2025JSJim Smiley et al.Visual Impairment Technologies (Screen Readers, Tactile Graphics, Braille)UIST
Exploring the Role of Interactive Technology to Enrich Surfing Surfing is not just a sport; it is a playful water activity rich in culture. Prior interaction design work to support surfers has mostly focused on improving performance; yet emphasizing performance misses the experiential value of play and enjoyment, which is under-investigated. To explore this opportunity, we engaged in a soma design process resulting in two prototypes, an actuating wearable top and an octopus-inspired soft robot, aiming to facilitate a playful experience to enrich surfing. We conducted an exploratory study with eight surfers in a swimming pool (acknowledging safety but also limitations). Through thematic analysis of interviews, we found three themes that supported the idea that the design features of the prototypes have the potential to enrich surfing. Moreover, adopting a postphenomenological lens, we investigate the Human-Technology-Water relations to understand the role of interactive technology during surfing and propose five design strategies that researchers can consider to develop future designs for the experiential aspects of surfing.2025MMMaria F. Montoya et al.Shape-Changing Interfaces & Soft Robotic MaterialsInteractive Narrative & Immersive StorytellingDIS
LuciEntry: Towards Understanding the Design of Lucid Dream InductionLucid dreaming, a state in which people become aware that they are dreaming, is known for its many mental and physical health benefits. However, most lucid dream induction techniques, such as reality testing, require significant time and effort to master, creating a barrier for people seeking these experiences. We designed \projectName, a portable interactive prototype aimed at helping people induce lucid dreaming through well-timed visual and auditory cues. We conducted a lab and a field study to understand \projectName{}'s user experience. The interview data allowed us to identify three themes. Building on these findings and our design practice, we derived seven considerations to guide the design of future lucid dream systems. Ultimately, this work aims to inspire further research into interactive technologies for altered states of consciousness.2025PWPo-Yao (Cosmos) Wang et al.Mental Health Apps & Online Support CommunitiesDIS
“My Happiness Makes You Smile”: Beginning to Understand Telepathic Superpower Design Via Brain-Muscle Interfaces Designing superpowers in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), often inspired by science fiction, has garnered increased attention. However, it is important to ask whether such superpower designs might have inherent negative side effects, especially considering that technological advances allow going beyond short demos to integrate these superpowers into everyday life. To understand the positive and negative side effects of superpower design, we created "EmoPals" and studied it in everyday life. EmoPals is a novel system inspired by telepathy, where one user's emotions are detected through a brain-computer interface and replicated on the other user's face through electrical muscle stimulation, therefore one user's happiness makes the other smile and vice versa. A 5-day field study with 12 participants suggests that EmoPals can strengthen emotional connections and facilitate empathy, however, it also highlights the negative side effects of amplifying negative emotions and social discomfort. We propose five design recommendations for designing superpowers that account for negative side effects. Ultimately, we aim to deepen our understanding of superpower design for everyday life.2025SLSiyi Liu et al.Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS)Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) & NeurofeedbackDIS
From Diagrams to Experience: Data Visceralisation of Ecosystem State-and-Transition Models in Virtual RealityCommunicating complex scientific concepts to non-experts is a persistent challenge. State-and-transition models (STMs), often shown as box-and-arrow diagrams, exemplify well this difficulty. This paper explores how virtual reality (VR) can make STMs more accessible. Using ecosystem STMs as a case study, we present a proof-of-concept system enabling users to viscerally experience model content. We followed a three-phased participatory design process: first, 2 ecology experts guided the development of a VR prototype. Next, 17 government environmental management professionals evaluated its utility and features. Finally, after refining the system, 12 VR researchers informed design considerations and improvements. Our findings provide practical insights for visualising STMs in VR and contribute to the emerging concept of "data visceralisation". We found this approach engages users and supports understanding of qualitative aspects of real-world phenomena. However, complex models like ecosystem STMs require creating accurate and extensive simulations. We conclude with a discussion for future directions.2025AGAdélaïde Genay et al.Medical & Scientific Data VisualizationContext-Aware ComputingDIS
ShareFlows: Seamless Knowledge Capture and Proactive Push for Efficient Teacher Workflows in Higher EducationHigh staff turnover in higher education often burdens teachers with laborious handovers of teaching tasks every semester. To boost teachers' workflow efficiency, we present an innovative knowledge management tool that allows experienced teachers to seamlessly capture task steps (i.e., denoted as ShareFlow) that can be subsequently recommended to novices via proactive push, all happening during teachers' natural workflow to minimize disruptions. We conducted a controlled experiment with 30 participants and compared our tool against a state-of-the-art baseline knowledge management system powered by a large language model (Claude 3 Haiku). We found that our knowledge management tool reduced task completion time and improved task quality (with statistical significance). Feedback from the participants also indicated the high usability of our tool, suggesting its strong potential for practical adoption for improving teacher workflows.2025LSlele sha et al.Knowledge Management & Team AwarenessKnowledge Worker Tools & WorkflowsIUI
Enhancing Tactile Learning: A Co-Designed System for Supporting Speech Interaction with Multi-Part 3D Printed Models by Students who are Blind3D printed models (3DPMs) are increasingly used to support the education of students who are blind or have low vision (BLV). As 3DPMs are more widely-adopted, educators are using more complex multi-part models. However, with this increased complexity comes additional challenges for their use, such as supporting audio labels of multiple parts as well as guiding the assembly and disassembly of the model. This work explores the co-design and evaluation of a system that supports the use of multi-part 3DPMs by BLV students. Working with BLV adults and children, as well as educators, an iPad application was developed to support interaction with an insect model, including speech interaction and support for assembly. Evaluation showed that the system was strongly enjoyed by students and educators were enthusiastic as they believed it would increase classroom engagement and inclusion, and its support for voice annotation could be used for assessment.2025RNRuth G Nagassa et al.Monash University, Department of Human-Centred ComputingHead-Up Display (HUD) & Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)Haptic WearablesVisual Impairment Technologies (Screen Readers, Tactile Graphics, Braille)CHI
TeamVision : An AI-powered Learning Analytics System for Supporting Reflection in Team-based Healthcare SimulationHealthcare simulations help learners develop teamwork and clinical skills in a risk-free setting, promoting reflection on real-world practices through structured debriefs. However, despite video's potential, it is hard to use, leaving a gap in providing concise, data-driven summaries for supporting effective debriefing. Addressing this, we present TeamVision, an AI-powered multimodal learning analytics (MMLA) system that captures voice presence, automated transcriptions, body rotation, and positioning data, offering educators a dashboard to guide debriefs immediately after simulations. We conducted an in-the-wild study with 56 teams (221 students) and recorded debriefs led by six teachers using TeamVision. Follow-up interviews with 15 students and five teachers explored perceptions of its usefulness, accuracy, and trustworthiness. This paper examines: i) how TeamVision was used in debriefing, ii) what educators found valuable/challenging, and iii) perceptions of its effectiveness. Results suggest TeamVision enables flexible debriefing and highlights the challenges and implications of using AI-powered systems in healthcare simulation.2025VEVanessa Echeverria et al.Monash University, Department of Human Centred ComputingIntelligent Tutoring Systems & Learning AnalyticsTelemedicine & Remote Patient MonitoringSurgical Assistance & Medical TrainingCHI
Sticking With Electronics for Crafting Practices: An Inclusive Approach to Promote Making Literacy Among Older AdultsMaking activities have been shown to offer potential for inclusive access to digital literacy amongst marginalized groups, but research exploring such approaches with older adults is still scarce. Our study introduces an electronic-card-making workshop, co-developed with Japanese older women to foster engagement aligning with their purpose, physical and cognitive skills. The workshop was initially delivered to 14 women. Following initial success, 4 participants decided to deliver a second workshop, with the support of our team, for 15 local children. We present findings from both these workshops unpacking how women's motivation for engaging in eMaking revolved around the idea of sharing, both through displaying created artefacts and the transmission of knowledge, how their learning consolidated around implicit actions and was supported by the creation of escalation strategies when they felt that demands exceeded their level of proficiency. Based on our results, we propose guidelines for inclusive eMaking involving novice older women.2025GBGiulia Barbareschi et al.Keio University, Keio Graduate School of Media DesignHaptic WearablesAging-Friendly Technology DesignMakerspace CultureCHI
Understanding VR Accessibility Practices of VR Professionals Accessibility is a crucial concept in Virtual Reality (VR), pivotal for meeting the needs of users, including those with disabilities. In recent years, there is an increasing focus of VR products on enhancing the accessibility of a diverse range of digital content. Despite this growing attention from the VR community, there is a serious lack of empirical research on how VR practitioners consider VR accessibility. This includes their understanding of and insights into VR accessibility challenges and practices in the VR software development life cycle. In this paper, we aim to address these gaps using a mixed-methods approach. Specifically, we conducted interviews with 21 VR practitioners (incl. 3D modelers, developers, technical directors, and product managers), and surveyed 202 VR practitioner respondents from VR related industries. Our findings outline their insights and challenges they face concerning VR accessibility practices in the software development life cycle. Furthermore, our findings shed light on the challenges faced by practitioners concerning VR accessibility and the reasons why it often goes unconsidered. As far as we know, this is the first comprehensive report about the understanding of accessibility for VR software from the practitioner's perspective. We hope this paper will help VR professionals to better understand the issues and challenges in VR accessibility, and the potential solutions.2025YWYi Wang et al.Deakin University, School of Information TechnologySocial & Collaborative VRGame AccessibilityCHI
MedAI-SciTS: Enhancing Interdisciplinary Collaboration between AI Researchers and Medical ExpertsIntegrating AI in healthcare requires effective interdisciplinary collaboration, yet challenges like methodological differences, terminology barriers, and divergent objectives persist. To address the issues, we introduce MedAI-SciTS, a structured approach combining a theoretical framework and a toolkit to improve collaboration across disciplines. The framework builds on a formative study (N=12) and literature review, identifying the key challenges and potential solutions in medical-AI projects. We further develop an innovative toolkit with twelve tools, featuring an AI-enhanced research glossary with personalized analogies, an agile co-design platform, and an integrated resource management system. A three-month case study involving AI and medical professionals (N=16 total) applying a segmentation algorithm for adrenal CT images confirmed the toolkit’s effectiveness in enhancing team engagement, communication, trust, and collaboration outcomes. We envision MedAI-SciTS could potentially be applied to a wide range of medical applications and facilitate broader medical-AI collaboration.2025CCChen Cao et al.university of sheffield, Information schoolEV Charging & Eco-Driving InterfacesHand Gesture RecognitionKnowledge Worker Tools & WorkflowsCHI
Light Up Fireflies: Exploring the Design of Interpersonal Bodily Intertwinement in Social Body GamesThis paper explores the design of interpersonal bodily intertwinement in social body games. We present ``Light Up Fireflies'', a two-player VR game where players embody a single avatar, with each player responsible for controlling one half of the avatar’s body. Players must coordinate closely to navigate the virtual environment and engage with the game’s tasks, where any misalignment might cause the avatar to fall. Unlike previous research, which often focused on partial or segmented bodily interactions, our game encourages a fully integrated form of bodily coordination. Players do not merely react to each other’s movements but co-experience the avatar's body, fostering a richer and more immersive connection between them. Through a study with 16 participants, we identified three key player experiences: bodily strangeness, intertwined bodily movements, and interpersonal bodily understanding. We also provide design implications for future social body games that aim to facilitate deeper, more intertwined embodied experiences.2025YLYingtong Lu et al.Southeast University, School of Computer Science and EngineeringFull-Body Interaction & Embodied InputSocial & Collaborative VRCHI
Sonic Delights: Exploring the Design of Food as An Auditory-Gustatory InterfaceWhile interest in blending sound with culinary experiences has grown in Human-Food Interaction (HFI), the significance of food’s material properties in shaping sound-related interactions has largely been overlooked. This paper explores the opportunity to enrich the HFI experience by treating food not merely as passive nourishment but as an integral material in computational architecture with input/output capabilities. We introduce “Sonic Delights,” where food is a comestible auditory-gustatory interface to enable users to interact with and consume digital sound. This concept redefines food as a conduit for interactive auditory engagement, shedding light on the untapped multisensory possibilities of merging taste with digital sound. An associated study allowed us to articulate design insights for forthcoming HFI endeavors that seek to weave food into multisensory design, aiming to further the integration of digital interactivity with the culinary arts.2025JDJialin Deng et al.Department of Human-Centred Computing, Monash University, Exertion Games LabFood Culture & Food InteractionCHI
Exploring the Needs of Practising Musicians in Co-Creative AI Through Co-DesignRecent advances in generative AI music have resulted in new technologies that are being framed as co-creative tools for musicians with early work demonstrating their potential to add to music practice. While the field has seen many valuable contributions, work that involves practising musicians in the design and development of these tools is limited, with the majority of work including them only once a tool has been developed. In this paper, we present a case study that explores the needs of practising musicians through the co-design of a musical variation system, highlighting the importance of involving a diverse range of musicians throughout the design process and uncovering various design insights. This was achieved through two workshops and a two week ecological evaluation, where musicians from different musical backgrounds offered valuable insights not only on a musical system's design but also on how a musical AI could be integrated into their musical practices.2025SKStephen James Krol et al.Monash University, SensiLabGenerative AI (Text, Image, Music, Video)Creative Collaboration & Feedback SystemsInteractive Narrative & Immersive StorytellingCHI
Creative Reflections on Image-Making with Artificial Intelligence: Interactions with a Provocative ‘Camera’Cameras are increasingly augmented with computational processing, producing images that blur the line between documenting reality and creative expression. The rise of text-to-image models has redefined the concept of imagery, sparking ethical and philosophical debates. This paper presents the findings of a qualitative study that employed a provocative prototype `camera’ – the A(I)Cam – to engage creative practitioners directly in these discussions. Developed using a Research-through-Design (RtD) approach, the tangible prototype generates and instantly prints AI-created images. A(I)Cam facilitated reflection among creative practitioners (N=15) on their experiences with AI-driven tools and the broader implications for their future practices. We examine the shifts in perspective that emerged from engaging with this embodied form of generative AI (genAI), challenging traditional text-based interaction paradigms, and inviting new modes of creative exploration and reflection. In addition, we offer insights from the RtD project, highlighting the integration of genAI tools into the industrial design process.2025RPRowan Page et al.Monash University, Department of DesignGenerative AI (Text, Image, Music, Video)Creative Collaboration & Feedback SystemsCHI
Towards Understanding Interactive Sonic Gastronomy with Chefs and DinersWith advancements in interactive technologies, research in human-food interaction (HFI) has begun to employ interactive sound to enrich the dining experience. However, chefs' creative use of this sonic interactivity as a new "ingredient" in their culinary practices remains underexplored. In response, we conducted an empirical study with six pairs of chefs and diners utilizing SoniCream, an ice cream cone that plays digital sounds while consuming. Through exploration, creation, collaboration, and reflection, we identified four themes concerning culinary creativity, dining experience, interactive sonic gastronomy deployment, and chef-diner interplay. Building on the discussions at the intersection of these themes, we derived four design implications for creating interactive systems that could support chefs' culinary creativity, thereby enriching dining experiences. Ultimately, our work aims to help interaction designers fully incorporate chefs' perspectives into HFI research.2025HWHongyue Wang et al.Monash University, Exertion Games Lab, Human-Centred ComputingHaptic WearablesFood Culture & Food InteractionCHI
TableCanoniser: Interactive Grammar-Powered Transformation of Messy, Non-Relational Tables to Canonical TablesTableCanoniser is a declarative grammar and interactive system for constructing relational tables from messy tabular inputs such as spreadsheets. We propose the concept of axis alignment to categorise input types and characterise the expanded scope of our system relative to existing tools. The declarative grammar consists of match conditions, which specify repeating patterns of input cells, and extract operations, which specify how matched values map to the output table. In the interactive interface, users can specify match and extract patterns by interacting with an input table, or author more advanced specifications in the coding panel. To refine and verify specifications, users interact with grammar-based provenance visualisations such as linked highlighting of input and output values, tree-based visualisation of matching patterns, and a mini-map overview of matched instances of patterns with annotations showing where cells are extracted to. We motivate and illustrate our work with real-world usage scenarios and workflows.2025KXKai Xiong et al.Zhejiang University, State Key Lab of CAD&CGInteractive Data VisualizationPrototyping & User TestingCHI
Strollytelling: Coupling Animation with Physical Locomotion to Explore Immersive Data StoriesWith a growing interest in immersive data storytelling, there is an opportunity to explore story presentation and navigation techniques in virtual reality (VR) that can engage audiences as much as data story techniques have on conventional displays. We propose and explore “strolly”telling, a novel data storytelling technique that maps the story progression with the user/audience’s physical locomotion. Inspired by the conventional web-based technique for scrolling-based stories (i.e. scrollytelling), our technique tightly couples the user’s position in physical space to the animation frame of the data story. This technique leverages the natural tendency of humans to "walk and talk" while telling a story and requires users to engage with the content actively. This work defines strollytelling, design considerations, and a preliminary process for designing a strollytelling experience. A user study comparing strollytelling with virtual locomotion found that strollytelling was preferred by most participants and had higher self-reported immersion. We conclude with opportunities for strollytelling within the immersive data storytelling landscape.2025RJRADHIKA PANKAJ JAIN et al.University of South Australia, IVEData StorytellingInteractive Narrative & Immersive StorytellingCHI
Designed & Discovered Euphoria: Insights from Trans-Femme Players' Experiences of Gender Euphoria in Video GamesMany transgender (and cisgender) people experience gender euphoria -- satisfaction and relief caused by self-actualization and gender congruence -- a term that has been overlooked by the design community. Video games create intense experiences involving identities, bodies, and social interaction, providing opportunities to empower people through gender euphoria. We develop themes for creating and supporting gender euphoria in games within the Design, Dynamics, Experience Game Design Framework from a reflexive thematic analysis of 25 games, with an in-depth analysis of four of them. The analysis combines the authors' positionalities as trans gamers with close reading and content analysis of the games, employing perspectives from critical discourse analysis. We contribute an operational understanding of gender euphoria to support design, in-depth case studies of particularly euphoric game experiences, and identify themes that designers and researchers can use to develop new games and analyze existing ones.2025SLShano Liang et al.Worcester Polytechnic InstituteMultiplayer & Social GamesRole-Playing & Narrative GamesGender & Race Issues in HCICHI