Towards Interface Design for Parrot-Human Communication: Investigating Parrot Selections of Speech Board RepresentationsParrots have shown the ability to interact with tablet-based speech boards to engage in parrot-human communication. However, the influence of speech boards’ interface design on avian usability and, thus, on speech boards’ potential to optimally support parrot-human communication, is yet to be explored. As a first step in this direction, we report on a longitudinal four-year in-the-wild study of a Goffin’s Cockatoo's interactions with three successive speech board interfaces. The study explored, for the first time, possible relations between interface design variables typically considered for human speech board users - type, granularity, repertoire and arrangement of speech board representations - and the bird's selections under different conditions and across different design iterations. Based on our findings, we contribute key considerations and hypotheses to inform further research into the relevance of interface design choices for the avian usability of speech boards and, thus, their potential to optimally support functional parrot-human communication.2026CMClara Mancini et al.The Open UniversityParticipatory DesignPrototyping & User TestingTangible User Interface DesignCHI
Reciportrait: a Data Humanism Approach for Collaborative Sensemaking of Personal DataData Humanism has gained prominence in personal visualization and Personal Informatics, advocating for a subjective and slow approach to engage with personal data. Collaborative sensemaking has great potential for aiding the understanding of personal data, yet little is known about addressing requirements of structure and coordination when integrating Data Humanism into collaborative visualization. In this paper, we propose design principles for creating both subjective and effective collaborative visualizations, while coordinating the slow sensemaking process and promoting data awareness and communication. We operationalize these principles into a personal visualization toolkit, which we evaluate with an observational study involving 16 university students (8 pairs) analyzing each other's screen-time data. Our findings reveal that implementing the proposed design principles: (1) facilitated data comparison from shared subjective perspectives, (2) helped coordinate sensemaking while allowing time for understanding personal data, and (3) helped the contextualization of data patterns, in turn aiding self-reflection.2025DYDi Yan et al.Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Industrial Design EngineeringInteractive Data VisualizationData StorytellingUser Research Methods (Interviews, Surveys, Observation)CHI
Labeling Synthetic Content: User Perceptions of Label Designs for AI-Generated Content on Social MediaIn this research, we explored the efficacy of various warning label designs for AI-generated content on social media platforms---e.g., \textit{deepfakes}. We devised and assessed ten distinct label design samples that varied across the dimensions of sentiment, color/iconography, positioning, and level of detail. Our experimental study involved 911 participants randomly assigned to these ten label designs and a control group evaluating social media content. We explored their perceptions relating to 1) Belief in the content being AI-generated, 2) Trust in the labels and 3) Social Media engagement perceptions of the content. The results demonstrate that the presence of labels had a significant effect on the user's belief that the content is AI-generated, deepfake, or edited by AI. However their trust in the label significantly varied based on the label design. Notably, having labels did not significantly change their engagement behaviors, such as 'like', comment, and sharing. However, there were significant differences in engagement based on content type: political and entertainment. This investigation contributes to the field of human-computer interaction by defining a design space for label implementation and providing empirical support for the strategic use of labels to mitigate the risks associated with synthetically generated media.2025DGDilrukshi Gamage et al.University of Colombo School of Computing , Department of Computation and Intelligent SystemsExplainable AI (XAI)Algorithmic Transparency & AuditabilityDeepfake & Synthetic Media DetectionCHI
PAIRcolator: Pair Collaboration for Sensemaking and Reflection on Personal DataThis paper explores pair collaboration as a novel approach for making sense of personal data. Pair collaboration---characterized by dyadic comparison and structured roles for questioning and reasoning---has proven effective for co-constructing knowledge. However, current collaborative visualization tools primarily focus on group comparisons, overlooking the challenges of accommodating pair collaboration in the context of personal data. To address this gap, we propose a set of design rationales supporting subjective data analysis through dyadic comparison and mixed-focus collaboration styles for co-constructing personal narratives. We operationalize these principles in a tangible visualization toolkit, \projectname. Our user study demonstrates that pairwise collaboration facilitated by the toolkit: 1) reveals detailed data insights that are effective for recalling personal experiences, and 2) fosters a structured, reciprocal sensemaking process for interpreting and reconstructing personal experiences beyond data insights. Our results shed light on the design rationales for, and the processes of pair sensemaking of personal data, and their effects to foster deep levels of reflection.2025DYDi Yan et al.Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Industrial Design EngineeringData StorytellingVisualization Perception & CognitionCHI
Children’s perspectives on pain-logging: Insights from a Co-Design ApproachPain is an essential indicator of health and guides clinical treatments. Logging pain is important in supporting this. However, there is little research into pre-adolescent children’s pain logging tools. Utilising the Bluebells method to engage children as co-designers, we gathered children’s perspectives on pain-logging tools; in the first workshop by using tangible design approaches to support creative thinking, and in the second workshop by discussing developed prototypes based on the children’s designs. Our findings highlight design concepts that the research team – despite many years of pain-related research – had not considered in the context of paediatric logging, namely a) prioritizing children's privacy in social settings while using pain-logging tools; b) emphasizing personalization to boost engagement; and c) logging general well-being of children alongside pain intensity to collect more insightful data. These findings thus demonstrate the value of co-designing pain-logging technologies with children.2024LPLinda Price et al.Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC)Special Education TechnologyDIS
Designing Multispecies Worlds for Robots, Cats, and HumansWe reflect on the design of a multispecies world centred around a bespoke enclosure in which three cats and a robot arm coexist for six hours a day during a twelve-day installation as part of an artist-led project. In this paper, we present the project's design process, encompassing various interconnected components, including the cats, the robot and its autonomous systems, the custom end-effectors and robot attachments, the diverse roles of the humans-in-the-loop, and the custom-designed enclosure. Subsequently, we provide a detailed account of key moments during the deployment and discuss the design implications for future multispecies systems. Specifically, we argue that designing the technology and its interactions is not sufficient, but that it is equally important to consider the design of the `world' in which the technology operates. Finally, we highlight the necessity of human involvement in areas such as breakdown recovery, animal welfare, and their role as audience.2024ESEike Schneiders et al.University of NottinghamHuman-Robot Collaboration (HRC)Human-Nature Relationships (More-than-Human Design)CHI
Charting Ethical Tensions in Multispecies Technology Research through Beneficiary-Epistemology SpaceWhile ethical challenges are widely discussed in HCI, far less is reported about the ethical processes that researchers routinely navigate. We reflect on a multispecies project that negotiated an especially complex ethical approval process. Cat Royale was an artist-led exploration of creating an artwork to engage audiences in exploring trust in autonomous systems. The artwork took the form of a robot that played with three cats. Gaining ethical approval required an extensive dialogue with three Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) covering computer science, veterinary science and animal welfare, raising tensions around the welfare of the cats, perceived benefits and appropriate methods, and reputational risk to the University. To reveal these tensions we introduce beneficiary-epistemology space, that makes explicit who benefits from research (humans or animals) and underlying epistemologies. Positioning projects and IRBs in this space can help clarify tensions and highlight opportunities to recruit additional expertise.2024SBSteven David Benford et al.University of NottinghamTechnology Ethics & Critical HCIUser Research Methods (Interviews, Surveys, Observation)Human-Nature Relationships (More-than-Human Design)CHI
Understanding Pedestrians’ Perception of Safety and Safe Mobility PracticesWalking is one of the greenest and most common travel modes. However, evidence shows a trend of decreased walking, and safety is a key barrier preventing many people from walking. Additionally, there is a limited understanding of pedestrians’ safe mobility practices and safety perception. Drawing on 449 survey responses from a representative sample in the United Kingdom, our work highlights how identities and walking situations intersect with individuals’ safety perceptions and diverse practices of pedestrians’ safe mobility. The role of technology used for negotiating safety and current challenges in both safe route planning and walking are also highlighted. Our work extends existing insights into pedestrians’ perception of safety and practices by adding empirical evidence and more nuanced contexts. This paper proposes two implications for design in response to design opportunities that surfaced from our mixed-method data analysis. Both the contributions and limitations of our work are also discussed.2024MZMin Zhang et al.The Open UniversityV2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) Communication DesignPedestrian & Cyclist SafetyCHI
Co-Designing Personal Health? Multidisciplinary Benefits and Challenges in Informing Diabetes Self-Care TechnologiesCo-design is a widely applied design process with well-documented benefits, including mutual learning and collective creativity. However, the real-world challenges of conducting multidisciplinary co-design research to inform the design of self-care technologies are not well established. We provide a qualitative account of a multidisciplinary project that aimed to co-design machine learning applications for Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) self-management. Through retrospective interviews, we identify not only perceived social, technological and strategic benefits of co-design but also organisational, translational and pragmatic design challenges: participants with T1D experienced difficulties in co-designing systems that met their individual self-care needs as part of group design activities; HCI and AI researchers described challenges collaborating to apply co-design outcomes to data-driven ML work; and industry collaborators highlighted academic data sharing regulations as cross-organisational challenges that can impede co-design efforts. Based on this understanding, we discuss opportunities for supporting multidisciplinary collaborations and aligning individual health needs with collaborative co-design activities.2021AAAmid Ayobi et al.Personal and Mental HealthCSCW
Chatbots to Support Children in Coping with Online Threats: Socio-technical RequirementsOnline threats to children, in the form of cyberbullying, grooming, and sexting, have reached unprecedented and alarming levels. Support is still lacking despite endless efforts by child safety organisations and online safety educational programmes. This is mainly due to children feeling apprehensive in such situations, ashamed of revealing their distressing encounter to an adult or even for not having anyone to approach with their concerns. This paper investigates how children envision the potential support of a chatbot in such contexts. We captured design requirements for such a chatbot through a participatory design approach involving 110 schoolchildren in the UK. Using LEGO figures, they elaborated and performed stories featuring the interaction of a child under threat with a chatbot. The analysis of the dialogues in their performances and their reflections resulted in a set of expected tasks for the chatbot, a conversation flow, and novel socio-technical requirements addressing potential users' main concerns and expectations.2021LPLara Schibelsky Godoy Piccolo et al.Conversational ChatbotsOnline Harassment & Counter-ToolsDIS
More Than Human Aesthetics: Interactive Enrichment for ElephantsSpecies-specific aesthetics is an important consideration for interaction designers working with animals. The paper explores the concept of species-specific aesthetics with particular reference to elephants. Applying existing aesthetic dimensions and design principles to the challenge of designing interactive enrichment for them, we show how the insights gained can inform more than human-centered design in different settings. We offer a multi-faceted, multi-sensory lens for examining an animal-centred aesthetic experience of technology.2020FFFiona French et al.Technology Ethics & Critical HCIHuman-Nature Relationships (More-than-Human Design)DIS
Understanding the Interaction Between Animals and Wearables: The Wearer Experience of CatsAnimals can be negatively affected by wearable tracking devices, even those marketed as ‘animal friendly’ and increasingly used with companion animals, such as cats. To understand the wearer experience of cats fitted with popular GPS trackers, we measured the behavior of 13 feline participants while they were wearing the devices during a field study. The aim of our behavioral analysis was twofold: investigating potential signs of discomfort generated by the devices to evaluate the impact that such interventions have on cat wearers; identifying wearability flaws that might account for the observed impact and wearability requirements to improve the design of the devices. Based on our findings, we propose a set of requirements that should inform the design of trackers to afford better wearability and thus provide better wearer experience for cat wearers.2020PPPatrizia Paci et al.Haptic WearablesDIS
Evaluation of a Financial Portfolio Visualization using Computer Displays and Mixed Reality Devices with Domain ExpertsWith the advent of mixed reality devices such as the Microsoft HoloLens, developers have been faced with the challenge to utilize the third dimension in information visualization effectively. Research on stereoscopic devices has shown that three-dimensional representation can improve accuracy in specific tasks (e.g., network visualization). Yet, so far the field has remained mute on the underlying mechanism. Our study systematically investigates the differences in user perception between a regular monitor and a mixed reality device. In a real-life within-subject experiment in the field with twenty-eight investment bankers, we assessed subjective and objective task performance with two- and three-dimensional systems, respectively. We tested accuracy with regard to position, size, and color using single and combined tasks. Our results do not show a significant difference in accuracy between mixed-reality and standard 2D monitor visualizations.2020KSKay Schroeder et al.Zuyd University of Applied SciencesMixed Reality WorkspacesInteractive Data VisualizationCHI
Patient Perspectives on Self-Management Technologies for Chronic Fatigue SyndromeChronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a debilitating medical condition that is characterized by a range of physical, cognitive and social impairments. This paper investigates CFS patients' perspectives on the potential for technological support for self-management of their symptoms. We report findings from three studies in which people living with CFS 1) prioritized symptoms that they would like technologies to address, 2) articulated their current approaches to self-management alongside challenges they face, and 3) reflected on their experiences with three commercial smartphone apps related to symptom management. We contribute an understanding of the specific needs of the ME/CFS population and the ways in which they currently engage in self-management using technology. The paper ends by describing five high-level design recommendations for ME/CFS self-management technologies.2019TDTabby Davies et al.University of BathChronic Disease Self-Management (Diabetes, Hypertension, etc.)CHI
Amplifying Quiet Voices: Challenges and Opportunities for Participatory Design at an Urban ScaleMany Smart City projects are beginning to consider the role of citizens. However, current methods for engaging urban populations in participatory design activities are somewhat limited. In this paper, we describe an approach taken to empower socially disadvantaged citizens, using a variety of both social and technological tools, in a smart city project. Through analysing the nature of citizens’ concerns and proposed solutions, we explore the benefits of our approach, arguing that engaging citizens can uncover hyper-local concerns that provide a foundation for finding solutions to address citizen concerns. By reflecting on our approach, we identify four key challenges to utilising participatory design at an urban scale; balancing scale with the personal, who has control of the process, who is participating and integrating citizen-led work with local authorities. By addressing these challenges, we will be able to truly engage citizens as collaborators in co-designing their city.2018DGDaniel J Gooch et al.The Open UniversityCommunity Engagement & Civic TechnologyParticipatory DesignCHI
"It's More Like a Letter": An Exploration of Mediated Conversational Effort in Message BuilderCommunication technologies for maintaining close personal relationships are often designed to be lightweight and easy to use. While these properties allow for relationships to be maintained with speed and efficiency, they may come at the expense of more effortful messages that are constructed with thought, time and care. This raises the question of how communication technologies might be designed to provoke moments of effortful maintenance from their users. To explore this question, we designed and implemented Message Builder, a text-based communication system that encourages relational partners to send increasingly long messages. We report findings from a field trial in which 14 dyads used Message Builder for everyday relational maintenance. While some of the effort-provoking features of Message Builder were described as problematic, we found that the system had value in guiding users towards authentic and meaningful effort investments that were valuable within their individual relationships.2018RKRyan Kelly et al.Touch, Distance, and CompanionshipCSCW
Feel My Pain: Design and Evaluation of Painpad, a Tangible Device for Supporting Inpatient Self-Logging of PainMonitoring patients' pain is a critical issue for clinical caregivers, particularly among staff responsible for providing analgesic relief. However, collecting regularly scheduled pain readings from patients can be difficult and time-consuming for clinicians. In this paper we present Painpad, a tangible device that was developed to allow patients to engage in self-logging of their pain. We report findings from two hospital-based field studies in which Painpad was deployed to a total of 78 inpatients recovering from ambulatory surgery. We find that Painpad results in improved frequency and compliance with pain logging, and that self-logged scores may be more faithful to patients' experienced pain than corresponding scores reported to nurses. We also show that older adults may prefer tangible interfaces over tablet-based alternatives for reporting their pain, and we contribute design lessons for pain logging devices intended for use in hospital settings.2018BPBlaine A Price et al.The Open UniversityMental Health Apps & Online Support CommunitiesTelemedicine & Remote Patient MonitoringCHI
Designing for Diabetes Decision Support Systems with Fluid Contextual ReasoningType 1 diabetes is a potentially life-threatening chronic condition that requires frequent interactions with diverse data to inform treatment decisions. While mobile technologies such as blood glucose meters have long been an essential part of this process, designing interfaces that explicitly support decision-making remains challenging. Dual-process models are a common approach to understanding such cognitive tasks. However, evidence from the first of two studies we present suggests that in demanding and complex situations, some individuals approach disease management in distinctive ways that do not seem to fit well within existing models. This finding motivated, and helped frame our second study, a survey (n=192) to investigate these behaviors in more detail. On the basis of the resulting analysis, we posit Fluid Contextual Reasoning to explain how some people with diabetes respond to particular situations, and discuss how an extended framework might help inform the design of user interfaces for diabetes management.2018DKDmitri S. Katz et al.Open UniversityChronic Disease Self-Management (Diabetes, Hypertension, etc.)CHI
How Do We Measure That?! Quick Scale DevelopmentData science requires metrics. But how does a researcher measure constructs such as delight, immersion, or intention to use? It’s best to develop a suitable measure, rather than to just throw something together or use an inappropriate scale. This course presents seven simplified steps for developing a valid and reliable measure. The new scale can then be used to quantify and explain user behavior, make decisions and predictions, and build models. This half-day class is intended for anyone who desires a rapid but thorough overview of how to develop a measure, and it requires a modest understanding of statistics.2018NKRyan KellyUEGroup, NK Consulting, LLCUser Research Methods (Interviews, Surveys, Observation)CHI
Weaving Lighthouses and Stitching Stories: Blind and Visually Impaired People Designing E-textilesWe describe our experience of working with blind and visually impaired people to create interactive art objects that are personal to them, through a participatory making process using electronic textiles (e-textiles) and hands-on crafting techniques. The research addresses both the practical considerations about how to structure hands-on making workshops in a way which is accessible to participants of varying experience and abilities, and how effective the approach was in enabling participants to tell their own stories and feel in control of the design and making process. The results of our analysis is the offering of insights in how to run e-textile making sessions in such a way for them to be more accessible and inclusive to a wider community of participants.2018EGEmilie Giles et al.The Open UniversityUniversal & Inclusive DesignElectronic Textiles (E-textiles)Textile Art & Craft DigitizationCHI