We are going to Designing Interactive Systems
The Interactive Technologies Institute is once again marking its presence at one of the most relevant conferences in Computer Science. The Designing Interactive Systems (DIS) 2023 takes place at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh (USA) from the 10th to the 14th of July. The DIS conference is “the premier international arena where designers, artists, psychologists, user experience researchers, systems engineers, and many more, come together to debate and shape the future of interactive systems design and practice.“
We are participating in DIS 2023 with three research papers by Valentina Nisi, Marta Ferreira, and Shuhao Ma. Additionally, these researchers represent the Interactive Technologies Institute and the Portuguese research community since there are no other research institutions from Portugal at DIS this year. Below we list our participation in the conference.
Interactions with Climate Change: a Data Humanism Design Approach
Authors: Marta Ferreira, Valentina Nisi, Nuno Jardim Nunes
Interactions about climate change have been mostly focused on a negative or neutral form of communication, in line with the so-called “doom-and-gloom” narrative. However, recent research and guidelines point to the need to engage audiences in a more positive, story-focused and actionable way. In this pictorial, Marta and her supervisors describe a Data Humanism design approach formulated from its original manifesto. They present this proposal through a prototype that engages users with climate change data related to the oceans in a contextualised, personalised and action-focused way. To create this approach, they operationalised data humanism into design steps that guided the design process. Through the analysis of the applied study, they identify opportunities and challenges faced with this approach and with engaging diverse audiences “in the wild” with climate issues, guiding the design of future data humanism climate narratives through interactive data visualisations.
“Before gentrification, we claim habitation”: Eliciting Values and Assets through Cultural Heritage Storytelling
Authors: Valentina Nisi, Paulo Bala, Hollie Bostock, Vanessa Cesário, Nuno Jardim Nunes
This pictorial is about an inclusive digital storytelling project that aims to develop digital tools for migrant communities to share their lived cultural heritage. The field study intended to discern migrants’ perceptions of cultural heritage through a one-week story-based photo challenge involving ten young adult migrants in Lisbon, Portugal. The researchers analysed the data highlighting participant values and heritage meaning-making. The study contributes to championing the heritage of those at risk of exclusion, such that it might be valued and appreciated by others. By developing digital tools for sharing lived cultural heritage experiences, this study aims to promote inclusivity and social justice in technology.
Uncovering Gig Worker-Centered Design Opportunities in Food Delivery Work
Authors: Shuhao Ma, Paulo Bala, Valentina Nisi, John Zimmerman, Nuno Jardim Nunes
The gig economy and digital labor platforms, such as food delivery, have become essential while also troubling the current socioeconomic landscape. Delivery platforms promise entry-level work, flexibility, and other benefits. However, researchers remain divided on if these platforms benefit workers and society at large. This study aims to shed light on the comprehensive challenges in food delivery work, uncovering gig worker-centered design opportunities to improve the lives of food couriers. Adopting an exploratory research process, we analyzed 19 ride-along food delivery videos and performed nine semi-structured interviews with food couriers in Portugal. The team’s findings illustrated the complexity and challenging nature of delivery work due to the entangled physical, digital, social, natural, and human factors. They captured and discussed gig worker-centered opportunities that surfaced from work challenges, echoing the needs of food couriers about supporting work, justice, inclusion, and work vision.
In adition to the research papers, Beatriz Severes, doctoral student, has won the conference T-Shirt Design Contest. The full programme of the conference is available on DIS 2023 website.
