CHI2008 will provide a unique opportunity to present and discuss novel tools and techniques for user interface design, development, and evaluation. The Engineering Community will be able to show solutions (in terms of tools, methods, techniques, models, and languages) that can support pervasive usability, which means the ability of still supporting usability even when interactions can be performed under the ‘anytime–anyhow–anywhere’ paradigm. This means users are able to seamlessly access information and services regardless of the device they are using or their position, even when the system and/or the physical and social environments change dynamically. Examples of relevant application domains are domotics, cars, museums, health systems, assistive technology. CHI’08 will also provides a venue that allows us to get an inside view of cutting-edge systems, especially those relevant to improve user interaction, making it more natural and intuitive. We will also welcome solutions that allow people without particular background in programming to develop their own applications or modify existing ones, with the ultimate aim of empowering people to flexibly employ advanced information and communication technologies, especially in the framework of upcoming ambient intelligence environments. In general, the conference will provide venues for the discussion and presentation of results that will help us build and analyze next generation of user interface software and technologies aiming to support universal usability, including for the disabled.
A multi-disciplinary conference, such as CHI, will allow the Engineering Community to show how their results can be useful for the other communities and it will also allow members of this community to learn how they can be benefit from the work of the other communities.
We would like to invite proposals for the various conference tracks that meet these aims. They could be scientific papers, case studies with real technical detail, or opportunities for hands-on experimentation. We also want to provide opportunities for attendees to get direct experience of innovative solutions. For example, we invite submission of focused tutorials, papers, and tool demos that come from the people that create and build the technology. If you are not sure exactly how your proposal would fit into CHI, let us know and we can provide suggestions about the most suitable. We will also actively work in order to make sure that the Engineering Community viewpoints will be adequately represented in each track of the final programme.
For a summary of all CHI 2008 submission types and venues, see the Authors page.
Alberto del Bimbo, Università degli Studi di Firenze
Fabio Paterno, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR)
Contact us: chi2008-eng@acm.org
Engineering is a discipline that spans a broad range of activities, from fundamental applications of science and mathematics, to techniques for the design and manufacture of complex products, and the development of methodologies and practices that can ensure reproducible results. Its main goal is to apply scientific knowledge to practical problems. The HCI engineering community is equally broad. It includes the designers and developers of interactive software systems, with the associated methods and languages, and human factors engineers defining scientific foundations, cognitive models, and design guidelines. It also includes researchers who articulate engineering methodologies and practices so that complex systems can reliably be developed to meet customer needs while delivering a high quality user experience. The engineering community is a diverse group, but we all share an interest in the process as well as the product — both the how and the what.
