- This page is the article for the 2nd day of the HCI Advent Calendar 2023.
Summary in 3 lines
- A group is conducting a “Reading Group for HCI Papers from the 1980s-90s” in a format similar to CHI Study Group.
- To think about what impact they want to have on the future of HCI research, they aim to understand how the HCI research from 30 years ago has influenced the present.
- Personal provisional answer: HCI research plays a role similar to a scout exploring the path ahead or searching for other paths.
Who am I
- I am an undergraduate student at Columbia University in New York, studying Computer Science and Philosophy.
- I am an aspiring HCI researcher.
- I am currently researching in Steven Feiner’s lab and recently submitted my first full paper.
- I am interested in exploring and experimenting with designs that differ from traditional ones based on physical constraints.
- Examples of designs based on physical constraints: Objective reality, spacetime in Euclidean space, indivisible Self, etc.
- I Want to Explore Things that Can Only Be Done in the Information World / Flexible Constraint
- For example, experiences of virtual time
- Lately, I have been thinking about experiences like Asymmetric Reality.
The Beginning of it All
- On 8/17/2023, (blu3mo) tweeted a casual idea
- While looking at the UIST1990 paper list and CHI1990 paper list, the thought struck me
- Several people who saw the tweet expressed interest.
- Shortly after the tweet, I came across this article from the 2021 HCI Advent Calendar
- HCI Legendary Paper Collection Part.1｜HCI_Students by @rintaro_chujo @hci_cg_student
- Introducing impactful HCI research written decades ago, a concept very similar to mine.
- I contacted @rintaro_chujo and decided to start by holding a test run.
Conducting the Test Run
- I gathered people who expressed interest in a Discord server
- Coordinating schedules across time zones can be a hassle.
- Each participant selects and presents 2 CHI or UIST papers from the 1980s-90s (3-5 minutes per paper)
- Proposed structure for each paper presentation: Introduction of the paper itself (1-2 minutes), Genealogy map afterward (1-2 minutes), Introduction to the latest paper or product in that genealogy (1 minute).
- The audience writes their thoughts and questions on Scrapbox for discussion
- Materials for presentations are compiled in /chi1990s, so feel free to check them out if interested
- [/chi1990s/Design principles for human-computer interfaces](https://scrapbox.io/chi1990s/Design principles for human-computer interfaces)
- [/chi1990s/Pad: an alternative approach to the computer interface](https://scrapbox.io/chi1990s/Pad: an alternative approach to the computer interface)
- [/chi1990s/Windows on the World: 2D Windows for 3D Augmented Reality](https://scrapbox.io/chi1990s/Windows on the World: 2D Windows for 3D Augmented Reality)
- [/chi1990s/A hand gesture interface device](https://scrapbox.io/chi1990s/A hand gesture interface device)- [Bricks: Laying the Foundations for Graspable User Interfaces](https://scrapbox.io/chi1990s/Bricks: Laying the Foundations for Graspable User Interfaces)
- [The information visualizer, an information workspace](https://scrapbox.io/chi1990s/The information visualizer, an information workspace)
- VideoPlace
- [VideoDraw: a video interface for collaborative drawing](https://scrapbox.io/chi1990s/VideoDraw: a video interface for collaborative drawing)
- [Interactive sketching for the early stages of user interface design](https://scrapbox.io/chi1990s/Interactive sketching for the early stages of user interface design)
- [Portholes: supporting awareness in a distributed work group](https://scrapbox.io/chi1990s/Portholes: supporting awareness in a distributed work group)
Following that, the format continues to change while maintaining consistency.
Why Read HCI Papers from the 1980s and 1990s
- Reading papers from 30 years ago helps in understanding the lineage and foundations on which current research and products stand.
- By reading papers from 30 years ago, one can grasp the context in which papers from 20 years ago were born.
- For example: [VideoDraw: a video interface for collaborative drawing](https://scrapbox.io/chi1990s/VideoDraw: a video interface for collaborative drawing#6549d7c8de97050000030347)
- As an aspiring HCI researcher, reflecting on “why am I doing HCI research” is essential.
- Previous discussions: Meaning of HCI Research, Frustration about pursuing academia in the field of HCI
- Since HCI is an interdisciplinary and broad field, aligning one’s interests with HCI research to generate contributions that are recognized in the research community seems crucial.
- However, internalizing the value of being recognized in the research community is complex and unstable.
- For instance, finding fulfillment in being evaluated by other researchers at conferences might not be the ideal approach.
- While this might work for pure mathematics or philosophy, it seems challenging for HCI due to its close ties to practical applications.
- Therefore, setting personal goals and answering the question of “why am I using the framework and community of HCI research to achieve my goals, rather than pursuing hobby development, business, or art?” is important.
- It’s essential to address critical questions like whether it’s an escape from the complexities of societal implementation or if it’s merely engaging in theoretical discussions without practical outcomes.
- In contemplating these questions, understanding how HCI research conducted 30 years ago has influenced the present is crucial.
What is the Long-Term Significance of HCI Research?
- Detailed explanations of implementations from 30 years ago may not be directly useful today.
- The computing performance and communication infrastructure have evolved significantly since then.
- For example, discussing the implementation of cross-country communication in a paper about online collaboration from 1990 may only evoke amusement at the challenges faced back then.
- [Portholes: supporting awareness in a distributed work group](https://scrapbox.io/chi1990s/Portholes: supporting awareness in a distributed work group)
- For example, discussing the implementation of cross-country communication in a paper about online collaboration from 1990 may only evoke amusement at the challenges faced back then.
- While the knowledge might have been useful in the years immediately following its publication, its utility over a span of 10 years or more seems limited.
- The computing performance and communication infrastructure have evolved significantly since then.
- The long-term significance lies in presenting possibilities for using technologies.
- If those implementing technologies in society are considered the “main force,” then HCI research from 30 years ago served as scouts exploring the path ahead or searching for alternative routes.
- They discovered new paths or alerted the main force about the viability of certain paths.
- They evaluated the joy experienced in implementing mechanisms connecting workplaces across locations, like [Portholes: supporting awareness in a distributed work group](https://scrapbox.io/chi1990s/Portholes: supporting awareness in a distributed work group).
- They excited people about the potential benefits of certain paths, thereby increasing the speed at which the main force moved forward.- Playing a role akin to science fiction in inspiring people
- If those implementing technologies in society are considered the “main force,” then HCI research from 30 years ago served as scouts exploring the path ahead or searching for alternative routes.
- Isn’t it exactly like The Ultimate Display?
- I think this figure from A brief history of HCI illustrates this well:
- Technologies born in university research often lead to corporate research and commercial products 10 to 30 years later
- Examples include graphical object manipulation, the mouse, windows, text editing, and hypertext
- Of course, most of these technologies don’t directly translate into commercial products, but it’s all part of exploration
- Example of something that didn’t translate: /chi1990s/Pad: an alternative approach to the computer interface
- Rather than a comprehensive explanation based on evidence, it turned into a description focusing on specific aspects
- However, I think it’s important that “I felt such significance in research from 30 years ago and I want to play a similar role.”
- I’m curious about what other people think when they review HCI research from 30 years ago
- Summary:
- We are holding a “Reading Group on HCI Papers from the 1980s and 1990s” in a format similar to CHI Study Group.
- To consider what impact we want to have on the future of HCI research, we want to understand how research from 30 years ago has influenced today.
- Personal tentative answer: HCI research plays a role like a scout, scouting ahead and exploring other paths.
