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   HCI 2006: ENGAGE
   11-15 September 2006
   Queen Mary, University of London
   The 20th British HCI Group conference in co-operation with ACM.
   http://www.hci2006.org
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Engage!
- Engage in producing exciting papers about interaction
- Engage with the conference themes
- Engage and be engaged in a stimulating and exciting conference in
   London's East End

For the first time, the HCI conference is engaging with six core themes.
These themes capture some of the established favourite ideas in the
community as well as suggest new collaborations and approaches. The goal for
you as a submitter is to engage with one of the themes in rich and
unexpected ways. At the conference, we will be setting up discussions where
you will have the opportunity to challenge and be challenged on how you have
adopted the theme.

This year Volume 1 papers will printed as usual, and for the first time will
be published electronically with the cooperation of the ACM, see www.acm.org

In line with changes in our field, we are putting an emphasis on useful and
usable research. The British HCI conference is an international forum for
academics and practitioners interested in how people and technology work
together. We are making no distinction between practitioners and
researchers. So we say, ?Farewell, Industry Day? ? just come for the people
and the ideas?

First deadline: 3rd February, 2006


***THEMES***

The six themes have been developed in consultation with members of the HCI
community. Submissions to the conference should engage with one of the
themes below and respond to the theme?s question so that the sessions at the
conference can foster lively and challenging debate. There are many ways to
cut each category ? theories, practice, novel interaction paradigms, and so
on ? our aim is to bring together different points of view on each topic for
lively and coherent discussion at the conference.

1. Enthralling experiences: what draws people in?
      - Performance, aesthetics, emotion, and creativity ? powerful
        engagement can be a means or an end.
2. Interactions in the wild: how does technology breach boundaries?
      - The border between chaos and control changes as interactions
        leave the desktop and go mobile.
3. Connecting with others: what happens around and through technology?
      - Interacting with colleagues and friends is helped and hindered
        by the connecting technology.
4. Mind, body, and spirit: how does diversity impact?
      - People are different, so interactions should span age, ability,
        culture and gender.
5. Interactions for me: what improves my experience?
      - Technology can be dehumanising but it can also improve working
        and social life enormously.
6. At the periphery: how can we create ambient engagement?
      - Disappearing technologies, such as ubicomp, mixed media, and
      ambient intelligence, still engage us even though we can?t
      directly interact withÿthem.

HCI 2006: Engage will be hosted by Queen Mary, University of London drawing
on the eclectic mix of communities and practises of the East End of London
to inspire an inter-disciplinary meeting of minds.


*** KEYNOTES ***

Tom Rodden, University of Nottingham, Director of the Equator project.
http://www.cs.nott.ac.uk/~tar/

Alan Newell, Division of Applied Computing, University of Dundee.
http://www.computing.dundee.ac.uk/staffdetails.asp?1

Jude Kelly OBE, founder and artistic director of Metal.
http://www.metalculture.com/Who+We+Are

Further Keynotes will be announced closer to the time.


IMPORTANT DATES IN 2006

3rd February Deadline for submission of full papers,
                workshops, tutorials and panels

28th March Notification to authors of full papers,
                workshops, tutorials and panels

21st April Camera ready copy needed for full papers,
                workshops, tutorials and panels

5th May Deadline for submission of short papers, interactive
                experiences, posters, work practices and spaces,
                doctoral consortium

16th June Notification to authors of short papers,
                interactive experiences, posters, work
                practices and spaces, doctoral consortium

23rd June Early registration deadline and camera ready
                copy needed for all other submissions

*** CONFERENCE CHAIRS ***

Nick Bryan-Kinns
Queen Mary University of London
[log in to unmask]

Pat Healey
Queen Mary University of London
[log in to unmask]


*** Full Papers ***

Ann Blandford
University College London
[log in to unmask]

Paul Curzon
Queen Mary, University of London
[log in to unmask]

Laurence Nigay
University of Grenoble
[log in to unmask]

Deadline: 3rd February 2006

Papers are invited to address the conference theme of engaging. Submissions
should report original work that has not been previously published, nor is
currently under consideration for publication elsewhere. The conference
proceedings will contain all the full papers. Submissions must include the
following:

1. A paper not exceeding 16 pages, prepared using the provisional format for
Volume 1 of the conference proceedings available on the website.
2. A 30 word summary to promote the paper 3. A statement of how the work
aligns to one of the six conference themes The submission for review must be
as anonymous as possible by the removal of obvious self-references and names
of institutions. Authors are required to exclude identifying information
(e.g., names, affiliations, geographical locations) from the title area and
headers of their submissions.


*** Workshops ***

Stephanie Wilson
City University
[log in to unmask]

Helen Sharp
Open University
[log in to unmask]

Deadline: 3rd February 2006

Workshops at HCI2006 will offer a valuable opportunity for small groups to
meet and engage in rich yet informal discussions about the key conference
themes. We invite proposals for workshops to address any of the six core
themes. Proposals may address the themes in various ways such as advances in
theory or practice, new methodologies, tools, models, design innovations,
etc.

Workshops at HCI may be either half a day or one day long. We particularly
encourage workshop co-ordinators to be innovative in the way they organise
and run the workshop so as to stimulate lively discussion and interesting
outcomes.

We require a workshop proposal composed of the following parts:

1. A covering letter stating the following: the primary contact through whom
all communication will be directed; the core conference theme to be
addressed; the goals of the workshop; an explanation of the timeliness and
importance of the workshop; a description of how the workshop will be run
including a timetable and emphasising any participant involvement and
intended outputs; a brief summary of the background of the workshop
co-ordinators; and a suggestion as to the likely backgrounds of the
participants.
2. A two-page description of the workshop, prepared using the format for
Volume 2 of the conference proceedings, including: the workshop title,
contact details for the co-ordinators, an abstract, the motivation for the
workshop, a description of the topic(s) and an account of the workshop
procedure.
3. A 30 word summary to promote the workshop

All accepted workshops will be required to produce a poster for display at
HCI2006 so that other conference participants may benefit from the output of
its contributing workshops. We also encourage people to disseminate the
workshop outcomes to a wider audience by writing a report for Interfaces
magazine. Past workshops at HCI have resulted in the publication of special
editions of journals and books or have evolved into research proposals. We
anticipate that some workshops will be sufficiently focused that they could
serve as a step on the way to such outcomes, while others will benefit the
HCI community by bringing together a few like-minded people to discuss
emerging topics.


*** Engaging Tutorials ***

William Wong
Middlesex University
[log in to unmask]

Deadline: 3rd February 2006

Proposals for this year?s tutorial sessions are sought for Master classes,
'classes-in-the-wild', and tutorials, that encourage a break with
traditional perspectives or practices of HCI, or in format of delivery.
Topics should not only help participants extend their HCI skill sets, but
should also encourage them to think differently about what they do in
creating, designing, developing and evaluating user work, interactions
between users and with technology, user interfaces, and information
visualisations.

Topics are encouraged but not limited to, the following areas of HCI:
* creativity and the process of innovation
* advances in the design of user interface and user experiences
* user interfaces for software for tangible products as well as services
* advances in usability evaluation methods, especially in techniques for
analysing and understanding the interaction between human work and
technology that is in use and in situ
* developing insights from user analysis, and techniques for using the
insights to create innovative designs
* psychological, marketing or consumer behaviour, perspectives of HCI
* developing and running experiments and other empirical studies while
balancing need for systematic studies against industrial need for rapid turn
around
* eXtreme design and prototyping

Individuals and organisations are invited to offer half-day, full-day, and
even 2-day tutorials in the following formats:
* Tutorials that employ a standard classroom teaching format
* 'Classes-in-the-wild' is a new format which emphasises watching, learning
and participation. 'Classes-in-the-wild' are a chance to spend a day or two,
in a software or design house or studio, to observe and learn how designs
are created, developed and evaluated in industrial settings, and the
familiarisation with equipment used in a usability lab, how it is set up and
used in practice
* Master classes are advanced classes and an opportunty for the participant
to be taught by masters in a topic area. These topics could include either a
theoretical and/or practical perspective

All proposals should include the following:
1. a title for the tutorial
2. an abstract of the type of class proposed (150-250 words) 3. the purpose
of the tutorial and why this might be significant 4. key learning outcomes
5. a description of the topics to be covered (not more than 4 pages) 6.
Tutorial format (e.g. Tutorial, 'Classes-in-the-wild', Master Class) 7.
Method of delivery (e.g. Lectures, Case Study or Problem-based learning,
particularly explaining how the key learning objectives will be achieved) 8.
a brief CV of the proposer or company background relevant to the proposal

Potential proposers are encouraged to contact William Wong to discuss their
ideas prior to submitting their proposals.


*** Panels Sessions ***

Olav Bertelsen
University of Aarhus
[log in to unmask]

Adrian Williamson
Graham Technology plc
[log in to unmask]

Deadline: 3rd February 2006

A good panel will be entertaining, stimulate thought and discussion on some
controversial, emerging or significant issue. To run a panel typically
requires 3-5 panellists and a facilitator. There is a variety of formats
possible and we are happy to receive innovative proposals that involve the
audience actively in the discussion. There are many possibilities, so be
inspired by the conference themes and see how best you can engage the
audience!

For HCI 2006 panel submissions should be made by the first deadline. Thus,
we hope to get a selection of well prepared sessions that can be promoted in
the early program. Whilst this year?s earlier deadline may require a little
more work just now, we hope to use the time after the deadline to refine and
work on proposals so we can produce some fine sessions of significance, or
indeed, entertainment!

Submissions should include the following:

1. A covering letter stating the primary contact through which all
communication will be directed and explicitly confirming that all panelists
have been consulted in the production of the proposal and have agreed to
attend if the panel is accepted. This letter may also add further details
about the way the panel will be run, emphasising any audience involvement.
2. A two-page paper prepared using the format for Volume 2 of the conference
proceedings, containing a title, contact details for the moderator and all
panelists, an abstract, an introduction to the issue by the moderator and a
position statement from each panelist.
3. A 30 word summary that introduces the panel.

Please feel free to contact the Panel co-chairs, Adrian Williamson and Olav
Bertelsen at any time to discuss your ideas. We will be happy to help you
find panel candidates, or refine you plans on formats.


*** Short papers ***

Tony Stockman
Queen Mary University of London
[log in to unmask]

Bob Fields
Middlesex University
[log in to unmask]

Deadline: 5th May 2006

Short papers may address any subject of relevance to the field of
Human-Computer Interaction. Authors are particularly encouraged to address
the six main themes of HCI2006. Submissions should report original work that
has not been previously published, and will typically demonstrate work in
progress, late-breaking research results, and ideas relevant to the
conference themes. Short Papers will be peer reviewed and appear in volume 2
of the proceedings. Submissions must include the following:

1. A four page paper prepared using the format for Volume 2 of the
conference proceedings 2. A 30 word summary to promote the paper.

Note that short Papers must include author and affiliation details ?
the reviewing process for short papers will NOT be anonymous due to the
restricted timescales for revision and creation of camera-ready copy.


*** Interactive Experiences ***

Willem-Paul Brinkman
Brunel University
[log in to unmask]

Peter Wild
University of Bath
[log in to unmask]

Deadline: 5th May 2006

Interactive Experiences are the home for demonstrations or presentations
involving real systems, prototypes, videos, interactive participations by
conference delegates, interactive surveys or showcasing of new technologies
and applications. Interactive Experiences may involve the use of novel
equipment, or equipment used in a new way. They may demonstrate enhanced
usability in software or tools to support design (for example, testing tools
or model-based design tools), but also new and novel designs of interactive
applications or tool that enrich the user experience.

Proposals may also be submitted for interactive surveys or polls that will
take advantage of the assembly of expert practitioners present at the
conference. Such surveys should address the conference themes. The results
should be instantly available and made available for publication on the
conference web site. However, all submission must
include:

1. A covering letter detailing the format required for any materials and any
computer equipment or software required to support your experience, such as
tables, power supply etc.
2. A description, of no more than four pages prepared using the format for
Volume 2 of the conference proceedings, which explains the Interactive
Experience and its rationale. This document will be used in the reviewing
process and if accepted will be published in the proceedings.
3. A 30 word summary to promote the interactive experience.

In addition, CDs or video material may be sent to support your proposal. If
these are smaller than 5MB in overall size, they can be submitted online
(zipped together with the covering letter, description and summary).
Otherwise please get in touch with Peter Wild and Willem-Paul Brinkman
directly. Please note that we do not have facilities for returning
hard-copies.

*** Posters ***

Dimitris Rigas
University of Bradford
[log in to unmask]

Deadline: 5th May 2006

Poster submissions addressing any of the conference themes are invited.
Authors are encouraged to demonstrate work in progress and late-breaking
research results that show the latest innovative ideas to stimulate
audiences. The submission will include:

1. A covering letter indicating how the space afforded for display of the
poster will be used, including any innovative suggestions for display or
observer involvement 2. A two page summary prepared using the format for
Volume 2 of the conference proceedings, which will be used as part of the
basis for review and which will be published in the proceedings 3. A 30 word
summary that will be suitable for inclusion in the programme and on the
website to introduce and promote the poster


*** Work Practices and Spaces ***

Fraser Hamilton
Design for All Ltd
[log in to unmask]

Deadline: 5th May 2006

Work Practices and Spaces provides a forum for design agencies, usability
consultancies, companies, universities and government institutions to
promote the User Experience-oriented work they do and the spaces in which
they do it. The forum allows User Experience teams to introduce their work
to the wider Human-Computer Interaction community and share their insights,
challenges, successes and even failures.

We particularly encourage submissions that describe your team?s
design/research philosophy, approach to Human-Computer Interaction, project
structures, techniques applied and facilities used. These may be provided
(for example) in the context of your organisation?s history and evolution, a
project case study, or a novel interaction problem. Submissions that address
lessons learned and your organisation?s future directions are especially
welcomed.

Each team will be allocated a conference slot in which to present themselves
and give the overview of their work practices and spaces. In addition, each
team will be able to promote its activities using various materials
(posters, videos, demonstrations, etc.)

Submissions should include:

1. A two-page summary prepared using the format for Volume 2 of the
conference proceedings. This should cover topics such as:
a. Outline: Outline of the organisation, its history,
current work and future plans.
b. People: Summary of the people involved and their backgrounds
c. Work overview: Overview of key projects, products,
publications, or other results.
d. Work detail: Details of your team?s design/research
philosophy, approach to Human-Computer Interaction,
facilities and the issues faced as exemplified by case
studies, interaction problems and so on.
2. A 30 word summary to promote the presentation.


*** Doctoral colloquium ***

Panos Markopoulos
Technical University of Eindhoven
[log in to unmask]

M. Angela Sasse
University College London
[log in to unmask]

Deadline: 5th May 2006

The aims of the HCI 2006 Doctoral Consortium are:
* to offer a friendly forum for PhD students to present their research to
fellow students and a panel of HCI experts, and receive feedback
* to participate in in-depth discussions of current HCI research areas and
research methods
* to nurture a community of researchers and support the integration of PhD
students in the HCI research community.

The Consortium is designed for students currently registered for a PhD in
HCI or a related field. Preference will be given to applicants whose
research is likely to benefit from the feedback; i.e. applicants who have
formulated their research proposal and carried out initial research, but are
not nearing completion of their thesis yet. Each participant will give a
short presentation of their research, which will be followed by questions
from other participants, and feedback from a panel of experts.

An application to participate in the Doctoral Consortium must include:

1. A letter from your supervisor/Principal Advisor on letter-headed paper,
stating
   * that you are registered for PhD studies
   * your research topic
   * what stage your research is at
   * why you and your research would benefit from participation in the HCI
2006 Doctoral Consortium.
2. A two-page paper, prepared using the format for Volume 2 of the
conference proceedings, describing the following: the problem(s) that your
research is addressing; main contribution(s) of the research to the HCI
field; the proposed solution(s), a brief description of the methodology
adopted, current status, any interim conclusions of your research, and a
tentative plan for future work.
3. A 30 word summary to introduce your PhD research.

Students accepted for the HCI 2006 Doctoral Consortium will receive free
conference registration and accommodation.


*** Proceedings ***

As in previous years, printed proceedings will be available at the
conference to ensure optimal interaction around the presented works.
In addition, Volume 1 of the proceedings will be included in the ACM digital
library to ensure optimal distribution of the peer-reviewed papers after the
conference. Volume 2 of the proceedings will be included in the BCS
electronic Workshops in Computing digital library.

*** Electronic submission and format ***

Submissions should be made electronically through the conference submission
and reviewing system. Submission details will appear on the website in
January 2006.

*** Student volunteers ***

George Papatzanis
Queen Mary University of London
[log in to unmask]

HCI 2006 requires a number of enthusiastic and motivated student volunteers
to help with the day-to-day running of the conference from 10th to 15th
September in London. For further information, please visit the conference
web pages or contact George.

*** Call for sponsors ***

Do you want to engage the usability community in the UK and worldwide?
Do you want to reach a broad base of people working in usability?
HCI 2006 is the year's major British conference for bringing together
academics and consultants from around the world to discuss research in all
areas of usability. This makes it a great opportunity to advertise your
company and the work that you do. There are a range of ways of being
represented at the conference including trade stands, talks, freebies and
logo placement. To find out more about sponsoring HCI 2006, please contact:

Helen Petrie
Department of Computer Science
University of York
Heslington
York YO10 5DD
[log in to unmask]

*********************************************************************
   HCI 2006: ENGAGE
   11-15 September 2006
   Queen Mary, University of London
   The 20th British HCI Group conference in co-operation with ACM.
   http://www.hci2006.org
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