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CALL FOR PAPERS 
PERFORMANCE IN INTERACTION DESIGN  
SPECIAL ISSUE OF THE JOURNAL INTERACTING WITH COMPUTERS  


THEME 
The operation of computers has always been a performative activity, in the sense that a system’s 
state changes as a computer runs through a program acting out the tasks specified in the script of 
a program. With interactive systems, human actors take their place on stage alongside computers 
performing activities with and through such systems. The recent emergence of ubiquitous and 
tangible computing moves the stage of the interaction from the virtuality of the screen to the 
physical environment. This provides opportunities to address performative interactions that 
include bodily movements to create novel multimodal approaches. For interaction designers this 
requires thinking about interaction in a different way, for example considering the role of the body, 
beyond ergonomics, for its increased relevance as a presentational, representational and 
experiential medium. Recently there has been a growing interest in developing interaction design 
methods that more explicitly recognise and exploit the performative elements and potentials of 
design activity itself. Across all design disciplines the importance of effective communication has 
led to an awareness of the need to consider and improve our ability to represent ideas in ways 
that open up, rather than shut down, dialogue. Performance, theatre and dramaturgy have begun 
to figure in the design of interactive systems. This issue of Interacting with Computers will provide 
a focus for this growing topic of interest.  


BACKGROUND 
Across the many design disciplines that concern themselves with interaction design there have 
been long standing debates about the nature, utility, form, timing and quality of communication 
within the design process. For example, scenarios have found widespread acceptance as a tool 
for communicating rich user experiences within requirements and design specifications. Whilst 
they are typically not performed as such, their roots in the forms of traditional narrative point to a 
performative potential that could be more fully explored. Within object-oriented software design, 
the CRC Cards technique combines role-playing with scenario walkthroughs and use-cases to 
provide design teams with a software Object’s perspective on the systems they’ are developing. 
Finally, within the emerging communities of ‘interaction design’ practitioners we have seen 
interest in the potential of a variety of improvisational theatre techniques such as role playing and 
bodystorming. All of this suggests that performance in interaction design ought to be a topic 
worthy of serious consideration.  


This special issue of Interacting with Computers aims to map the research landscape of 
performance and interaction design, to uncover the many ways performance manifests itself in 
design, and to identify methods that will encourage a wider range of designers and design 
industries to exploit the potential of performance as a design tool. Themes relevant for 
submission include (but are not limited to): 


- Studies of human-human interaction in interaction design projects (design as 
performance) 
- Historical overviews of performative interaction design 
- Critical reports on the use of theatre, performance and drama as tools for exploring 
interaction design problems, themes or ideas, or as tools in concept design, 
requirements generation, design and evaluation. 
- Studies of the use of dramatic representations of interaction design ideas (e.g. 
through the use of scenarios, textual or filmic) 
- Evaluations and case studies of new and existing methods and techniques to exploit 
performance in interaction design 
- Reports on the use of performative techniques in the evaluation of designs 
- Reflections on the impact of interactive technology on already exisiting performative 
systems 


We should stress that we are interested in any and all kinds of performance, for example 
traditional or improvisational dramatic narrative, interactive theatre, filmed performance, dance, 
music, etc. We are interested in exploring the widest possible range of ways performance has 
been or could be utilised, explored or developed within interaction design contexts. 


SUBMISSIONS 
Deadline for submissions: February 24th 2006 
Notification of Acceptance: 17th March 2006 
Final version of accepted papers: 31st March 2006 


Note this issue will be published in July 2006 - final versions must be in by the date stated.  


Submission of manuscripts ( up to 10000 words) are invited. Please refer to 
http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/525445/authorinstructions for 
layout guidelines. However please note that in the first instance manuscripts should be sent to the 
special issue editors AND NOT the journal itself. Nor should you use the online submission tool at 
this stage. 


Please **email** your submission (in MS Word or Acrobat PDF format) to 
c,[log in to unmask] 


REVIEW BOARD 
David Benyon School of Computing, Napier University UK 
Thomas Inns, School of Design, University of Dundee, UK 
Giulio Jacucci, Helsinki Institute for Information Technology Finland  
Tomi Kankainen, Helsinki Institute for Information Technology Finland 
Catriona Macaulay, Interaction Design Lab, University of Dundee UK 
Bonnie Nardi, Department of Informatics, University California, Irvine US 
Alan Newell, Division of Applied Computing, University of Dundee, UK 
Sally Jane Norman, The Culture Lab, University of Newcastle UK 
Shaleph O’Neill, Interaction Design Lab, University of Dundee UK 


GUEST EDITORS 
Catriona Macaulay, Interaction Design Lab, University of Dundee UK 
Giulio Jacucci, Helsinki Institute for Information Technology Finland  
Shaleph O’Neill, Interaction Design Lab, University of Dundee UK 
Tomi Kankainen, Helsinki Institute for Information Technology Finland 


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