Important dates

3rd February: First Call deadline for submission of full papers, workshops, tutorials and panels
28th March: Author notification
1st May: Camera ready copy deadline for full papers
5th May: Second Call deadline for submission of short papers, interactive experiences, panels, posters, doctoral consortium.
26th May: Author notification
5th June:Camera ready copy deadline for all categories
23rd June: Authors of papers accepted for volume 1 have registered
21st July: Authors of papers accepted for volume 2 have registered
4th August: Early registration deadline
Early September: Online registration closes (you will still be able to register at the conference itself)

All categories are now closed

However, authors who have been granted an extension can still complete their submission at the online submission website.

Full papers

Chairs:
Ann Blandford, University College London, UK
Paul Curzon, Queen Mary, University of London, UK
Laurence Nigay, University of Grenoble, France

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:

A paper not exceeding 16 pages, prepared using the provisional format for Volume 1 of the conference proceedings.
A 30 word summary that will be suitable for inclusion in the programme and on the website to introduce and promote the paper.
A statement of which of the six themes listed above the work
aligns to.

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. Meta-information should be removed from the document itself (e.g. the 'Summary' form for Word Files).

Engaging Tutorials

Chairs:
William Wong, Middlesex University, UK
Paola Amaldi, Middlesex University, UK

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, in a single document:

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

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

Note that if accepted, you will be asked to provide a 2-page description of your tutorial for publication in the conference proceedings, using the formatting template for Volume 2 of the proceedings, as well as a 30-word summary of your tutorial.

Workshops

Chairs:
Stephanie Wilson, City University, UK
Helen Sharp, Open University, UK

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:

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.
A two-page description of the workshop in the Volume 2 conference format 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.
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.

Panel sessions

Chairs:
Olav Bertelsen, University of Aarhus, Denmark
Adrian Williamson, Graham Technology plc, UK

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.

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!

Whilst this years earlier deadline for panel submissions 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:

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.
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.
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 your plans on formats.

Short Papers

Chairs:
Tony Stockman, Queen Mary University of London, UK
Bob Fields, Middlesex University, UK

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:

A four page paper prepared using the format for Volume 2 of the conference proceedings
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.

Posters

Chair: Dimitrios Rigas, University of Bradford

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:

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
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
A 30 word summary that will be suitable for inclusion in the programme and on the website to introduce and promote the poster

Doctoral Consortium

Chairs:
Panos Markopoulos, Technical University of Eindhoven, NL
M. Angela Sasse, University College London, UK

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:

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.
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.
A 30 word summary to introduce your PhD research.

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

Work Practices & Spaces

Chair: Fraser Hamilton, Design for All Ltd fraser@designedforall.com

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:

A two-page summary prepared using the format for Volume 2 of the conference proceedings. This should cover topics such as:
• Outline: Outline of the organisation, its history, current work and future plans.
• People: Summary of the people involved and their backgrounds
• Work overview: Overview of key projects, products, publications, or other results.
• 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.
A 30 word summary to promote the presentation.

Interactive Experiences

Chair:
Willem-Paul Brinkman, Brunel University, UK
Peter Wild, University of Bath, UK

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:

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.
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.
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 (in one zip file together with the covering letter). 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.

sUBMISSIONS (All Categories Are Now Closed)