Written by Matthew Termuende, Sabrina Lakhdhir, and Yichun Zhao
The ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI) is a premier international conference that brings together researchers, practitioners, and academics from the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). In this article, three PhD students from the VIXI lab — Matthew Termuende, Sabrina Lakhdhir, and Yichun Zhao — share their diverse experiences and insights from CHI’24, offering a unique glimpse into the world of HCI research and the impact of such conferences on the academic and professional growth of young researchers. Their reflections highlight the multifaceted nature of CHI and its significance in shaping the future of technology and human interaction.
For a summary of our research contributions this year, see: https://medium.com/@labvixi/vixi-chi24-our-contributions-68fbef522c5f
Matt:
As our plane bounced through some heavy turbulence coming in to land in Honolulu, I was reminded with foreboding that I hadn’t checked the forecast before packing — a full week of heavy rain with the possibility of flooding. But as luck would have it, the conference started with two beautiful sunny days, and the flooding held off until just after the closing keynote. The conference took place in the Hawai’i Conference Center, a large multilevel structure a short walk from Waikiki beach, with lots of natural light and partly open-air common areas that allowed conference goers to listen to the rain or sit in the sunshine during coffee breaks between paper sessions.
This was my first CHI, and I was fortunate to be going without presenting anything, which gave me the unique opportunity of observing the conference relatively stress-free. I had expected it to be big, and it didn’t disappoint. The conference center was a sea of faces, and in the evenings people wearing CHI identification badges were to be found throughout Waikiki.
On networking
In the closing keynote, Dr. Samuel M. ʻOhukaniʻōhiʻa Gon III introduced us to a Hawaiian proverb: “not all knowledge is contained in one school”, and this resonated with my experience at CHI. It was valuable to observe the social dimension of research: researchers working on related topics meeting after paper sessions, possible collaborative projects being proposed, arrangements being made for inter-institution collaboration, announcements made by presenters that they have a job opening, or are looking for work. And also the role of mentorship in networking: advisors introducing their students to their established network, giving them the opportunity to meet receptive professors and students from other institutions. It was also interesting to note how questions are posed (sometimes pointedly, but almost always with a point to make), and how they are invited by especially skilled presenters in order to encourage discussion and promote interest in and awareness of their work.
On buzzy topics
The opening keynote by Dr. Kate Crawford explained that the popular, speculative discussion about AI distracts from the real, contemporary risks; to paraphrase heavily, the alarmist discussion of future artificial general intelligence sucks all the air out of the room. I had expected AI and LLMs to feature prominently, but I hadn’t expected it to dominate the conversation to such an extent. Some interesting applications of LLMs were presented, but LLMs also found their way into questions to presenters on completely unrelated topics. It pervaded even casual conversations, which I suspect had more to do with the amount of airtime it was allocated in the conference than actual interest in the topic. While I understand that it is important that CHI and the HCI community respond to topical developments, of which LLMs are certainly one, it need not suck all the air out of the room. Again, in another sense of its meaning, “not all knowledge is contained in one school”.
Sabrina:
While I’ve previously attended CHI both in-person and virtually, this year I was privileged with the opportunity to participate in the Doctoral Consortium as 1 of 20 hand-picked doctoral students from the international HCI community, and to present two first-authored full papers!
Doctoral Consortium
Going into the Doctoral Consortium (DC), I had hopes and expectations towards the tangible outcomes I’d gain towards my thesis and next steps as a researcher. However, I didn’t really know what to expect from a full weekend of sessions with a small group of mentors and fellow PhD students when it came to developing relationships, getting personalized feedback, and remaining engaged while being surrounded by new faces and ideas.
To my surprise, and to the credit of the DC chairs, this weekend, while exhausting, turned out to be the highlight of my CHI 2024 experience. Participating in the DC provided me with:
- Opportunities to connect with an intimate group of outstanding individuals, which is particularly difficult in an overwhelming setting such as CHI,
- Outlooks on career paths from both industry and academic researchers with considerations towards work-life balance, work style, and team dynamics,
- Friendships and a small cohort of doctoral students who share my passion for research and desire to have an impact, and
- Ideas for how to strengthen and expand my thesis to maximize the impression my research can have on the world around me.
While only a short two days, the impact of the DC on my development as a researcher, my ability to verbalize my completed research and new curiosities, and my gained connections with both students and established researchers, demonstrates the significance of participating in conferences and the research community beyond publishing papers. I’ve taken away many memories, learnings, and friendships that I look forward to cherishing and developing as I continue pursuing my career as a researcher!
Paper Presentations
From the paper presentation side of things, I was fortunate to present two papers from my PhD research:
- Expressive Clothing: Understanding Hobbyist-Sewers Visions for Self — Expression Through Clothing, and
- GlucoMaker: Enabling Collaborative Customization of Glucose Monitors.
As a nervous presenter, I spent hours in the weeks leading up to CHI refining my slides, practicing my scripts, and getting my timing down to ensure I could clearly articulate my thoughts and speak at an understandable volume and speed. This served to really boost my confidence, allowing me to maintain my composure for my short 10-minute presentations. Following my presentations and their respective Q&As, I was fortunate to chat with and meet a handful of individuals working on similar topics who were interested in learning more about the work I’ve done and continue to complete in relation to my presentations, particularly in regard to GlucoMaker. These connections and networking opportunities are hard to come by for quieter individuals like myself, and again, highlight the importance of attending conferences, participating to their fullest extent, and taking advantage of opportunities to engage with the broader, international research community.
Overall Thoughts
CHI is an overwhelming conference that is both exciting and scary, and attending CHI can be extremely nerve-wracking. But, as I engage more with ongoing research, participate in more conferences and activities, and network with more individuals throughout the community, CHI is slowly evolving from a scary and unfamiliar conference where you feel alone, to an exciting event where you get to reconnect with friends and colleagues on a yearly basis!
Yichun:
TADA Paper Presentation and Demo
I presented our paper on TADA! The presentation was well-received, and I attribute this success partially to the preparation I undertook the night before — which was Miguel’s suggestion! At first I did not want to think much about the presentation to avoid the stress but it turned out that practicing the talk multiple times significantly boosted my confidence and delivery. During the Q&A session, I was able to address several questions about TADA and the design choices we made.
In addition to the presentation, I also demonstrated TADA during a hot desk demo and showcased the poster for TADA. The demo attracted quite a bit of interest, with many attendees trying out TADA themselves and asking insightful questions about it. This also provided an opportunity to connect with others doing related work, leading to some engaging and productive conversations.
Sensemaking Workshop Presentation
I also presented at the Sensemaking workshop, where I engaged in discussions with other participants. The main themes of the workshop included the use of AI and LLM, which were prevalent in many works presented at CHI this year. Some of the interesting ideas discussed were: 1) Potential of using Generative AI to enhance sensemaking in various domains, such as genome sequencing, email management, and developer productivity; 2) Importance of collaborative sensemaking involving multiple AI and human agents, and the need for clear indications of AI-generated content to calibrate trust; 3) Critical examination of how Generative AI influences design processes and the potential biases in AI models that could impact human sensemaking and decision-making.
My presentation focused on viewing data sensemaking through the lens of visual accessibility. I talked about the Ladder of Diagram Access which is the main finding from our TADA paper and discussed the challenges faced by people who are blind or low-vision and the strategies they use to make sense of data. I explored the opportunities for non-visual sensemaking, especially at higher levels of the ladder, where more complex sensemaking tasks are likely to be conducted.
Student Volunteering
As a student volunteer, I had the chance to meet new friends and engage in enlightening lunch conversations with senior researchers. Volunteering proved to be an effective way to navigate through a large conference like CHI. I had lots of fun with my new friends!
My Thoughts on Networking
Networking was a significant part of the conference experience to me — I had the opportunity to engage in intellectual conversations with a diverse group of researchers. These interactions were not limited to formal sessions but also occurred during coffee breaks and casual meetups.
While networking is often emphasized by people, I believe it is overvalued; Producing quality work is more important: Good work naturally attracts attention and opens up opportunities for meaningful conversations and collaborations. Talking mindlessly to many people probably does not help much.
Inclusion as a Research Community
The ‘Publish or Perish’ mentality seemed quite strong among students. There was a noticeable emphasis on accepted work, with less discussion around rejections. CHI papers have become a form of currency in our discipline, almost used as a measure of a researcher’s worth. This mindset can lead to a lack of inclusivity. It was not uncommon for questions related to mental health to come up during the SV lunches with senior researchers. I have also seen people giving more attention to more senior researchers or people from prestigious institutions. Quoting from someone: “I would love to connect with you because you are from Stanford!”
The party culture at the conference was also inherently exclusive. Not everyone is comfortable in loud, crowded environments, and invitation-only events can exclude those who are not part of certain circles. However, I also encountered many welcoming individuals and had meaningful conversations about research and other social topics. As a community, we need to strive for more inclusivity and compassion.
Impact of LLM and Generative AI on our Research Community
The topic of LLM and generative AI was unavoidable. To my surprise, most people I spoke to were either optimistic about the benefits and opportunities of AI or viewed its development as inevitable. However, I am concerned about how AI could accelerate knowledge generation and disrupt sustainability in our research community. As a qualitative researcher, I also believe it is crucial to immerse oneself in the data, rather than viewing it from a high level using AI.
Overall…
I had many enriching conversations, met wonderful people, made friends, and learned a lot. Despite some issues, I believe that as a community, we will continue to grow and move in the right direction. I would like to end my reflection by expressing my gratitude to my mentors and friends from the VIXI lab for their guidance and support! ❤
