Wednesday 27 February 2019 – Lunchtime Seminar with Professor Anirudha Joshi (IDC School of Design, IIT Bombay, India)

Title: Interaction design for emergent users – Leveraging digital technologies to solve problems of developing economies
Speaker: Professor Anirudha Joshi (IDC School of Design, IIT Bombay, India)
Date and time: Wednesday 27 February 2019, 1pm-2pm
Hosted by: Professor Luigina Ciolfi and Professor Andrew Dearden

Abstract
In HCI courses, we learn how to design products that deploy information and communication technologies (ICTs). We strive to make sure that users will find our products useful, usable and even desirable. But we typically learn how to design for the “traditional” users of ICTs. For example, we may learn to use metaphors, so that users can apply their real-life experiences while using new products. But what metaphor do we use when our user will be opening her first bank account through an app? How to provide large amounts of information to someone who does not know how to search or navigate websites or cannot read? How can someone who cannot type find a contact on his phone?

The Interaction Design for Indian Needs group in IIT Bombay have been exploring design of interactive products for what we call “emergent” users of technology. Professor Joshi will talk about what it means to be an emergent user, and how did information and communication technologies reach them. Professor Joshi will show examples of designs for an Indian language keyboard, a contact application, a rural enterprise project, a system to support treatment of people living with HIV, and an aid for adult literacy classes. Professor Joshi chose these products, not because these designs were highly successful, nor because they use very new technologies, but because a lot was learnt while designing them. Through these examples Professor Joshi will explain how we can learn about emergent users and design for and with them.

Biography
Anirudha Joshi is professor in the interaction design stream in the IDC School of Design, IIT Bombay, India, though currently he is on a sabbatical, visiting universities in the UK. He specialises in design of interactive products for emergent users in developing economies. He has worked in diverse domains including healthcare, literacy, Indian language text input, banking, education, industrial equipment, and FMCG packaging. Anirudha is active with HCI communities in India and outside. He has chaired in various roles in several conferences including India HCI, INTERACT and CHI. Since 2007, he represents India on IFIP TC13. He is the founding director of HCI Professionals Association of India since 2013. Since 2015 he is the Liaison for India for the ACM SIGCHI Asian Development Committee. Since 2016, he has been the VP Finance of the ACM SIGCHI Executive Committee.

1.00PM-2.00PM
WEDNESDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2019
CANTOR 9129, CITY CAMPUS, SHEFFIELD HALLAM UNIVERSITY

See here for details of other seminars in the series.

All SHU staff and students are welcome to attend the C3RI Lunchtime Research Seminars. If you are from outside of the University and would like to attend a seminar, please email the C3RI Administrator to arrange entry.