Speakers

Ana Henriques is currently a PhD student at the Interactive Technologies Institute/LARSyS, at the University of Lisbon, advised by Hugo Nicolau and Angelika Strohmayer. Ana has focused their research on the intersections of ethics, feminist HCI and community-based work while exploring what community-led ethics could look like as a process of feminist ethical frameworking for community-based projects. She is also a member of the SIGCHI Equity Committee.

Filipe Tomé is a PhD student in Media Arts at the University of Beira Interior. He obtained his master’s degree in Design and Development of Digital Games at the University of Beira Interior (2020) and his B.A. in Digital Games and Multimedia at the Polytechnic of Leiria (2017). Currently, he is a researcher at ITI/LarSYS for the eGameslab project.

Patricia (she/her) is an HCI researcher who aims to leverage technology in innovative, inclusive, and impactful ways. She holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Computer Science and Engineering from Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon. She is currently a PhD student at the Interactive Technologies Institute and INESC-ID under the supervision of Hugo Nicolau (ITI), Rui Prada (INESC-ID), and Anna Carter (Northumbria University). In her current research, Patricia focuses on Neurodiversity, Public Spaces, and HCI.

Abstracts

A Feminist Care Ethics Toolkit for Community-Based Design. Existing ethics frameworks for participatory engagement in HCI often overlook the nuanced ethical challenges of dynamic community-based contexts given the latter’s relational nature. We hope to bridge this gap by grounding feminist care ethics in actionable tools for community-based projects to enhance ethical engagement in these settings. Prior research advocates for adaptable, context-sensitive ethics in participatory research, informed by feminist care ethics. To address this need, we developed and iteratively refined a toolkit embodying the underlying principles of feminist care ethics through workshops with participants working in academic and non-academic community-based settings. Our findings suggest that the toolkit fosters ethical reflection aligned with the feminist care ethics ethos while facilitating meaningful experiences for participants. This work contributes to the field by offering a practical design artefact that not only embodies feminist care ethics but also supports researchers and communities in navigating complex ethical landscapes in participatory engagements, together or independently.

Eidolon: Exploring the Complexities of Prolonged Grief Disorder Through a Digital Game . Eidolon is an innovative first-person thriller game that explores prolonged grief through a thought-provoking narrative. The digital game integrates escape room mechanics based on the five stages of grief, providing an immersive experience that encourages players to reflect on emotional loss. Combining the realism of Unreal Engine and MetaHumans with live-action footage, Eidolon offers a unique approach to narrative that tackles complex psychological themes. Our game will potentially raise awareness of Prolonged Grief Disorder and contribute to the emerging research on how emotionally challenging video games can positively impact players in meaningful ways.

Towards Neuroqueer Spatial Justice: A Critical Literature Review of Public Space Technologies for Neurodivergent Populations. Access to public spaces is extremely important for social cohesion, inclusion, and civic engagement. But, many of these spaces are incredibly uncomfortable for neurodivergent individuals (for example, autistic individuals or those with ADHD or dyslexia), as they are always unpredictable and often overstimulating. Smart City technologies present an exciting opportunity to address this matter. In this critical literature review, Patricia and her advisors attempt to map and critically examine the research space at the intersection of public space, technology, and neurodivergence, using a novel theoretical framework based on Spatial Justice and Neuroqueer Technoscience. They suggest paths for future research, calling for the participatory co-creation of public space technologies that both support neurodivergent needs and promote neurodivergent joy.

Event Details

Date: March 14th, 2025
Time: 12:30 – 13:15 (GMT)
Location: Online (Zoom)
Registration: https://forms.office.com/e/yPJsrtRR98