Beyond Participation in HCI: Technology Design as Social Transformation

Over the past decade, Human–Computer Interaction has increasingly focused on enabling more inclusive, socially just, and democratic forms of participation in and through technology. This body of work has surfaced the inherently political nature of technology design, embraced Participatory Action Research (PAR) for community inclusion and co-production, and exposed systemic algorithmic and technological injustices. It has also proposed and built alternative socio-technical infrastructures aimed at advancing social justice. Drawing on several of my past projects—from PAR collaborations with social movements to Research-through-Design engagements with organisations such as the IFRC and BBC—I will reflect on both the achievements and limitations of technology design technology as a mode of social transformation. Building on these reflections, I outline a set of priorities for Community-Engaged Participatory Research in HCI that critically engages with emerging digital technologies and seeks to support more equitable and sustainable futures.

Vasilis Vlachokyriakos is a Reader (Associate Professor) at Newcastle University and co-director of Open Lab. He is also the co-founder of Open Lab Athens, a Social Solidarity Economy research cooperative in Greece. His work focuses on Community-Engaged Participatory Research, designing and developing digital technologies that foster cooperation, participation, inclusion, and democracy.