Play and playfulness are increasingly popular in HCI, in and beyond entertainment games. In this one-day workshop, we will explore how culture and traditions can guide the design of playful interventions addressed at everyday scenarios. Using food as an accessible starting point, we will gather scholars from diverse communities and backgrounds to share, analyze, and make creative use of playful traditions, and prototype new and interesting eating experiences. Through hands-on engagement with traditions, play and technology, we will discuss strategies to make designerly use of forms of play that are embedded in culture. In response to recent calls for increasingly situated and emergent play design methods, we will explore strategies to chase culturally-grounded play. Importantly, to participate, applicants need not be food-tech experts—given the commonplace everyday presence of food, we hope the workshop themes are widely relatable.

Submission instructions:

Please submit a (max 4 page) expression of interest to ferranaltarriba@gmail.com, including:

  • A 150-word bio.
  • A short (~300 word) statement about the perspectives you bring to the issues we will explore in the workshop.
  • A description of one or more playful food traditions from your family, culture, community, etc.. An example of a description of a playful food tradition can be found here.
  • Optionally, you can also describe strategies/methods you have used to source inspiration in cultural play. We will share and experiment with those strategies during the workshop.

Position papers should be submitted at ferranaltarriba@gmail.com before October 4, 2019.

Key dates:

  • Submission deadline: September 15, 2019
  • Extended deadline: October 4, 2019
  • Notice of acceptance: September 21, 2019
  • CHI Play early bird registration: September 22, 2019
  • Workshop date: October 22, 2019

The workshop program can be accessed here. 

Proposals will be selected based on originality and relevance to workshop themes, with the aim of having as diverse a representation of perspectives and cultural backgrounds as possible. All attendees must register to attend the workshop.