Jan. 20, 2009 · strong>ABSTRACT:
Are we on the verge of a revolution in design research? I offer a cautiously optimistic "Yes!"

In this talk, I will discuss recent advances in interaction design research as they affect the field of Human-Computer Interaction. Specifically, I will talk about two types of systematic design research activities that I believe have grown in focus and importance in the last five years. The first is Research through Design, a research approach that employs methods and processes from design practice to explore new problem spaces, codifying understanding through the construction of artifacts. The second is Design Thinking, which is the process of teaching HCI researchers to view their research problems with the lens of design research. I will use examples from my research and teaching to illustrate these advances.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH:
Jodi Forlizzi is an Associate Professor of Design and Human-Computer Interaction and the A. Nico Habermann Chair of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University, in Pittsburgh, PA. She is an interaction designer contributing to design theory and practice. Her theoretical research examines theories of experience, emotion, and social product use as they relate to interaction design. Other research and practice centers on notification systems ranging from peripheral displays to embodied robots, with a special focus on the social behavior evoked by these systems.

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