The Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction 2026 (NordiCHI 2026), taking place at the Åbo Akademi University and the University of Vaasa in Vaasa Finland, investigates the theme Pulse - exploring the energy that drives us related to both Vaasa's role as Nordic energy closer and to its surrounding nature. 

During the pre-conference days on October 3rd and 4th 2026, PIT researchers will facilitate workshops, one on narratives in HCI research and one on speculative AI futures. Registrations for the workshops are now opened for interested researchers. More information about the workshops can be found below: 

Shifting Stories of Human-Centred Computing Research

In their essay "The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction", Ursula K. Le Guin (1986) critiques how stories of science fiction and technology are predominantly told as stories of heroic undertakings, not as stories about everyday life, advocating to shift our focus to the mundane and worldly aspects of life.

Based on Le Guin's call for more stories of everyday life, we invite participants to engage with their own research and their discipline through the lens of The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction. By focusing on the narrative aspects of HCI research practices we won't merely look at the presentation of research results but also on how general narratives inform the design of technology and how research is approached, as well as problem definitions and technology development in general. This means mapping story aspects of computing narratives and related concepts to ask what assumptions, socio-technical implications, and material consequences they bring with them.

Drawing on methods from critical fabulation and speculative design, we aim to enable participants to critically reflect on their current research practices and how they are shaped by dominant narratives of their field, and collectively work on shifting perspectives on participants' own research, speculating on how else their stories could be told. The workshop contains a mixture of input, narrative analysis, reflection, and speculative design activities.

Learn more about how to participate on the workshop website: NordiCHI WS "Shifting Stories of Human-Centred Computing Research"

A Workshop on Speculative AI Futures

Generative artificial intelligence (genAI) could be considered a hot topic of scholarly practices: Some researchers are turning to editorials, opinion pieces, and articles to either denounce or encourage the use of genAI in knowledge production processes. Meanwhile, the promise of increased efficiency may create a sense of necessity around adopting these tools for everyone else. 

With this workshop, we want to welcome HCI researchers and educators for a discussion and reflection on two areas of genAI impact in academia: Research practices and teaching. Drawing on speculative design and fabulation methods, we invite participants to imagine diverse futures for these areas of academia. Through reflection and design exercises we want to enable participants to discuss questions such as: At which points might academia resist or embrace generative artificial intelligence? How might processes of scholarly production be shaped by the introduction of this technology? What are the roles and responsibilities of researchers and educators in these scenarios?

Learn more about how to participate on the workshop website: NordiCHI 2026 – Speculative AI Futures Workshop

The Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction 2026 (NordiCHI 2026), taking place at the Åbo Akademi University and the University of Vaasa in Vaasa Finland, investigates the theme Pulse - exploring the energy that drives us related to both Vaasa's role as Nordic energy closer and to its surrounding nature. 

During the pre-conference days on October 3rd and 4th 2026, PIT researchers will facilitate workshops, one on narratives in HCI research and one on speculative AI futures. Registrations for the workshops are now opened for interested researchers. More information about the workshops can be found below: 

Shifting Stories of Human-Centred Computing Research

In their essay "The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction", Ursula K. Le Guin (1986) critiques how stories of science fiction and technology are predominantly told as stories of heroic undertakings, not as stories about everyday life, advocating to shift our focus to the mundane and worldly aspects of life.

Based on Le Guin's call for more stories of everyday life, we invite participants to engage with their own research and their discipline through the lens of The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction. By focusing on the narrative aspects of HCI research practices we won't merely look at the presentation of research results but also on how general narratives inform the design of technology and how research is approached, as well as problem definitions and technology development in general. This means mapping story aspects of computing narratives and related concepts to ask what assumptions, socio-technical implications, and material consequences they bring with them.

Drawing on methods from critical fabulation and speculative design, we aim to enable participants to critically reflect on their current research practices and how they are shaped by dominant narratives of their field, and collectively work on shifting perspectives on participants' own research, speculating on how else their stories could be told. The workshop contains a mixture of input, narrative analysis, reflection, and speculative design activities.

Learn more about how to participate on the workshop website: NordiCHI WS "Shifting Stories of Human-Centred Computing Research"

A Workshop on Speculative AI Futures

Generative artificial intelligence (genAI) could be considered a hot topic of scholarly practices: Some researchers are turning to editorials, opinion pieces, and articles to either denounce or encourage the use of genAI in knowledge production processes. Meanwhile, the promise of increased efficiency may create a sense of necessity around adopting these tools for everyone else. 

With this workshop, we want to welcome HCI researchers and educators for a discussion and reflection on two areas of genAI impact in academia: Research practices and teaching. Drawing on speculative design and fabulation methods, we invite participants to imagine diverse futures for these areas of academia. Through reflection and design exercises we want to enable participants to discuss questions such as: At which points might academia resist or embrace generative artificial intelligence? How might processes of scholarly production be shaped by the introduction of this technology? What are the roles and responsibilities of researchers and educators in these scenarios?

Learn more about how to participate on the workshop website: NordiCHI 2026 – Speculative AI Futures Workshop