Emergent Users (or, the Next Billion Users) are those persons who find it difficult to own, learn and use digital technologies due to certain barriers, such as: 

• Low-literacy

• Less Income

• Old age

• Living in the rural areas.

HCI (Human-Computer Interaction) for Emergent Users is an important sub-field of HCI. It focuses on designing meaningful and effective products and solutions for Emergent Users. In this context, a very critical question is-

“How and why the barriers affect technology use by Emergent Users?”

The answers to this question are highly complex and can only be revealed through in-depth research. 

Conducting research for Emergent Users is not at all easy. It is full of challenges which come in many forms, such as:

• Finding the right users.

• Building a relationship with users during research.

• Getting the right data.

• Interpreting the data correctly.

In this regard, it should be noted that the issues and narratives around Emergent Users are themselves emerging, and, therefore, the research tools and methods also need to evolve over time.

OBJECTIVE

This workshop aims to create a “live” document. This document will act as a repository of tools, practices, resources and terminologies. It will help in the research/practice of HCI for Emergent Users. 

The document would be live in the sense that it would be dynamically updated by the researchers/practitioners. The contributions would be direct result of the experience and insights from the research or practice.

In other words, the document, over time, will be both built and used by the same community-that of researchers/practitioners of HCI for Emergent Users. 

The document is meant to be used by the following:

• Researchers: We plan to document a set of processes, methods and tools that HCI4D researchers have created so that they can work with emergent users to develop ICT interventions. This includes changes and translations made to existing HCI methods so that these methods will work well in emergent user contexts.

• Authors: Aimed at both academic and general writers this document will discuss the nuances in terminologies and will try to advocate the preferred terminologies and guidelines of use.

ELIGIBILITY

Anybody interested in doing research/practice related to HCI for Emergent Users.

PREREQUISITES

There are no prerequisites.

However, it will help if the participants could share their experience of working in the domain of Emergent Users. The following points may be  useful:

• What were the unique challenges faced while conducting research/doing projects for emergent users?

• How these challenges were overcome?

• How the challenges were reported, communicated and documented in your organisation?

• How the understanding gained from research or projects might be framed or articulated as a guideline for future work in this field?

SCHEDULE

• 11:00 - 11:30: Agenda setting

• 11:30 - 12:30: Introduction to Designing for Emergent Users + Case Studies

• 12:30 - 13:30: Lunch

• 13:30 - 14:15: Participant presentations (5 mins each)

• 14:15 - 15:00: Brainstorming in small groups

• 15:00 - 15:30: Synthesis of the insights generated in earlier session

• 15:30 - 16:30: Conclusions and Agenda for Future Work and Collaboration

OUTCOME AND TAKEAWAY

• A Chance to contribute to a potentially important resource.

• Learn from others with experience in the area.

• Exposure to the finer issues of an important domain of the future.

• Build and be part of an eco-system comprising of researchers/practitioners from academia, government, non-profit organisations and industry.