Our Values

  1. Quality before quantity. Conduct good research first, only then publish. Some researchers today are hyper-focused on churning out "newspaper articles": papers for the sake of papers. This feeds into an unsustainable cycle, both for researchers and readers.
  2. Deploy-oriented. When conducting systems work in HCI, we value in-the-wild deployment above all. We view in-lab user studies, and even citation counts of papers, as a less important metric of value for systems research than actual, on-the-ground impact. Usability studies don't always transfer to real value: it is easy to rig the dice in favor of the intervention system in a "controlled" study. Only by deploying our systems in the wild, on real problems, can we demostrate ecological validity and real value.
  3. Methods follow research (not vice-versa). Methods must follow the research question(s) one is asking, or (in the case of systems work) what makes the most sense to evaluate the system in its intended context(s) of use. This is especially important in HCI, which has many (many!) methods. (Said more directly, we do not deploy methods "because it'll make it easier to get the paper accepted.")
  4. Embrace failure. The best research (and systems work) emerges from (often unseen) failure. No progress can be achieved without failure and risk-taking. Sometimes, a failure can itself be an interesting research outcome.
  5. Make space for deep work. Research, writing, developing —all this requires deep work and thought. If we are not careful, too many meetings can break up the day, disrupting this important creative "stewing." Meetings should accomplish something practical, whenever possible —not abstract advice on a paper draft, for instance, but actual edits/comments.
  6. Respect work/life boundaries. Except in extreme cases, like the week of a major paper deadline, we value our lives and do not work on the weekends or after 5pm. There is no expectations to answer emails outside of business hours. When we are in person, as a consequence, we commit to being present to ourselves and one another.
  7. Diversity fosters excellence. The 'truth' can only be asymptotically approached through what Donna Haraway called the "privilege of partial perspective," what Jainist philosophers call Anekāntavāda (अनेकान्तवाद), and, arguably, what computer scientists call "intedisciplinarity." Diversity of perspective and background fosters greater truths beyond that which narrow or single-minded perceptions can discover alone.
  8. Read widely, beyond HCI and CS. It's essential to read or study topics outside the field of computing, because HCI is by definition an interdisiplinary field.
  9. Funded by the public, for the public. Work funded with public funds must be accessible to and by the public: whether it be through articles relaying published findings, or deployed systems.

Mascot

Our mascot is the praying mantis. The mantis symbolizes precision, contemplation, mindfulness, and courage. In martial arts, the Northern Praying Mantis martial arts style emphasizes deflection and rapid-fire precision attacks. (Our logo also looks vaguely like a mantis! :)

Logo

Our logo is a variation of the UdeM logo, with an X to represent "chi" (an allusion to the annual CHI conference). The logo and mascot have comraderie with the Harvard HCI group's butterfly logo, where Prof. Arawjo did his postdoctoral studies.