Revealing Tensions in Autobiographical Design in HCI

ABSTRACT

While self-usage has long been regarded as a questionable approach in human-computer interaction (HCI) research, recent projects have shown the successful use of autobiographical design as a method to investigate long-term and intimate relations between people and technologies in everyday life. In an effort to continue the development of methodological best practices, we need to acknowledge with more nuance the tensions that arise in use. In this paper, we articulate such tensions by examining two first-hand accounts of using autobiographical design and four autobiographical design projects of other HCI researchers. Our findings address: genuine needs, design participation, intimacy, reflexivity, and authorial voice. Our contribution is constituted of critical insights into the complexities of using autobiographical design and recommendations for researchers interested in using this method.

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Index Terms

• Human-centered computing