The Art and Craft of Capturing Children's Experiences in IDC

Read, Janet C. and Fitton, Daniel and Horton, Matthew (2026) The Art and Craft of Capturing Children's Experiences in IDC. In: IDC '26 : Proceedings of the 25th Annual ACM Interaction Design and Children Conference. ACM, New York, pp. 1410-1412. ISBN 9798400722837

Abstract

The Art and Craft of Capturing Children’s Experiences in IDC course focuses on evaluation studies with children and presents three graduated studies along with all their planning, tools and observations whilst also challenging attendees to go beyond each by applying a growth mindset to query what can be done better - in this way the craft of working with children is mapped out as a continuum in which skills develop in innovation, the use of tools, and in the products of research. At the same time, a set of provocations / top tips are given as art forms built from curated conversations with IDC influencers that both convey a simple message but also a deeper meaning - as is the nature of art. The course is therefore suitable for all levels, and for researchers and practitioners. It is a new course specifically designed for the IDC community but builds on similar courses that have been held at CHI.