By Zhe Yu, HCDE master's student
Attending CHI 2025 in Yokohama, Japan was a generative and affirming experience that expanded both my academic perspective and professional network. As a first-year HCDE master’s student, this was my first time presenting at and engaging with an international HCI conference of this scale.
Throughout the week, I explored a range of topics—queer HCI, AI co-development, community-centered design, and speculative interaction—aligning with my interests in emotional design, participatory methods, and marginalized communities. I particularly resonated with sessions like “Finding Our Joy: Queer Perspectives on HCI Research” and “The Right to Be Skeptical”, which deepened my understanding of relational ethics in both research and lived experience. The Feminist HCI Picnic stood out as an informal but powerful gathering space, where I connected with researchers around shared values of care, solidarity, and design as a relational act.
In terms of research inspiration, presentations on digital intimacy and critique of global academic norms challenged me to reflect on how my own projects—such as co-designing student-led queer spaces and relational memory-making—fit within broader conversations about justice-oriented HCI. Talks on navigating local specificity and resisting essentialist framings of non-Western knowledge felt especially relevant to my positionality as a Chinese student navigating U.S.-centered academic infrastructures.
Beyond sessions, CHI 2025 gave me valuable practice in attending overlapping events, connecting across disciplines, and presenting in semi-formal academic settings. I was also honored to co-author a Late-Breaking Work project with peers from UW HCDE, which helped me understand the submission and review process more deeply.
Attending in person allowed for spontaneous conversations, peer support, and critical reflection—often in liminal spaces like parks, hotel lounges, and hallway chats. This trip reinforced my desire to pursue HCI work that centers affective, communal, and cross-cultural dimensions of design.
Special thanks to the HCDE department for supporting this opportunity. I’m grateful for the funding that helped cover registration, travel, and accommodations, making this meaningful experience possible.
Give to support HCDE student travel
The Mary B. Coney Endowed Fund, named in honor of Emeritus Professor Mary Coney, supports HCDE students by funding costs associated with travel to conferences and international workshops. Your support of this fund enriches the HCDE student experience and enhances HCDE's influence in the field.