A few HCID members travelled to CHI 2026 in Barcelona to share their research and connect with the global HCI community. From digital agriculture to financial technologies and the social meaning of money, HCID contributions highlighted the centre’s commitment to critical, inclusive, and practice-oriented research.

Rethinking digital agriculture

Sebastian Prost presented "HCI for Agroecology: Agri-Tech between Grassroots and Capitalism" (by Sebastian Prost, Clara Crivellaro, Henry Collingham, John Vines, Nick Taylor, John Thackara and Jon Rogers), a paper that challenges dominant narratives around agricultural technology.

https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3772318.3791822

Drawing on fieldwork with small-scale agroecological farms in the UK, the research shows that farmers are not resistant to technology, but are often underserved by existing tools, leading to complex, collaborative data practices that remain largely invisible and under-supported.

The paper calls for HCI to move beyond productivity-driven, commercial models of agri-tech and instead engage with farmer-led, grassroots approaches. It offers guiding principles and design opportunities aimed at supporting technological sovereignty and more sustainable farming practices.

Understanding financial lives through neurodiversity

Helena Lyhme presented “Navigating Financial Lives: How Autistic Adults Adapt Financial Technologies, Tools and Strategies” (by Helena Lyhme, Belén Barros Pena and Stephanie Wilson), exploring how autistic adults engage with and reshape financial systems.

https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3772318.3791131

Based on 20 interviews incorporating collaborative visual mapping, the study highlights how financial management is shaped by factors such as sensory and cognitive load, executive functioning, and experiences of autistic joy. Participants were not positioned as passive users, but as active adapters and creators of financial practices and technologies.

Framed through neuroqueer technoscience, the work surfaces design tensions and opportunities for creating more inclusive financial technologies, pointing toward systems that better align with diverse ways of thinking, feeling, and organising everyday life.

Configuring money as an interface

Alongside paper presentations, Belén Barros Pena and Helena Lyhme co-organised the workshop "Configuring Money as an Interface" (together with Chris Elsden, Jeff Brozena, Daniel Mwesigwa, Chris Speed, Jofish Kaye, and John Vines). Karl Tonna and Larisa Blazic joined as participants.

https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3772363.3778765

The workshop brought together researchers, designers, and practitioners to rethink money not just as an economic instrument, but as a social and relational technology. Participants contributed “design contexts” that served as provocations for exploring how money could become more flexible, collaborative, and meaningful in different situations.

The outcome is an evolving catalogue of design proposals that reimagine financial systems, moving beyond fixed, one-size-fits-all models toward more configurable and context-sensitive approaches.

Looking ahead

Across presentations and workshops, HCID’s presence at CHI 2026 reflected a shared interest in questioning dominant technological paradigms and designing with, rather than for, communities.

Whether engaging with farmers navigating alternative agricultural futures or autistic adults reshaping financial practices, these contributions point toward a broader agenda: developing technologies that are socially grounded, adaptable, and just.