Gender and skill in human computer interaction

Practitioners working in HCI make implicit assumptions about gender and skill in conducting design work. More frequently than not, assumptions about both the gender of computer system users, and definitions of skill relied on in designing computer systems, remain hidden (exceptions include 1,2,10,16). Here, the importance of addressing gender and skill in HCI activities is addressed through a focus on participatory design (PD) and ergonomics. In the tradition of participatory posters [11] participants are asked to engage in generating knowledge about gender and skill in HCI by providing citations to relevant work, and/or anecdotes from their design experience (by computer entry or video clips).