More-than-human
Designing with forest stories to explore what it might mean for forest-related technologies to ‘get it right’ (forthcoming)

Abstract

This workshop invites researchers, designers, and practitioners from across HCI to explore how interactive technologies might contribute positively to human-forest interactions, and what it might mean for such technologies to plurally “get it right”. We begin from the premise that technology can both enrich and harm forest ecologies: it may help us notice, sense, and connect in new ways, but it may also foster alienation or commodification if designed uncritically. Through research-through-design, workshop participants will share forest stories via boundary objects, co-create a metaphorical “shared forest” exhibition, draw on diverse HCI knowledges to speculatively prototype technologies responding to these stories, and reflect on the promising design directions that emerge. Our aim is not to identify a single “right way”, but to surface plural, situated directions that feel worth pursuing. Outcomes will include a digital archive of stories and artefacts and an annotated portfolio of speculative prototypes to inspire future design/research

 

Role: Co-organizer

Type: Extended Abstract (Workshop)

Conference: Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

Stats: h5-index: 134

Date: 2026

Co-Authors: Ferran Altarriba Bertran, Heidi Biggs, Angella Mackey, William Odom and Oscar Tomico


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Asking Water with Stones: Designing Playful Dialogues with Water System to Build Connection between Human and Water Ecosystems

Abstract

The more-than-human field has contributed numerous opportunities for interacting with nature, animals, plants, and microorganisms. However, few studies have examined water ecosystems. Current water-related work primarily treats water as a medium for human-centered activities, rarely positioning water as an interactive subject. Building upon prior research, we explore how to better integrate water more playfully into digital-physical interactions as an interactive subject. We designed and developed Water’s Echo, an AI-powered public installation that enables human-water communication through a playful stone-throwing dialogue. We conducted a field study at a local pond, recruiting 15 residents to participate in Water’s Echo—a playful conversational interaction. Our findings indicate that this playful dialogue approach raises participants’ awareness and understanding of surrounding aquatic environments. This research provides insights for design researchers to establish engaging water ecology interactions across cultural communities, promoting a More-than-human perspective in re-examining human-nature relationships.

 

Role: Supervisor

Type: Extended Abstract (Poster)

Conference: Proceedings of the Twentieth International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction

Stats: h5-index: 31

Date: 2026

Co-Authors: Shan Luo, Weitao Jiang, Jinlin Miao, Hongyue Wang, Dawei Zhao, Jiangnan Xu and Çağlar Genç


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Exploring Roles and Purposes in More-than-Human Design through a Reflexive Design Studio Experiment

Abstract

We are witnessing a shift towards a more-than-human (MtH) paradigm in HCI, recognizing non-human beings as interconnected in our existence, from daily life to design. While exciting MtH design works have emerged, they often rely on abstract concepts (e.g., decentering) that remain open to interpretation, leaving practical nuances underexplored. To address this, we adopted a bottom-up Research through Design approach, a Reflexive Design Studio: as a design team, we created and reflected on conceptual designs using the mushroom basket as a metaphor to explore human–non-human relationalities. From these, we articulated roles (e.g., humans as materials, non-humans as co-makers) and purposes (e.g., activism, collective survival, approximation) that illustrate how MtH design might be practiced with nuances. Relating these to theory and prior work, we contribute an exploratory framework offering generative and critical starting points for future MtH design research to test, contest, expand, and engage with MtH complexities in practice.

 

Role: Supervisor, Co-Author

Type: Full Paper

Conference: Proceedings of the 28th International Academic Mindtrek Conference

Stats: h5-index: 18

Date: 2025

Co-Authors: Çağlar Genç, Ferran Altarriba Bertran, Sangwon Jung, Velvet Spors and Juho Hamari


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How Can Interactive Technology Help Us to Experience Joy With(in) the Forest? Towards a Taxonomy of Tech for Joyful Human-Forest Interactions

Abstract

This paper presents intermediate-level knowledge in the form of a taxonomy that highlights 12 different ways in which interactive tech might support forest-related experiences that are joyful for humans. It can inspire and provide direction for designs that aim to enrich the experiential texture of forests. The taxonomy stemmed from a reflexive analysis of 104 speculative ideas produced during a year-long co-design process, where we co-experienced and creatively engaged a diverse range forests and forest-related activities with 250+ forest-goers with varied backgrounds and sensitivities. Given that breadth of forests and populations involved, our work foregrounds a rich set of design directions that set an actionable early frame for creating tech that supports joyful human-forest interplays – one that we hope will be extended and consolidated in future research, ours and others.'

 

Role: Co-author, Supervisor

Type: Full Paper

Conference: Proceedings of the 2025 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

Stats: Acceptance rate: 24.9%, h5-index: 134

Date: 2025

Co-Authors: Ferran Altarriba Bertran, Jordi Márquez Puig and Juho Hamari


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Human-Nature Relationships through Video Games: An Exploration of Players' Sense-Making

Abstract

Technology profoundly mediates how people feel, think and engage with nature. Here, video games are projected to become one of the most important mediums to facilitate digital human-nature interaction. In this paper, we explore how 16 players make sense of nature-in-games. Drawing from their own lived experiences, we 1) interviewed them, and 2) invited them to show us games that exemplify their conceptualisation of nature-in-games. We thematically analyse these “show-and-tell” conversations to construct three inductive themes: We arrive at an understanding that nature-in-games experiences are pluralistic, contested happenings. Participants positioned digital nature 1) as a relational other to respect, 2) as a space to reflect on humankind’s current practices towards nature and 3) as a tool to escape from the lack of nature in their everyday lives. Based on our insights, we sketch out design inspirations for people wishing to augment, challenge and expand nature-in-games.

 

Role: Co-author, Supervisor

Type: Full Paper

Conference: Proceedings of the 2025 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

Stats: Acceptance rate: 24.9%, h5-index: 134

Date: 2025

Co-Authors: Velvet Spors and Juho Hamari


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Shroom Cards: Playful Exploration of Human Positionalities for More-than-Human Design

Abstract

This paper introduces Shroom Cards, a novel tool designed to engage with More-than-Human (MtH) design through playful exploration and reflection. Leveraging design cards and structured activities, Shroom Cards provides concrete starting points to practically engage with MtH approaches in design, such as embodying the roles and purposes of human and non-human entities. In this paper, we detail the design process, which includes Reflective Design Studio exercises to create positionality cards and incorporating playful strategies such as exploration, role-playing, and competition in the structured ideation and reflection activities. Initial testing of the Shroom Cards in an HCI design course students (N=23) shows that the cards and ideation activity effectively stimulate creative processes and diverse perspectives. However, challenges remain in fully adopting non-human viewpoints, suggesting that enhanced role-playing elements are needed for deeper engagement with non-human perspectives.

 

*The video here was produced by Çağlar Genç

 

Role: Co-Author, Concept Co-Creator

Type: Extended Abstract (Work in Progress)

Conference: Companion Proceedings of the 2024 Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play

Stats: Acceptance rate: 44%, h5-index: 31

Date: 2024

Co-Authors: Çağlar Genç, Ferran Altarriba Bertran, Sangwon Jung, Velvet Spors and Juho Hamari


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Playing Esker Formations: Additive Games with a 3D Printer

Abstract

An esker is a geological formation created by a melting glacier, as subglacial streams of meltwater continuously add layers of gravel. A 3D printer crafts by adding layers of molten streams of plastic, in a continuous additive fabrication process. We designed the game ‘Playing Esker’, a strategy game where two players compete over the gradual printing of esker formations. Following a research-through-game-design approach, we document how additive material fabrication processes can be used as gamespaces, highlighting 3 themes for Additive Games: (1) Additive turn-taking, where we explored playful turn-based interactions with the printer. (2) Material constraints, where we treated material limitations as game mechanics. (3) Earth-procedurality, where we used procedural generation in combination with additive games to engage players with the unpredictable formations of the esker. Lastly, we reflect on geophilosophical and geological ideas, which we used as generative lenses to inspire new and alternative forms of world-building. By emphasising the earth and world-formation processes through gameplay, geophilosophy can inspire new modes of non-human world-building, agency and territoriality in games.

 

Role: Supervisor

Type: Extended Abstract (Student Game Design Competition)

Conference: Companion Proceedings of the 2024 Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play

Stats: Acceptance rate: 53%, h5-index: 31

Date: 2024

Co-Authors: Linas K. Gabrielaitis


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Pine Cone Prowl: Embodying a Flying Squirrel in Forest

Abstract

Responding to escalating environmental challenges and a widening disconnection from nature, our project, Pine Cone Prowl, uses Virtual Reality (VR) to facilitate deeper connections between humans and nature through the life simulation of a Siberian flying squirrel. This VR experience improves on previous applications by offering advanced interactivity within a realistically simulated Finnish forest ecosystem. Players embody the squirrel and engage with its environment using abilities that mimic natural behaviors such as climbing and gliding, enhancing their understanding of and connection to the natural world. Our approach aims to allow users to experience firsthand the ecological roles and challenges faced by this species, thereby promoting human-nature connection.

 

Role: Supervisor

Type: Extended Abstract (Demo)

Conference: Proceedings of the 27th International Academic Mindtrek Conference

Stats: h5-index: 11

Date: 2024

Co-Authors: Laura D. Cosio, Saurav Sarkar, Salik Tariq and Juho Hamari


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Ecological In/Congruence: Becoming Sensitised to Nature in Video Games through Humanistic First-Person Research

Abstract

The ongoing ecological crisis is the current biggest threat for our species. As we attempt to address the situation through policy, interventions, and education, we urgently need to understand how people encounter and relate to nature: As it is, in the world, and portrayed through different media. As an exemplary medium facilitating digital nature, this paper focuses on video games. Using first-person research methods, we report on the first author sensitising themselves to nature as a ubiquitous feature, theme, and actor in video games. They played eight nature-focused games for three months. Through auto-ethnography, close reading and “noticing” (after Tsing), we make sense of their experiences using the humanistic concept of ecological (in)congruence: We draw out the relational gap and potential meanings between real nature and its virtual equivalent. Based on these insights, we outline two design impulses for how the HCI community might approach nature—within games and beyond.

 

Role: Supervisor

Type: Full Paper

Conference: Proceedings of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

Stats: Acceptance rate: 26.4%, h5-index: 134

Date: 2024

Co-Authors: Velvet Spors and Juho Hamari


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Seeding a Repository of Methods-To-Be for Nature-Entangled Design Research

Abstract

We share an emergent repository of nature-entangled methods-to-be shared, experimented with, and discussed with during a conference workshop. We present them in-use, as they are in formation. We do not seek to theorise or even fully articulate these methods-to-be. Rather, to make them approachable and actionable for others by showing them not fully polished. By doing this, we advocate for increased transparency in the difficulties of creating new methods, techniques, tools, and approaches. Our contribution is threefold: we provide 1) an annotated portfolio of methods-to-be; 2) illustrative examples of how cross-pollination of these methods can enrich their situated use; and 3) a discussion of ways to further articulate the methods and deepen reflection on their roles in nature-entangled design processes.

 

*Images here are collages of different researchers for the methods they are introducing

 

Role: Co-Author

Type: Pictorial

Conference: The ACM Conference in Designing Interactive Systems 2024

Stats: Acceptance rate: 23%, h5-index: 44

Date: 2024

Co-Authors: Oscar Tomico, Anton Poikolainen Rosén, Svenja Keune, Ferran Bertran Altarriba, Danielle Wilde, Daniel Fernández Galeote, Tau Ulv Lenskjold, Ruut Tikkanen and Velvet Spors


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“Beavers don’t walk on roads”: Beaver-play for more-than-human cartographies

Abstract

In this paper, we introduce the notion of beaver-play to understand play that challenges spatial conventions, transgresses boundaries, and redraws territories. Tracing how beavers are imagined in various contexts such as nature conservation, experimental rewilding practices, and performance art, we highlight the role of the beaver in stories of ecosystem management, collapse, and restoration. We investigate beaver imaginaries through the perspective of play and games, taking the popular citybuilding video game Timberborn as our case study. We employ sketching as a method to annotate and analyse play practices in the digital spaces of Timberborn, drawing out three modes of beaver-play: concerns, crossings, and flows. Highlighting the role of play in territorial and organisational fluidity, we draw attention to the way that beaver-play scaffolds moving in and out of spatial arrangements, territories and environmental systems. Discussing how the practices of playing and drawing intertwined into a process of more-than-human cartography, we extend our investigation to consider the broader implications of using video games as cartographic, performative spaces for more-thanhuman meaning-making.

 

*Images here were sketched by Linas Gabrielaitis

 

Role: Supervisor

Type: Full Paper

Conference: 8th Annual International GamiFIN Conference 2024

Date: 2024

Co-Authors: Linas Kristupas Gabrielaitis, Laura op de Beke, Velvet Spors and Ferran Altarriba Bertran


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[WORKSHOP] Designerly ways of engaging with nature

Abstract

In this workshop, we will bring together designers and researchers working with, for, and around nature to facilitate a transversal conversation around how to engage nature as a key part of our design processes. By deliberately adopting an open and ambiguous idea of what we mean by ‘nature’, we hope to embrace diverse kinds of more-than-human entanglements, including (but not only): farming, companion species, microbiomes, body ecologies, forests and other large-scale landscapes (e.g. oceans), or cohabitation in houses. We argue for the importance of taking such an open-ended perspective, to embrace all possible relevant vectors of nature-related design: multispecies, cohabitation, posthuman sustainability, posthuman care… The workshop is set as a as a platform for shared methodological reflection through the lenses of a more-than-human approach to posthuman research. It will primarily be in-person, given our aim of bringing researchers together and co-experiencing each others’ methods and techniques.

 

Role: Co-Organizer

Type: Workshop Paper

Conference: Proceedings of the 26th International Academic Mindtrek Conference

Date: 2023

Co-Authors: Oscar Tomico, Ferran Altarriba, Svenja Keune, Danielle Wilde and Ron Wakkary


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The Wild Probes: Towards a Collection of Hybrid Tools for Situated, Caring, Playful Co-design within the Forest

Abstract

The Wild Probes (WPs) are a set of hybrid tools for designers and researchers to facilitate multi-stakeholder co-design engagements within the forest. They support situated forestry future-making by helping the participants of a co-design process pay attention to, reflect on, ideate around, and document their forestry experiences in ways that can inspire contextually grounded forest-related ideation. Here we present the design and early use of the first iteration of the WPs. The WPs extend existing tools available to designers by adapting their underlying mechanisms to the idiosyncratic character of the forest. We designed them building on recent research on the methodological underpinnings of (co-)designing for and from the forest. The WPs run on affordable, widely accessible electronics and can easily be built with basic DIY skills and equipment. We thus invite others to replicate, enhance, and repurpose them. Overall, here we contribute a first step towards creating a collection of tools to support co-design that is situated in the forest. We hope other designers will find our proposals useful and contribute to growing the collection by creating new WPs of their own.

 

Role: Supervisor

Type: Pictorial

Journal: Temes de Disseny

Date: 2023

Co-Authors: Ferran Altarriba Bertran, Jordi Márquez Puig, Maria Llop Cirera, Eva Forest Illas, Joan Planas Bertran, Ernest Forts Plana, Mattia Thibault and Juho Hamari


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Designing and Using the Wild Probes Toolkit (v1) to Co-Design From-the-Wild

Abstract

Recent research calls for new design methods and tools that respond to the idiosyncrasies of emergent design spaces. Here we address one of them: the design of nature-related technology. To facilitate increasingly situated practices in this space, we created the Wild Probes: a set of probing tools for displacing co-design into the wilderness. Our toolkit enables forestry future-making by helping forest goers to pay attention to, reflect on, ideate around, and document their forestry experiences. Here we present the design and early use of the toolkit. We hope other designers will find it useful and extend it with new Wild Probes of their own.

 

Role: Co-author, Supervisor

Type: Pictorial

Conference: Proceedings of the 2023 ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference

Stats: Acceptance rate: 24%, h5-index: 44

Date: 2023

Co-Authors: Ferran Altarriba Bertran, Jordi Márquez Puig, Maria Llop Cirera, Eva Forest Illas, Joan Planas Bertran, Ernest Forts Plana, Çağlar Genç, Mattia Thibault and Juho Hamari


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Playful Inspiration for a New Wave of Joyful Forest Technology

Abstract

Here we present an exploration into the playful potential of forests and how interactive tech might respond to it. Through first-person, speculative, and situated generative design methods, we engaged with a range of forestry activities to explore their capacity to afford experiences based on joy and care. An analysis of our 16 trips to the forest (and the reflections they motivated) revealed 13 play potentials [6] of human-forest interactions: 13 aspects of forestry experiences that can be intrinsically joyful. We present them clustered as 5 overarching directions that can guide the design of technology that pays more attention to nature's inherent playful character. Our work can inspire a new wave of forest technology that transcends techno-solutionism and privileges alternative values of joy and care.

 

Role: Co-author, Supervisor

Type: Full Paper

Conference: Proceedings of the 2023 ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference

Stats: Acceptance rate: 24%, h5-index: 44

Date: 2023

Co-Authors: Ferran Altarriba Bertran, Velvet Spors and Juho Hamari


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