From Question to Prototype

About the Workshop

Open to researchers, students, and practitioners at all levels — no prior design or robotics experience required. Join us for an intensive 2-day workshop on integrating design perspectives into HCI/HRI research. This workshop focuses on design as a tool for inquiry: how to structure studies, build prototypes, and ask the right questions to understand what users truly need.

Participants will get hands-on experience building a robot and customizing it to explore their own research question. The workshop emphasizes that users are experts in their own lives; our role as researchers is to design the right inquiries and tools to reveal insights about human needs and behaviors.

Schedule

Day 1 — Monday, April 20

Morning

Foundations & Lab Practice (with Prof. Wendy Ju)

How to run a design-forward HCI/HRI lab
Design theory and its applications in research
The design process: asking the right questions
Users as experts: designing studies that reveal true needs
Sustainable and purposeful lab practices
HRI/HCI Research Lightning Talks

Afternoon

Problem Exploration & Robot Building

Identify a research question or human problem
Build a robot using the TinyBot kit
Design a robot or interface to explore your question
Develop purpose-driven prototypes as research tools

Day 2 — Tuesday, April 21

Morning

Refinement & Presentation

Finalize designs and prototypes
Present research questions and proposed approaches

Build Your Robot

TinyBot Building Instructions

Step-by-step guides for setting up, building, and programming your robot. Complete the preparation steps before the workshop!

View Instructions

Organizers

Isabel Neto

Assistant Professor
Faculdade de Ciências, University of Lisbon

Maria Teresa Parreira

PhD Candidate
Cornell University

Ilan Mandel