Together with fabulous Will Odom and Kenny Chow I am a technical program chair for DIS 2018! this year DIS 2018, invites submissions that address the following questions around Diversity and Design: Are our current models of user experience adequate in addressing diversity? What kinds of methods and processes are needed for designing for diversity? How can applications and technologies be designed to address diversity and even add to it in this era of giant global corporations? What are the ethical limits designers have to face when designing for diversity?

Diversity is reflected in the choice of Hong Kong as the site of the DIS 2018 conference. Hong Kong’s 7.5 million people come from different ethnic, social and cultural backgrounds to form a multiplicity of communities, beliefs, and practices. Hong Kong is defined through its relation to geographical neighbours like Shenzhen and Macau. The former is known as a massive manufacturing and technology hub; the latter as Asia’s gambling capital. Yet, just like Hong Kong, both are more than these stereotypes: their nature, business, food, entertainment, and popular culture are diverse and different from each other.

Welcome to Hong Kong!