Designing for Decision Makers in Net Zero Futures – An INTERACT 2023 Workshop

Welcome to the website for our INTERACT 2023 Workshop titled “Designing for Decision Makers in Net Zero Futures”. The workshop will take place on August 28 or 29 in York, UK and online.

What is this workshop about?

In the midst of the world’s struggle to respond appropriately to the ongoing climate crisis, additional pressure mounts from other challenges such as economic turmoil and energy crises. While individuals are directly and severely affected by the consequences both short-term and long-term, there is still too much policy focus on consumer and individual led change. This workshop focuses on finding more impactful solutions by turning toward commercial, industrial, and organisational stakeholders in decision-making positions, using Net Zero as a lens to imagine future scenarios. This workshop brings together researchers, practitioners, and stakeholders to share their experience from past and ongoing work in this domain. Utilising guided co-design activities we envisage constructing future scenarios that build upon the participants’ expertise and offer avenues for how HCI research can help design solutions towards a more sustainable tomorrow.

How do I participate?

We ask interested parties to submit a 2-4 page extended abstract stating past, ongoing, or expected future research related to the workshop’s theme, sent to c.remy@lancaster.ac.uk no later than May 4. There is no strict format or template to follow; all we ask is to make sure that in your position paper you share an example of past or ongoing research related to sustainability/Net Zero and decision-making processes for stakeholders (e.g., organisations, businesses, policymakers, or any other perspectives that go beyond the individual/consumer), or what interests you have in pursuing this research in the future. Furthermore, we’d ask you to add a few words about how you envision what a Net Zero future could look like in 2050, if applicable related to your research or interests.

Who are the organisers?

Christian Remy is a Senior Research Associate at Lancaster University working on a project called “Net Zero Insights” aiming to develop tools for decision makers in energy management at various stakeholders. His primary research topic for most of the last decade has been in sustainable HCI with a plethora of publications, workshops, and organisational experience.

Oliver Bates is a Research Fellow at Lancaster University. He is a multi-methodological pragmatist, increasingly grounded in design and HCI, working with policy makers, workers, and service users. Recent work includes a collection of design provocations and games as part of Crank & File, and the design of low carbon and socially just futures in the context of Net Zero commercial energy demand and gig economy courier work.

Christina Bremer is a Doctoral Student at Lancaster University. With a background in cognitive science and HCI, and keen interest in sustainability, her research focuses on the energy-saving potential of behaviour change and energy efficiency technologies in buildings. Alongside her research, Christina works as a UX designer for a company that specialises in energy forecasting.

Adrian Friday is a Professor of Computing and Sustainability at Lancaster University. He is passionate about understanding the role of ICT in promoting sustainability in various settings including the home, and is currently working with commercial partners to achieve Net Zero through better understanding of their energy and contextual data. He advises the Royal Society “Digital Technology and the Planet” working group.

Carla Gröschel is working at Capgemini as software engineer within various projects and contexts. She tries to embed the topic of sustainability into her work, for instance as being part of the Center of Excellence Sustainability at Capgemini.

Naomi Jacobs is a Lecturer in Design Policy and Futures Thinking at Lancaster University. Her research investigates how design approaches, particularly speculative methods and design fiction, can be used to inform policymaking. Prior work has focused on the nature of digital public space, and questions of ethics, transparency and trust in digital technologies.

Ben Kirman is a Senior Lecturer and member of the Digital Creativity Labs at the University of York, with a background in speculative and critical design. His work uses fiction, games and prototyping as a way to explore futures of technology in playful ways that can help understand the complex effects of a changing world.

Additional Information

More information can be found in the original workshop submission, as well as the one pager containing a detailed outline for the workshop’s organisation.