Interactive technologies have changed - and continue to change - our world. We are living in an era of transformation driven by the Internet, hand-held computing, digital photography, interactive entertainment, and wireless communication technologies. But such transformations are nothing new. Adoption of many technologies has transformed our work, play, communication, and thought. It has also transformed our research and practice in the HCI community. CHI 2002 will explore transforming technologies, looking back to the past and forward to the future. First, by reflecting on past (and current) technologies, we seek a better understanding of questions like: Why do some technologies succeed where others fail? How have economic and work conditions and leisure been changed? What roles have technologists, entrepreneurs, legislators, lawyers, and citizens played? We will examine these issues especially as they have arisen as they relate to HCI, a young field that will celebrate its 20th "birthday" at CHI 2002.

Second, we look forward, examining emerging technologies and involving us all in shaping their progress. As computer and communications technologies progress from portable to wearable to implantable - and as the power and speed of technology increases and the cost decreases - key HCI issues are raised. We will ask: What role should HCI professionals play in the development and deployment of such profoundly transformative devices and the socio-technical systems surrounding them? How can we ensure usability and a regard for personal privacy? What is the role of the legal and political system - can they "keep up" with technology, or do sufficiently com-pelling technologies simply push them aside?

Third, in addition to looking outward, we also will look inward to the practices of our community. We will be using some of the emerging technologies to nudge the CHI conference in the direction of greater interactivity - turning attendees into participants. Hundreds of people have signed up to use CHIplace.org, our interactive online forum, to exchange ideas, offer suggestions, and preview conference content. If you haven't already done so, join us there now! As part of CHI's increasing emphasis on issues of interest to designers and usability practitioners, CHI 2002 features the Practitioners Special Track. Designers will present portfolios, usability professionals will reflect on the experiences they have gained with usability methods in practice, and collaborative teams will work on a design challenge problem throughout the conference, with all attendees invited to join in as observers and experimental subjects. In addition, CHI 2002 is proud to announce a two-day forum, the CHI 2002|AIGA Experience Design Forum. Held in collaboration with AIGA, the American Institute of Graphics Arts, this forum is open to anyone interested in design and human-computer interaction.

Be there!

Loren Terveen, AT&T Labs-Research
Dennis Wixon, Microsoft
CHI 2002 Co-Chairs