For young people today, technology is pervasive in many aspects of life. From childhood onwards, they learn and play using computers and other technological devices; as they grow, they build and maintain friendships using computers and mobile phones; they interact with one another virtually; and even find critical interpersonal support and therapy using computers, the web, and other technology-enhanced artifacts.
The IDC 2009 conference will continue IDC's tradition of better understanding children’s and youngsters’ needs in relationship to technology, exploring how to create interactive products for and with them, and investigating how technology-mediated experiences affect their life.

IDC 2009 will present and discuss the most innovative contributions to research, development, and practice in these areas, gathering the leading minds in the field.

As in previous years, IDC 2009 would like to invite researchers to address the wide diversification of technology for young people, from computers to mobile phones to any form of “smart” interactive device, and to consider the requirements of different profiles, in terms of age (from very young children to adolescents) and of psychological, social, or physical needs. In addition, IDC 2009 would like to foster an investigation of technological and methodological issues related not only to learning and play, but also to social awareness of young people in relationship to environment, cultural heritage, cultural roots of minorities, local identity vs. wider community identity. Finally, IDC 2009 would like to explore interaction design for young people in the family context and from an adult’s perspective, e.g., how to help parents understand and master the complexity of a scenario in which technology is more and more part of their children’s life.

This conference builds on the successes and high standards of the previous IDC conferences (IDC 2008 in Chicago, US, IDC 2007 in Aalborg, Denmark, IDC 2006 in Tampere, Finland, IDC 2005 in Boulder, USA, IDC 2004 in Maryland, USA, IDC 2003 in Preston, UK and IDC 2002 in Eindhoven, the Netherlands).

For any information about IDC 2009, please contact idc09.info@polimi.it
SUBMISSIONS

Submissions of workshops, full and short papers, panels, and demos, are invited on all topics from the domain of interaction design for children, including, but not limited to:

* Methods, techniques, and guidelines for requirements analysis, design, and evaluation of interactive systems for “children as a diverse group” (young people of different gender and age, with special needs, fromdifferent cultures or ethnical groups)
* Emerging or new technologies for children (e.g., innovative educational simulations, interactive games, mobile communications devices, wireless embedded technologies, robots, accessible fabrication devices, "smart" materials, authoring/programming tools)
* The impact that such technologies can have on children's lives and personalities
* Ethnographic and case studies of children’s use of interactive systems in schools, at home, in hospitals, in public spaces
* Usability, enjoyability, accessibility, and safety issues, with particular reference to children
* Novel theoretical models of interaction with special relevance to children
* Design for children’s civic involvement, democracy, physical and emotional well-being, and social awareness of environmental, ethical, ethnographical, or cultural issues.
* Interactive technology for children from an adult’s perspective

ORGANIZERS

Conference Chair: Paolo Paolini, Politecnico di Milano (Italy)
Program Chair: Franca Garzotto, Politecnico di Milano (Italy)

IMPORTANT DATES

* Workshop Proposals
o Submission deadline: January 12 2009
o Acceptance notification: January 26 2009
o Final version deadline: February 6 2009
* Full papers
o Submission deadline: January 19 2009
o Acceptance notification: February 20 2009
o Final version deadline: March 16 200
* Short papers, panels, and demos
o Submission deadline: March 6 2009
o Acceptance notification: March 31 2009
o Final version deadline: April 17 2009