Dear Nordichi community,

We are happy to announce the NordiCHI 2026 Workshop on Designing for the Democratic Pulse: Engagement, Silence, Friction, and Storytelling!

This workshop explores how technology design can sustain and renew democratic practices by engaging with the dynamic “pulse” of democracy. Rather than viewing democracy only through institutions or participation, we invite participants to explore four interconnected concepts, engagement, silence, friction, and storytelling, as lenses for imagining more inclusive, just, and resilient technological futures.

Building on participatory design, critical HCI, democratic technology design, and speculative approaches, the workshop welcomes researchers, designers, practitioners, students, and activists interested in the intersections of technology, democracy, and social justice. Participants will collaboratively map key concepts, create low-fidelity design prototypes, and synthesise perspectives to develop new approaches for designing technologies that support deep democracy.

When: Sunday, 4 October 2026, 9:30 - 17:30

Where: NordiCHI 2026

Submission deadline: 16 September 2026 (2–4 page position paper, if you would like to present your related work, or a declaration of interest (up to 250 words) describing your background, experience, and motivation for participation.

Read more about the workshop: https://www.mn.uio.no/ifi/english/people/aca/aparecip/designing-for-the-democratic-pulse.html

We look forward to bringing together NordiCHI participants to explore how engagement, silence, friction, and storytelling can inspire new ways of designing technologies that strengthen democratic life.

Kind regards,

Fabiano Pinatti, Alma Culén, Nicholas Stevens, Tone Bratteteig, and Matti Nelimarkka