Abstract

How is Hope conceptualized in HCI with children? To explore this question, we reviewed Interaction Design and Children (IDC) conference proceedings examining how concepts of “Hope”, “Resilience” and “Coping strategies”, are invoked. Our analysis revealed that while these terms are often mentioned, they are not clearly explained, and there are few shared ways to systematically study or measure them. This provides an opportunity for the Child–Computer Interaction (CCI) community to carefully articulate what hope and resilience mean in research and design practices. By drawing on and adapting ideas from psychology, especially Snyder’s Hope Theory, we show how clearer definitions and frameworks can help researchers address these three facets of hope in participatory design in more thoughtful and meaningful ways. We argue that adapting this theory can help move from simply talking about hope to truly designing for hope.