The Last Mile of HCI: From Participatory Design to Community Impact

Abstract

Participatory Design has become a recognized approach in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) for engaging communities and generating valuable insights. However, many interventions result in strong academic contributions but limited real-world uptake. This workshop addresses what we term the “last mile of HCI”: the challenge of translating participatory design processes into sustained community impact. We focus on socio-technical interventions as the key unit through which HCI research translates into real-world impact, and examine how such interventions move through the stages of participation, adoption, impact, and sustainability. The workshop adopts a constructive, case-based format in which participants collaboratively analyze real-world projects to identify barriers, strategies, and pathways for achieving lasting impact. Outcomes include a field guide for designing impactful interventions in HCI and a curated repository of refined case studies. Together, these contributions advance a more systematic understanding of how HCI research can move beyond isolated interventions toward meaningful and sustained socio-technical change.