Never Waste a Good Crisis? Post-Pandemic Implications for Human-Computer Interaction

So far 22.8 million people have been infected by the COVID-19 virus worldwide, and over 796,000 lives have been lost. In Australia, the pandemic has claimed 472 lives so far, and over 24,000 people have been infected. The urgent and sustained response to COVID-19 has impacted on everyone’s life in one way or another. This paper contributes to the collective and reflective appraisal of COVID-19’s impact and the post-pandemic implications for HCI and interaction design. We investigate three areas outlining measures taken, societal consequences, design’s role, and some possible long-term repercussions for HCI research and practice: (1) Contact tracing, privacy, and surveillance; (2) supply chain disruptions, and; (3) post-pandemic cities. While some measures may remain temporary and ad hoc, our analysis suggests it is imperative to derive a learning dividend and legacy from this traumatic experience. We conclude with some remarks on community activism and ways for HCI to evolve in order to create more socially and ecologically just practices and outcomes in the aftermath of this global crisis.