The Interactive Demos track provides a unique platform to showcase a diverse range of interactive work through live exhibits, performances, demonstrations, and design or artwork. Presentations may feature running systems, interfaces, prototypes, or research tools that highlight the innovative application of knowledge and practices in the areas reflected in AfriCHI 2027’s theme, “People, Place, and Possibilities.” The track aims to solicit diverse expert feedback while fostering critical discourse within the African HCI community.
Grounded in the conference theme, this track brings African contexts, values, and aspirations to the forefront of technology design. By offering participants the opportunity to present interactive, tangible applications rooted in people, places, and possibilities, it celebrates the relevance of these systems, plural African futures, and their potential to inspire global HCI innovations. The track enables participants to engage with African futures through real-time, immersive experiences that bridge lived realities with cutting-edge technology, designed with dignity, agency, and inclusivity at the forefront.
The Interactive Demos track aims to:
Topics covered by the Interactive Demos track include, but are not limited to:
The track is grounded in the following core values:
Submissions can include extended abstracts, audio, video, or other multimedia files. We welcome submissions in African languages alongside an English translation to broaden accessibility. Authors are also encouraged to relate their media content to scholarly discourse through pictorial abstracts, papers, or notes as additional publications.
All materials must be submitted through the official submission system. Submissions should not contain sensitive, private, or proprietary information and should not be anonymized. However, all submissions will remain confidential throughout the selection process, and rejected submissions will be kept confidential in perpetuity.
All materials — extended abstract, image, video, and supplemental materials — must be submitted through the submission system, with a total size limit of 100 MB per submission.
Your submission should be self-contained and clearly articulate the novel and distinguishing aspects of your project. For those who cannot view the Interactive Demo in person or through video, your abstract must address:
All authors must submit:
For Interactive Demos requiring technical or physical setups, a supplemental materials document (up to 4 pages) is mandatory. This document should describe technical and spatial needs, including lighting, power requirements, and any other logistical concerns. It is used solely for review and planning purposes and will not be published.
The paper should be a maximum of 2000 words (excluding references), with a title and a 250-word abstract. All submissions must use the official conference extended abstract template and follow the conference author guidelines.
Submissions will be juried by the track co-chairs based on: relevance to HCI and the conference theme; experiential engagement (hands-on interactivity); technical feasibility; and sustainability and ethics, including ethical treatment of content and intellectual property. Accepted authors must submit camera-ready versions by the deadline, incorporating jury feedback.
We encourage authors to present their demos or installations on-site to facilitate direct interaction and feedback with attendees and the broader African HCI community.
Accepted extended abstracts will be published in the Proceedings of AfriCHI 2027, archived in the ACM Digital Library. Authors must present their work at the conference and register as attendees.