This workshop focuses on cognitive issues fundamental to interaction design that uses gestures as an integral part that interaction. We will explore underlying relationships between the use of gesture-based computing devices, communication and cognition, with a focus on both basic and applied research topics, including: how gesture-based devices affect cognition; how their design can be oriented towards enhancing cognition; how they may enhance creativity and learning; as well as, discovery and definition of a standard set of gestures; and methodologies for studying these topics.

There are an increasingly large number of new devices for gesture-based interaction, and many studies and design projects focus on developing a common set of gestures, ease of use and effectiveness. Amid the burgeoning maturity of gestural interfaces there is a design research opportunity to investigate how the use of body movements affects cognition. This workshop explores a variety of basic and applied research questions, such as:

  • How does research on gesture and thought affect the way we design gesture-based interactive systems? What are the social and multi-user issues?
  • How might research on gesture and communication/meaning, enable us to discover/define a standard set of gestures that can be interpreted by computer applications?
  • If gestures aid thinking, how would we design gesture-based interaction to encourage/enhance learning and creativity?
  • What methodologies are relevant for the study of gesture-based interactions?