Sensing Place in HCI: Towards Immersive Digital Design Through Observational Notebook Techniques

Place-making in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) remains a persistent research challenge, especially in contexts where technology intersects with culture, heritage, and socio-political dynamics. The process of creating, understanding, and engaging with "place" in digital and physical environments requires sensitivity to the local histories, sensory realities, and lived experiences of the people who inhabit those spaces. This challenge becomes particularly pronounced when designing for diverse communities across the African continent, where a place is often defined not only by physical landscapes but also by cultural narratives, ancestral ties, and communal practices. This workshop will address these challenges by exploring methods for designing interactive systems that support meaningful place-making in African contexts. A central component is the use of notebook techniques inspired by observational and narrative practices that capture the richness of place. Originating from disciplines such as film-making and as well as anthropology, these techniques emphasize attentiveness to sensory details, micro-interactions, and the emotional textures of everyday life promoting the details that are often missing from digital representations of the African places.