Annika Waern
Professor at Department of Informatics and Media
- Telephone:
- +46 18 471 51 45
- E-mail:
- annika.waern@im.uu.se
- Visiting address:
- Ekonomikum (plan 3)
Kyrkogårdsgatan 10 - Postal address:
- Box 513
751 20 UPPSALA
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Short presentation
Annika is a ‘research through design’ academic with a background in computer science and Human-Computer Interaction, who has been researching play and games for about fifteen years. Recently, Annika has been involved with studying technology-supported physical training and hybrid play design for children, adults and families. Annika is a DiGRA (Digital Games Research Association) distinguished scholar and a HEVGA (Higher Education Video Game Alliance) fellow.
Keywords
- sustainable development
- game design
- embodied interaction
- play design

Publications
Recent publications
Digital Play in Nature: A Study of Digital Play Installations from a Nature Play Perspective
Part of CHI '25, p. 1-19, 2025
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Why Larp?: A Synthesis Article on Live Action Roleplay in Relation to HCI Research and Practice
Part of ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction, 2024
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Nature and digitalization challenging the traditional playground
Part of Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 2024
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Part of The 25th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility, 2023
Design Resources in Movement-based Design Methods: A Practice-based Characterization
Part of Proceedings of the 2023 ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference, p. 871-888, 2023
- DOI for Design Resources in Movement-based Design Methods: A Practice-based Characterization
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All publications
Articles in journal
Why Larp?: A Synthesis Article on Live Action Roleplay in Relation to HCI Research and Practice
Part of ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction, 2024
- DOI for Why Larp?: A Synthesis Article on Live Action Roleplay in Relation to HCI Research and Practice
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Nature and digitalization challenging the traditional playground
Part of Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 2024
- DOI for Nature and digitalization challenging the traditional playground
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Intercorporeal Biofeedback for Movement Learning
Part of ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction, p. 1-40, 2023
- DOI for Intercorporeal Biofeedback for Movement Learning
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Playing Games with Tito: Designing Hybrid Museum Experiences for Critical Play
Part of ACM Journal on Computing and Cultural Heritage, 2021
Part of American Journal of Play, p. 259-269, 2020
Designing for Transformative Play
Part of ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction, 2017
Part of ACM Interactions, 2015
Ubiquitous Service Access through Adapted User Interfaces on Multiple Devices
Part of Journal of Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, p. 123-133, 2005
The Ubiquitous Interactor - Device Independent Access to Mobile Services
Part of Proceedings of Computer-Aided Design of User Interfaces, p. 271-282, 2004
Chapters in book
Sensitizing Design Teams to Theory
Part of Hybrid Museum Experiences, Amsterdam University Press, 2022
Remediating, Reframing and Restaging the Museum
Part of Hybrid Museum Experiences, Amsterdam University Press, 2022
Part of De Lege 2021, p. 37-50, Iustus förlag, 2022
Part of Hybrid Museum Experiences, p. 17-29, Amsterdam University Press, 2022
Part of Hybrid Museum Experiences, p. 31-56, Amsterdam University Press, 2022
Designing for Interpersonal Museum Experiences
Part of Museums and the Challenge of Change, Routledge, 2020
Part of Making Smart Cities More Playable, p. 207-234, Springer, 2020
Part of Game design research, p. 157-170, ETC Press, 2017
Part of Game Research Methods: An Overview, ETC press, 2015
I’m in love with someone who doesn’t exist!: Bleed in the context of a computer game.
Part of Game Love, p. 25-45, McFarland, 2015
Part of Cases on the societal effects of persuasive games, p. 193-215, IGI Global, 2014
Collections (editor)
Conference papers
Digital Play in Nature: A Study of Digital Play Installations from a Nature Play Perspective
Part of CHI '25, p. 1-19, 2025
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Part of The 25th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility, 2023
Design Resources in Movement-based Design Methods: A Practice-based Characterization
Part of Proceedings of the 2023 ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference, p. 871-888, 2023
- DOI for Design Resources in Movement-based Design Methods: A Practice-based Characterization
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Part of Extended Abstracts of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2023
Part of Extended abstracts of the 2021 CHI conference on human factors in computing systems (CHI'21), 2021
Physical Warm-up Games: Exploring the Potential of Play and Technology Design
Part of CHI '21, 2021
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The Design Space of Wearables for Sports and Fitness Practices
Part of CHI '21, p. 1-14, 2021
Part of TEI'20, p. 823-835, 2020
Training Technology Probes Across Fitness Practices: Yoga, Circus and Weightlifting
Part of CHI EA '20, 2020
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Sensitizing Scenarios: Sensitizing Designer Teams to Theory
Part of Proceedings of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, p. 1-13, 2020
Super Trouper: The Playful Potential of Interactive Circus Training
Part of CHI PLAY '19 Extended Abstracts, p. 511-518, 2019
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Circus, Play and Technology Probes: Training Body Awareness and Control with Children
Part of Proceedings of the 2019 on Designing Interactive Systems Conference, p. 1223-1236, 2019
Using Training Technology Probes in Bodystorming for Physical Training
Part of MOCO '19, p. 1-8, 2019
Enlightened Yoga: Designing an Augmented Class with Wearable Lights to Support Instruction
Part of DIS '19, 2019
Larping (Live Action Role Playing) as an Embodied Design Research Method
Part of DIS’19 Companion, 2019
BalBoa: A Balancing Board for Handstand Training
Part of CHI EA '19 Extended Abstracts of the 2019 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2019
Moving Towards a Journal-centric Publication Model for CHI: Possible Paths, Opportunities and Risks
Part of CHI EA '19 EXTENDED ABSTRACTS, 2019
Playing Close to Home: Interaction and Emerging Play in Outdoor Play Installations
2018
Exteriorizing Body Alignment in Collocated Physical Training
Part of Extended Abstracts of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2018
Movement Correction in Instructed Fitness Training: Design Recommendations and Opportunities
p. 1041-1054, 2018
Towards Algorithmic Experience: Initial Efforts for Social Media Contexts
Part of Proceedings of the 2018 chi conference on human factors in computing systems (CHI 2018), 2018
Frictional Realities: Enabling Immersion in Mixed-Reality Performances
Part of TVX 2018, p. 15-27, 2018
Sensory bodystorming for collocated physical training desig
Part of NordiCHI '18 Proceedings of the 10th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, p. 247-259, 2018
GIFT: Hybrid Museum Experiences through Gifting and Play
Part of Proceedings of the Workshop on Cultural Informatics, p. 31-40, 2018
Activity as the Ultimate Particular of Interaction Design
Part of Proceedings of the 2017 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, p. 3390-3402, 2017
Design, Appropriation, and Use of Technology in Larps
Part of Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games (FDG'17), 2017
The Ethics of Unaware Participation in Public Interventions
Part of CHI4good, 2016
Part of 34th Annual Chi Conference On Human Factors In Computing Systems, Chi 2016, p. 6014-6027, 2016
Playification: The PhyseEar case
Part of Chi Play 2016, p. 376-388, 2016
Designing for Children's Outdoor Play
Part of Proceedings Of The 2016 ACM Conference On Designing Interactive Systems, p. 28-38, 2016
Play, Participation and Empowerment: Design strategies and dilemmas
Part of CHI PLAY 2016, p. 3-3, 2016
Designing Children’s Digital-Physical Play in Natural Outdoors Settings
Part of CHI Extended Abstracts, 2016
- DOI for Designing Children’s Digital-Physical Play in Natural Outdoors Settings
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Part of CHI extended abstracts, p. 2365-2368, 2015
Affective and bodily involvement in children’s tablet play
Part of Diversity of play: DiGRA 2015, 2015
DigiFys: The interactive play landscape
2015
- DOI for DigiFys: The interactive play landscape
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Trust and Intimate Interaction in Nordic Larp
Part of CHI workshop on embarrassing interactions, 2015
Gaming in the crucible of science: Gamifying the Science Center Visit
Part of Proceedings of the 11th Advances in Computer Entertainment Technology Conference, 2014
Codename Heroes – Designing for Experience in Public Places in a Long Term Pervasive Game
Part of Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games, 2014
"We are two strong women": Designing Empowerment in a Pervasive Game
Part of Defragging game studies, 2013
The Design Space of Body Games: Technological, Physical, and Social Design
Part of Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, p. 3365-3374, 2013
Game Analysis as a Signature Pedagogy of Game Studies
Part of Foundations of Digital Games, 2013
The Design Space of Body Games: Technological, Physical, and Social Design
Part of CHI 2013 Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, p. 3365-3374, 2013
Manuscripts (preprints)
Other
2019