Call for Participation
Users of different digital services grow wary of unethical practices tricking them into regrettable interactions. Whether consent banners that encourage sharing of personal data, obstructions when customising privacy settings, or during account creation and deletion procedures, the design of systems frequently steers user choices against their best interests. Consequently, the lack of transparency and agency leads to frustration as expectations and trust in service providers break—a situation where neither users nor services gain (long-term) benefits.
In this workshop, we will focus on this tension through transdisciplinary activities that bring together researchers, legal scholars, and practitioners to build bridges. We aim to identify underlying issues and develop ethical and responsible alternatives for design practices that reflect both user interests and commercial incentives.
Submission Options
Position Papers
Submissions should be between 5-9 pages (excluding references) following the CEURART style template. Papers should present preliminary or work-in-progress findings and thought-provoking essays sharing specific perspectives related to the topic. All accepted position papers will be announced via our website and shall be submitted to CEUR-WS as workshop proceedings.
Statements of Interest
Alternatively, applicants may submit brief statements of interest of 1-2 pages. Submissions should present a motivation for attending the workshop and an expression of expectations for the workshop. This option allows early career researchers and attendees from different fields to participate with a lower entry barrier.
Submission Details
- Submission Form: Submissions are open through this form
- Submission Deadline: February 12, 2026
- Notification: March 5, 2026
- Format: CEURART style
- Review Process: All submissions will undergo structured review by workshop organizers
- Questions: Reach out to the publication chairs for questions regarding submissions at publications@chi2026.darkpatternsresearchandimpact.com
At least one author of each accepted submission must attend the in-person workshop in Barcelona.
Workshop Structure
This workshop is organized as part of the ACM CHI conference and may be associated with paying an additional workshop fee. This workshop will be structured around two 90-minute sessions engaging 30-40 participants:
Session 1: Foundations & Perspectives
- Lightning introductions of all participants
- Position paper presentations (3-5 minutes each) with Q&A
- Identifying gaps between user expectations and commercial incentives
Session 2: Collaborative Design
- Transdisciplinary group work assessing problematic design patterns
- Co-design exercises to reroute user journeys
- Development of responsible design alternatives
Who Should Attend
We welcome participation from:
- HCI researchers and scholars
- Industry practitioners (designers, developers, product managers)
- Legal and policy experts
- Privacy and ethics specialists
- Early career researchers and students
Our goal is to engage between 30-40 participants, balancing scholars from HCI, CS, and privacy as well as industry professionals including developers, designers, and executives.
For questions regarding the workshop format, contact the communication chairs at communications@chi2026.darkpatternsresearchandimpact.com
Post-Workshop Plans
Workshop proceedings will be published via CEUR-WS and our website. Participants will be invited to join our growing community on Slack (200+ members) for continued collaboration. Key findings will be disseminated through an article in ACM Interactions magazine.