First Annual Conference on Spirituality, Religion, and Interactive Technology Design (SPIRITED ‘25)

November 13th, 2025 – Virtual
12:00 Noon – 3:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST)
Registration deadline: November 7th, 2025

Conference Description

The SPIRITED collective is excited to announce the First Annual Conference on Spirituality, Religion, and Interactive Technology Design (SPIRITED ‘25). Religion and spirituality (R/S) are deeply ingrained in everyday life and are an essential aspect of many individuals’ existence. Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) is progressively engaging in research and design within specific R/S contexts. Building on previous workshops organized by the SPIRITED Collective, this half-day conference will focus on the under-explored intersections of R/S and HCI design research. The conference is entirely free, entirely online, and open to anyone. The conference will consist of a series of lightning talks followed by time for open discussion for networking and forming collaborations. The call for submissions to give a lightning talk is currently open (please see below for more details).

Conference Schedule and Program

Conference Registration

The conference is free for presenters and attendees.
The conference will be hosted on Zoom and participants will have access to a Discord channel to hold informal discussions with other participants.

To register for the conference, fill out the form below:
https://forms.gle/e6TEzUC92hN6bsie8

NOTE: At least one author of each accepted submission must register, attend, and present at the conference (virtually).

Call for Submissions (Closed)

The First Annual Conference on Spirituality, Religion, and Interactive Technology Design (SPIRITED ‘25) invites researchers, designers, and practitioners to submit abstracts at the intersection of religion, spirituality, and human-computer interaction. The free conference will take place virtually on Thursday, November 13th, 2025 from 10AM – 1PM Mountain Standard Time.

We invite all HCI researchers, designers, and religious or spiritual (R/S) leaders/theologians/practitioners who are interested in considering R/S and technology in their work to come and connect with others in the community. Our goal is to exchange ideas, build connections, and nourish our curiosity! Participants of any and all R/S beliefs (including no beliefs) are welcome.

Information for Presenters

We ask that those interested in presenting submit non-anonymized submissions via the conference website. Submissions will be lightly peer-reviewed to ensure fit with the conference topic.

Prospective presenters are invited to submit extended abstracts (300-1000 words) to be considered for inclusion in the conference program. The abstract describes the contents of the 5-10 minute presentation. If selected, they will present a lightning talk (~5-10 minutes, depending on the number of accepted submissions) about their topic. We welcome participants to include additional artifacts in their presentation, such as artworks, technological artifacts, poetry, etc. With permission, accepted abstracts may be published on the conference website.

We welcome adaptations or presentations of previously submitted work. The abstracts are non-archival, and will not be posted publicly without author permission. While authors are welcome to submit abstracts related to work under review, as this may compromise the peer review process, this is done at the author’s risk.

Relevant abstracts will address questions and issues at the confluence of religion, spirituality, design, and interactive technology. Topics may include, but are not limited to the SPIRITED Collective Design Principles:

Becoming Aware of one’s own and stakeholders’ beliefs and practices and how these can lead to tensions that influence research and design in R/S contexts.
Addressing Tensions that emerge in research and design in R/S context while understanding there may be situations where tensions are irresolvable.
Recognizing Fluidity as a core feature in the beliefs and practices of individuals and in today’s inter-cultural and inter-religious societies.
Embracing Uncertainty openness, open-endedness, and ambiguity in designs and the design process in R/S contexts.
Centering the Everyday and reframing (participatory) design beyond formal R/S spaces to focus on the day-to-day R/S practices.
Shifting Perspectives from users to human spiritual beings, and to more-than-human and longer-than-human lifespans for designing in R/S contexts.
Redefining Outcomes of the design process to focus on design as a means toward spiritual development and self-reflection rather than the creation of a product.
Disclosing Our Values so people can make informed decisions about whether (or how) to engage with artifacts or interactive systems.
Reshaping Design by drawing upon and incorporating R/S values, rituals, and practices into (participatory) design processes and practices.

Important Dates

All times are in Anywhere on Earth (AoE) time zone. When the deadline is day D, the last time to submit is when D ends AoE. Check your local time in AoE.

Submission Deadline: ~~Wednesday, October 1 2025~~
Notification of Acceptance: ~~Wednesday, October 15 2025~~
Camera Ready Deadline: Wednesday, October 29 2025
Registration Deadline: Friday, November 7 2025
Conference: Thursday, November 13, 2025

Conference Organizers

General Chairs
Michael Hoefer, PhD, University of St. Thomas
Estelle Smith, PhD, Colorado School of Mines

Program Committee Chairs
Sara Wolf, PhD, University of Würzburg
Shadi Nourriz, Colorado School of Mines
Shelby Pitts, Independent Researcher

Communication Chairs
Gabriela Abdalla, Independent Researcher
Brett A. Halperin, University of Washington

Technology Chair
Sarah Cooney, PhD, Villanova University

Website Accessibility Chair
Elizabeth Buie, PhD, Independent Researcher