Special Interest Group on the Design of Communication
LightNews LightNews
banner
sigdoc-acm.bsky.social
Special Interest Group on the Design of Communication
@sigdoc-acm.bsky.social
100 followers 44 following 130 posts
Association of Computing Machinery Special Interest Group on the Design of Communication. Academia & industry: usability, UX, design, techcomm, content, data.
Posts Replies Media Videos
sigdoc-acm.bsky.social
SIGDOC invites undergraduate and graduate students to submit a proposal to this year’s Student Research Competition (SRC). The SRC offers a forum for students to present their original research at an ACM-sponsored conference before a panel of judges and attendees.

1/3
2026 SIGDOC Student Research Competition (SRC) October 23–24, 2026 ~ https://sigdoc.acm.org/conference/2026/ Proposal submissions due: Saturday, January 10 or Monday, March 30 (see below) Submit here: https://gatech.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0J3yMjzWhveTO0S The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Special Interest Group on the Design of Communication (SIGDOC) invites undergraduate and graduate students to submit a proposal to this year’s Student Research Competition (SRC). The SRC offers a forum for students to present their original research at an ACM-sponsored conference before a panel of judges and attendees. Participants also have the option of preparing an Extended Abstract to be published in the conference proceedings. Undergraduate and graduate students are invited to submit proposals (400 to 600 words) on topics related to communication design, technical communication, and/or user experience including, but not limited to: Content strategy User experience design and experience architecture Learning systems and environments Open source design solutions Collaborative platforms Design methods and principles Digital humanities and design Project management Information design and architecture International and intercultural communication design Computer-mediated communication Social impacts of technical communication Proposals will be submitted through a web form. Up to 20 undergraduate and 20 graduate students will be selected to enter the SRC, to be held at SIGDOC 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Students must attend in-person to compete in the SRC. This year’s SRC will include a first round poster session on October 23 and second round oral presentation on October 24. SIGDOC will offer a limited number of travel grants and will host workshops intended to help participants win travel grants from their own institutions. Students are responsible for the SIGDOC student membership, which is $25 per year. There are monetary awards for the 1st ($5… What is the SRC? The SRC consists of two rounds of competition at the conference, as well as the possibility to move on to a grand finals competition at a later date. A list of SRCs from other ACM Special Interest Groups for 2026 are available here: https://src.acm.org/submissions. You may also check out SIGDOC SRC extended abstracts published in the conference proceedings in past years here: https://dl.acm.org/conference/doc/proceedings. First Round Competition The first round of competition is a poster session. This is your opportunity to present your research in the areas specified in the Call for Submissions. Judges will review the posters live and speak to participants about their research; five semi-finalists from each division (undergraduate and graduate) will be chosen to present at the second round of the competition. Second Round Competition Semi-finalists continue by giving a short oral presentation of their research before a panel of judges, with supporting slides/visual aids. Evaluations are based on the presenter’s knowledge of their research area, contribution of the research, and the quality of the oral and visual presentation. Three winners will be chosen in each division (undergraduate and graduate) and will receive a medal and $500, $300, and $200, respectively. The SRC Grand Finals First-place undergraduate and graduate student winners from the SRC will advance to the SRC Grand Finals. A different panel of judges evaluates SIGDOC winners against winners from other ACM Special Interest Groups online. Three undergraduates and three graduates will be chosen as the SRC Grand Finals winners. Requirements for Participation The requirements for participation in the SRC are: You must be a current SIGDOC student member If selected, you must register for the SIGDOC 2026 conference You must still be a student at the time of the conference You must apply by submitting a SRC proposal of 400–600 words on a topic of relevance to SIGDOC Students may propose indi…
October 30, 2025 at 7:25 PM
sigdoc-acm.bsky.social
Congrats to the Best Paper Award Recipients:
Danielle Hahn NC State University; Ryan Moore University of Cincinnati; Ke Lu Duke University; Chenxing Xie University of Cincinnati

Constructing Long COVID Risk Communication in the US:A Topic Modeling-Based Critical Discourse Analysis of News Coverage
Recipients standing and smiling, holding certificates for the Best Paper Awards
October 25, 2025 at 7:29 PM
sigdoc-acm.bsky.social
Graduate division: 1/2

First place - Lily Soetebier, North Carolina State University, Data After Dobbs: A Verbal Data Case Study of Flo’s Privacy Policies

Second place - Taryn M. Seidler, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Ab/Normality Rhetoric in the Design of OBGYN New Patient Forms
Graduate panelists answering questions
October 25, 2025 at 6:14 PM
sigdoc-acm.bsky.social
A big congratulations to our Student Research Competition winners.

Undergraduate division: 1/2

First place - Brooklyn Hibshman, Utah State University, “I’m going to put my foot down:” Advocating for Ethical AI Use in a Technology Startup
Undergraduate panel participants answering questions
October 25, 2025 at 6:14 PM
sigdoc-acm.bsky.social
It’s Q&A time for the graduate student SRC! #SIGDOC25
Room full of people seated, looking at 3 panelists.
October 25, 2025 at 2:13 PM
sigdoc-acm.bsky.social
Announcing the 2025-2026 Design Justice Program! Applications are due December 1.

Please view the attached photo for more details, and visit sigdoc.acm.org/awards for information about previous Design Justice awardees.
Through the Design Justice Program, SIGDOC partners with nonprofits in our conference locations to support justice-centered initiatives in communication design. In anticipation of SIGDOC '26, we organized partnerships with with two nonprofit organizations in in Minneapolis, MN: Clare Housing and Hmong American Partnership. More information about each partner is available below. CHAP Hmong American Partnership (HAP) is a social service and community development nonprofit that serves nearly 30,000 individuals annually. Originally founded in 1990 to serve Minnesota's growing Hmong population, it is now the largest Hmong-serving organization in the nation. As part of the Design Justice Program, they are seeking help with one of two potential projects: 1. Develop a national social media communications plan for their subsidiary, Hmong National Development. Specifically, they would like to publicize data and reports from their recent conference. 2. Work with HAP's development team to design a culturally sensitive fundraising strategy that increases support through individual giving, donations and grants. clare housing HOME • HEALTH • HOPE Clare Housing provides a continuum of affordable and supportive housing options that create healing communities and optimize the health of people living with HIV/AIDS. As part of the Design Justice Program, they are seeking help with one of two potential projects: 1. Develop communications strategy for the Journey Home Circle (JHC), a donor society for those giving $1,000+ annually. The project might include researching donor motivations, defining the meaningful benefits of JHC, or creating marketing materials (e.g., a brochure or one pager) to inspire membership. 2. Produce 4-5 short videos featuring people with the lived experience of HIV and housing instability. The goal of this project is to develop multimodal storytelling tools to highlight the impact of Clare Housing's work. Award Details Participation in this program comes with a $…
October 25, 2025 at 2:09 PM
sigdoc-acm.bsky.social
We are delighted to announce the finalists in the 2025 Student Research Competition. Please join us at 8:00am on Sat Oct 25 in Room 124 in the Student Union Building to hear their presentations.

Thanks to all of participants, our excellent judges, and everyone who attended the poster session.
Undergraduate student presenting poster Undergraduate student presenting poster Graduate student presenting poster Undergraduate student presenting poster
October 24, 2025 at 8:33 PM
sigdoc-acm.bsky.social
#SIGDOC25 #Keynote
The Al Shift in Tech Comm: Academic Frontiers and Industry Trends in China Zhijun Gão, Monica Xie 2025:10.24
October 24, 2025 at 4:53 PM
sigdoc-acm.bsky.social
A big congrats to our Diana Award recipients: Monica Xie and Zhijun Gao, of TC China and Peking University. #SIGDOC25
2025 Diana award recipients
October 24, 2025 at 4:18 PM
sigdoc-acm.bsky.social
It’s time for lunch! Join us for our Keynote session.
Welcome by Dr. Michael Faris Chair, Department of English
October 24, 2025 at 4:13 PM
sigdoc-acm.bsky.social
Loop in sustainability this year at CPTSC and SIGDOC. Bring your own lanyard. We'll provide nametags, but reusing your old lanyard helps us reduce waste. Plus, you can show off your preferred colors or style. Don't have an old one? Don't worry—-we've got you covered with spares!
October 15, 2025 at 2:42 PM
sigdoc-acm.bsky.social
If you are attending the SIGDOC conference in Lubbock, please consider supporting the Student Research Competition (SRC) by serving as a judge at the Friday poster session or Saturday finals. If interested, please complete this form:

purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
SRC Judges Needed!! If you are attending the SIGDOC conference in Lubbock, please consider supporting the Student Research Competition (SRC) by serving as a judge at the Friday poster session or Saturday finals. Poster session: Friday, October 24, from 1pm to 3pm Finals (talks): Saturday, October 25, from 8am to 9:30am If you are able to help us out, please complete this Qualtrics form. https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics. com/jfe/form/SV_equsFR2w3kAtT8y We'll follow up the week of the conference. We hope to see everyone at the SRC - judging or not! With best wishes, Bradley Dilger & Allegra Smith
October 13, 2025 at 4:11 PM
sigdoc-acm.bsky.social
This week, we want to highlight the Michigan State University Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Cultures.

Each week leading up to the conference, we will spotlight one of our sponsors. For more information visit: sigdoc.acm.org/conference/2...
Graduate Study in RHETORIC AND WRITING Writing, Rhetoric, and Cultures Michigan State University PhD in Rhetoric and Writing | MA in Rhetoric and Writing In our Rhetoric and Writing graduate program, students learn to conduct research and teach courses in writing studies, digital rhetoric, experience architecture, and technical and professional communication. Our graduate programs prepare students to lead and contribute across various workplaces, including academia, civic, corporate, government, and nonprofit organizations. Students learn to do this work by engaging with scholarship, learning with faculty, collaborating on research teams, producing multimodal content for organizations, understanding people-focused experiences, teaching in our programs, and working with local and global communities. Through these experiences, students examine issues of accessibility, ethics, literacy, and storytelling through writing, composing, and making. We offer several assistantship opportunities for students to explore a multitude of career pathways, including conducting research in WIDE, teaching in our First Year Writing program and undergraduate programs, consulting in the Writing Center, and collaborating with our administrative team. In addition to assistantship and fellowship opportunities, graduate students receive annual professional development support to attend conferences, travel to research sites, and access archives. We are accepting applications for the PhD and MA programs to begin Fall 2026! More information about graduate student support and opportunities, along with application materials, are available on our website; please feel free to direct any questions to our Director of Graduate Programs, Trixie Smith (smit1254@msu.edu).
September 8, 2025 at 2:18 PM
sigdoc-acm.bsky.social
We are so grateful for our sponsors of this year’s conference. Each week leading up to the conference, we will spotlight one of our sponsors: sigdoc.acm.org/conference/2...

This week is Brigham Young University's Office of Digital Humanities. Please see the attached flyer for more information.
UX4DH Website A new comprehensive website dedicated to the intersection of User Experience and Digital Humanities. This innovative new resource offers articles, tools, and tutorials that explore the latest trends and best practices in UX and DH. Brigham Young University is quickly emerging as a hub for user experience in digital humanities and professional writing, rolling out new resources and programs of study. Two New Academic Emphases A graduate MA emphasis in Digital Humanities and Professional Writing, and an undergraduate emphasis in Product & User Experience Design. Whether moving toward a career or preparing for advanced study, students graduate ready for roles in UX, digital humanities, and professional writing. E n g l i s h M A
September 1, 2025 at 2:06 PM
sigdoc-acm.bsky.social
Thank you again to all the sponsors of this year’s conference. Each week leading up to the conference, we will spotlight one of our sponsors: sigdoc.acm.org/conference/2...
In our complex, digital world communication is key Find your career in Technical Communication with a concentration in User Experience, Social Media Management, Health and Medical Information or Data Visualization. • Create dynamic user-friendly apps • Design visuals that bring data to life • Create strategic content for social media • Simplify complex content to solve problems Hands-on, career-connected learning. Experienced faculty. In-person or online. This is your future. Fueled by possibility. Driven by you. “ The encouragement I received from the faculty and my peers was a driving force to the success I’ve been able to achieve. I’m now working as a UX Designer in a Fortune 50 company, able to do what I love and feel like it was meant for me. - Sanjana Ponnada, Technical Communications, BS, ‘21
August 25, 2025 at 1:27 PM
sigdoc-acm.bsky.social
The ACM Special Interest Group on Design of Communication 2025 Conference (SIGDOC '25) is an excellent opportunity to promote your organization to an international audience of researchers and practitioners. We have four sponsorship levels to choose from here: sigdoc.acm.org/conference/2...
It's time to become a sponsor! The ACM Special Interest Group on Design of Communication 2025 Conference (SIGDOC '25) is an excellent opportunity to promote your organization to an international audience of researchers and practitioners. The conference includes researchers, leaders, and practitioners across both academia and industry. In terms of visibility, we have around 200 in-person attendees, 500 Facebook followers, 1100 Twitter/X followers, and our most recent conference proceedings has over 6500 downloads. We have four sponsorship levels to choose from, which you can read about here: https://sigdoc.acm. org/conference/2025/sponsorship/ The sponsorship levels are flexible. If you have an alternative idea for how you want to work with us, let us know. For more information or to become a sponsor, contact SIGDOC Sponsorship Chair Dan
April 14, 2025 at 2:40 PM
sigdoc-acm.bsky.social
There are two days left to submit an EARLY decision proposal for the 2025 Student Research
Competition.

Use this survey to share your 400-600 word proposal: gatech.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
There are two days left to submit an EARLY decision proposal for the 2025 Student Research Competition. We are trying a new approach this year: a two-track calendar for submissions. Ready to share a project now? Share by February 1, 2025 for an early decision and more time to write an extended abstract for the proceedings. Need a little more time, or want to share a Spring 2025 project? We'll take your submission until April 30, 3025 — and you can still write an extended abstract if accepted. Use this survey to share your 400-600 word proposal: https://gatech.co1.qualtrics. com/jfe/form/SV_0SoNhXEsXxQljF4 Please share with students who may be interested. Undergraduate and graduate students are both welcome. Students may participate individually or as teams. Please direct your questions to SRC co-chairs: Bradley Dilger mailto:dilger@purdue.edu Allegra Smith mailto:allegra@gatech.edu
January 30, 2025 at 3:36 PM
sigdoc-acm.bsky.social
Dr. Mason Pellegrini, Paul Thompson Hunter, and Adrianna Deptula, are one of the two Career Advancement Research Grant winners for their research project titled, "Expert Audience Strategies for Distinguishing between Human- and AI-generated Student Writing: A Mixed-Methods Research Project." 1/2
professionally dressed young man wearing glasses A headshot of a 30-year-old man wearing glasses with dark frames, a navy blazer, a light pink dress shirt, and a pastel plaid tie. The man has neatly combed back hair, a neutral expression, and is seated against a background of wooden paneling. Headshot of Adrianna Deptula from the shoulders up smiling in a sweater and blazer.
December 27, 2024 at 3:26 PM
sigdoc-acm.bsky.social
@imaricheyne.bsky.social research project, "Accessibility of Blended Courses in Technical Communication" has been selected as one of the two Career Advancement Research Grant winners. 1/2
a young woman with shoulder-length light brown hair and glasses smiles in a woodsy setting
December 26, 2024 at 7:50 PM