AppIHC

AppIHC is a mobile companion designed to help attendees get the most from the XVI Brazilian Symposium on Human Factors in Computing Systems (IHC 2017). AppIHC organizes the full symposium program and places schedule browsing, interactive session tools and basic networking in a single, easy-to-use interface so you can focus on content, participation and professional connections rather than juggling printed timetables or scattered web pages.

Key features and session structure

The app presents the symposium program by day, track, room and session type so you can quickly scan keynote talks, technical papers, workshops and poster sessions. Filters let you narrow results by topic, time slot or location and a built-in search returns speaker names, paper titles and keywords. AppIHC supports live session elements such as polls, Q&A submission and feedback forms so presenters can gather audience input and attendees can follow discussions in real time. Program entries include abstracts, speaker bios and room information, and sessions are grouped into coherent tracks to reflect the event's thematic structure.

User experience and progression

Attendees can build a personalized schedule by saving favorites and stacking sessions into a day-by-day plan; this creates a clear progression through the conference agenda and helps avoid time conflicts. The personalized schedule acts like a lightweight itinerary: you can mark sessions you intend to attend, flag items for follow-up, and view your daily timeline at a glance. Over the course of the symposium this progression provides a record of attended sessions and a practical way to plan learning goals and networking opportunities.

Navigation, controls and customization

Navigation relies on familiar mobile patterns: swipe gestures to move between days, tabs for tracks, and an always-available search field. Controls are designed for quick one-handed use during an event: tap to save a session, long-press to see more details, and use simple toggles to subscribe to session alerts. Notification preferences are adjustable so you can enable updates for schedule changes, room adjustments or speaker announcements while muting other alerts. Custom tags and filters let you create a focused view based on your interests, and export or share options make it simpler to communicate plans with colleagues.

Visual design and accessibility

The visual style emphasizes clarity and legibility with a clean layout, clear typography and high-contrast elements to make program details readable on small screens and in bright conference halls. Icons and color cues indicate session types and status without overwhelming the display. Accessibility considerations include support for larger font sizes, screen reader compatibility for key program elements, and clear tap targets to reduce accidental selections during busy schedules. These choices help the app remain usable for a wide range of attendees.

Networking and professional tools

AppIHC incorporates social-style profiles and virtual badges to help identify expertise areas and ease introductions among participants. Profile pages summarize affiliations, research interests and sessions of interest so you can find people working on related topics. While it does not require complex messaging systems, the app supports simple ways to arrange meetings or signal interest in collaboration through profile linking and shared schedule visibility within the event environment.

Offline access, reliability and compatibility

The app caches saved schedules, session abstracts and speaker information so basic planning remains available when network connectivity is limited inside conference venues. Real-time updates and alerts are pushed when an internet connection is present, and cached content ensures the core functionality — your personalized itinerary and session details — is accessible offline. AppIHC is optimized for contemporary Android devices and aims for smooth performance during multi-day events when quick access to program information is most important.

Replay value and long-term use

Although AppIHC is tailored to the IHC 2017 program and delivers the most value during the live symposium, archived program entries and saved notes provide reference value after the event. Saved favorites, speaker lists and session notes remain useful for follow-up reading and post-conference planning, and the app’s structure demonstrates how a conference companion can streamline preparation, participation and post-event synthesis for researchers and practitioners.

Limitations

Because the app was created specifically for IHC 2017, much of its content and real-time interactivity is tied to that event’s schedule; features that rely on live polls or in-session participation are most useful to active attendees during the symposium. Some advanced networking interactions depend on participants maintaining up-to-date profile information, and while offline caching preserves core details, certain live updates and third-party resource links require an internet connection to access.