Doodle Away: An Autoethnographic Exploration of Doodling as a Strategy for Self-Control Strength in Online Spaces

Abstract

We think we are not alone when we say: navigating the new online spaces surrounding us is more difficult than we could have predicted. In this paper, we explore doodling as a tool for self-control while attending passive online spaces. We, four researchers in the field of Human-Computer Interaction, engaged in doodling during our online meetings, seminars, and conferences. We also kept an autoethnographic diary along with a collection of our doodles. We reflected and then discussed through affinity diagramming, whereby five themes were developed: More than human, Designerly ways of sketching, Traces of time and space, Emotional aesthetics & thoughts, Sketching materials, techniques, and tangible characteristics. We conclude by inviting the HCI community to contribute with their doodles during the CHI2023 conference in Hamburg or remotely.