Kawaii Computing: Scoping Out the Japanese Notion of Cute in User Experiences with Interactive Systems

TL;DR

This paper explores the Japanese cultural concept of 'kawaii' in human-computer interaction, examining how it influences design and user experience, and identifies gaps and opportunities for future research in kawaii computing.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive scoping review of how kawaii has been integrated into HCI research, highlighting cultural dimensions and methodological gaps.

Findings

Kawaii influences design and user experience in HCI.

Cultural and affective dimensions of kawaii are central to user experiences.

Identifies gaps and future opportunities in kawaii computing research.

Abstract

Kawaii computing is a new term for a steadily growing body of work on the Japanese notion of "cute" in human-computer interaction (HCI) research and practice. Kawaii is distinguished from general notions of cute by its experiential and culturally-sensitive nature. While it can be designed into the appearance and behaviour of interactive agents, interfaces, and systems, kawaii also refers to certain affective and cultural dimensions experienced by culturally Japanese users, i.e., kawaii user experiences (UX) and mental models of kawaii elicited by the socio-cultural context of Japan. In this scoping review, we map out the ways in which kawaii has been explored within HCI research and related fields as a factor of design and experience. We illuminate theoretical and methodological gaps and opportunities for future work on kawaii computing.