The IDC Research and Design Challenge throughout the years: achievements, reflections and next steps

In this paper we describe and reflect upon the setup and outcomes of the Research and Design Competition at the Interaction Design and Children (IDC) conference over the years. We frame it against similar initiatives and discuss its achievements so far while suggesting the steps that could increase its visibility and popularity both inside and outside of our academic community. In fact, we believe such an initiative is a great opportunity to state and declare the community's core principles and values. This is done by having children as protagonists, and listening to and acknowledging their contributions. Reaching out to, inspiring, and rewarding the other adults in the loop, such as parents and teachers, is essential to ensure children's participation and empowerment. Equally important is actively promoting diversity and inclusion to maintain a healthy and balanced community's growth. Here, we review progress to date, outline plans for moving forward and establishing this initiative as a fun place for children to interact with new technology, as researchers and practitioners better understand their needs and expectations. Therefore, our primary contribution is a set of guidelines and best practices for it to develop, which is based on a thorough examination of the challenge so far.