Blue-Collar Realities in HCI: Lessons from Exoskeleton Studies in Industry and a Practical Checklist for Worker-Centered Field Research

Inclusive human–computer interaction (HCI) research in real-world work environments remains challenging, particularly when aiming to involve blue-collar workers in physically demanding occupations such as construction. While offering essential practical experience, they often have varying literacy and education levels and limited prior exposure to research settings. Drawing on years of field experience and illustrated through a recent exoskeleton study at construction sites, this paper discusses practical challenges and offers empirically grounded recommendations for conducting HCI studies in workplaces. The recommendations address critical aspects such as selecting a suitable research partner, recruiting participants in operational contexts, adapting instruments to participants’ needs and language backgrounds, encouraging sustained engagement, and enabling authentic participant feedback. The insights shared are intended to support researchers in designing and conducting field studies that consider the lived job realities of workers. By reporting on lessons learned and providing an actionable checklist, this work contributes to strengthening methodological rigor and offers valuable guidance for worker-centered HCI research.