Opportunities For Design Research Articles

Material Deconstructions of Time: Posthumanist Interventions Through Media Art

The topic of time and how it can be unpacked, deconstructed and designed with is fundamental to HCI, but it is also extensively engaged within artistic practice. By analysing a selection of ten media artworks, all in different ways concerned with time and temporality, we explore how artists approach these matters as culturally and politically loaded. The selected projects align with the ongoing scholarly interest in alternatives to common perceptions on time, unmaking the normative clock time and the posthuman discourse. Following an analysis of the theoretical and material expressions of these artworks, we conceptualised four themes through which unmaking was represented: dissecting temporality, the unmaking of the singular, unmaking as messing up and unmaking the other . We close with a discussion on how these themes intersect with the current discourse on unmaking in HCI and reflect on challenges and opportunities for design and theory.

The Transformation of Batik Motif: Transforming Interior Spaces to be More Aesthetic with Batik Patterned Metal Ceilings

Batik continues to evolve beyond its traditional function. This study explores the innovative transformation of batik motifs into metal ceilings as a representation of the integration of traditional aesthetics with modern technology in contemporary interior design. The main objective of the study is to analyse the potential for developing batik-patterned metal ceilings that combine cultural values with technological innovation. The research methodology uses a mixed qualitative and quantitative approach, including literature studies, design observations, and manufacturing technology experiments. The study focuses on the transformation of ceplok batik motifs, especially kawung, into metal panels using stamping and forming techniques. Aluminium and copper were chosen as the main materials due to their lightweight, corrosion-resistant, and design flexibility characteristics. The research process involved the development of Appropriate Technology for stamping and forming metal that allows the creation of ceilings with precise batik motif details. Experimentation includes designing special dies, setting metal forming parameters, and finishing. The results of the study indicate the success of transforming traditional batik motifs into metal ceilings that have high aesthetic value and practical functions. This innovation not only produces interior design products, but also makes a significant contribution to the preservation and development of cultural heritage through a contemporary approach. The study concludes that the transformation of batik motifs into metal ceilings successfully brings together tradition and modernity. This approach opens up new opportunities in interior design that respect cultural heritage while taking advantage of advances in manufacturing technology, while expanding the appreciation of batik in a more dynamic and innovative context.

Photon-Driven Dye Induction Pyroptosis: An Emerging Anti-Tumor Immunotherapy Paradigm.

Photoimmunotherapy represents a novel and promising modality in anti-tumor immunotherapy, offering new hope in the realm of cancer treatment due to its distinctive mechanism and substantial therapeutic efficacy. This innovative approach synergistically integrates photon technology with immunological principles, utilizing photon energy to activate the body's immune response. Photon-driven pyroptosis, a pivotal element of photoimmunotherapy, has significantly revitalized the advancement of this discipline. To support this critical progress, this minireview offers an exhaustive examination of the organic dyes presently employed for photon-driven pyroptosis, alongside an analysis of the prevailing challenges and opportunities in dye molecule design. It is our aspiration that this minireview will contribute to the acceleration of developments in photon-driven pyroptosis dye and the broader field of photoimmunotherapy.

Exploring opportunities for online pharmacy design for Moroccan citizens

In countries with limited digital capabilities such as Morocco, the adoption of electronic services faces significant challenges owing to limited awareness and prevalent apprehension among the local population. Existing pharmacy services predominantly rely on manual processes, which cause inconvenience for the community. To address this issue and cater to the needs of the community, a comprehensive survey was conducted that involved 41 residents. The survey findings not only provide insights into the needs of the community but also serve as a foundation for tailoring electronic services to this specific demographic. Considering the survey results, we further introduced “MoulPharmacy”, an accessible online platform designed to streamline the purchase of over-the-counter medications. The main goal of “MoulPharmacy” is to bridge the gap between consumers and local pharmacies by providing a user-friendly interface for seamless medication procurement. This platform enables local citizens to order medications effortlessly, with the added convenience of doorstep delivery. To understand the perceptions and potential adoption factors of “MoulPharmacy” in countries with limited digital capabilities, we conducted a user study with 20 Moroccan citizens to explore aspects such as website aesthetics, ease of use, and the overall purchasing process. A synthesis of the results of both the survey and the user study, reveals that this research contributes to a nuanced understanding of the unique requirements of citizens in countries with digital challenges. “MoulPharmacy” not only addresses practical challenges faced by residents but also sets a precedent for future developments in online pharmacy-related platforms designed for countries with limited digital capabilities. This research establishes essential design principles that can guide the creation of tailored solutions, by examining the specific requirements of this demographic, which fosters the adoption of electronic services in resource-constrained settings.

Microstructural design opportunities and phase stability in the spray-formed AlCoCr0.75Cu0.5FeNi high entropy alloy

Designing a microstructure with controlled morphology is one of the determining factors for the optimum performance of a material. High entropy alloys (HEAs) have gained significant attention due to their enhanced mechanical and functional properties compared to conventional alloys, particularly based on opportunities for microstructural design. In this fast-developing field, varied thermal treatments can be applied to engineer a material as per the requirements. In the present work, we have studied the effect of thermal treatment on the microstructural modifications in the spray-formed AlCoCr0.75Cu0.5FeNi HEA. The alloy was characterized by using a light microscope, scanning electron microscope equipped with EDS detector and electron probe micro analyzer (EPMA). The elemental distribution and microstructural evolution of the alloy were studied by giving the heat treatments at different time-temperature spaces. The evolution of phases and their composition were correlated with the CALPHAD predicted property diagram and phase composition. It is observed that at a higher temperature of 1300°C, the alloy shows the simple solid solution phases to be more stable due to the high entropy effect, which brings down the Gibbs free energy of the system. The formation of the disordered BCC, FCC and their derivatives along with the sigma phase were observed in the temperature range of 600-1000°C. This work also draws attention to why understanding the microstructural evolution and solidification behaviour is important in designing the HEAs to meet the industrial promises and the role of entropy, enthalpy and slow diffusion kinetics are discussed.

The Role of Big Data Analysis in Fashion Design

Today, as the contemporary, economic and cultural landscape becomes increasingly volatile, the dynamics of the fashion industry are becoming less predictable. The fast-changing fashion industry is constantly generating data. Big data is a powerful tool that offers new and exciting opportunities for fashion designers. It is used for different purposes such as understanding consumer behaviour, predicting trends and creating more personalized products. Design processes that were previously driven by intuition and instinct have become more fluid, data and goal-oriented with the opportunities offered by big data. This article aims to reveal the purposes of using big data by investigating fashion design models based on big data in the fashion industry in recent years. For this purpose, the current models of big data in fashion design, its limitations and development direction are discussed. While many of the areas of use of big data in the fashion industry (trend analysis, demographic, geographical analysis, age and gender, etc.) have been intensively researched, the number of purely design-oriented research is only recently increasing. This study is unique in that it focuses on the design phenomenon and applications of big data in fashion. In this context, there is no academic study in the national literature. It is expected to contribute to the discussion on the effects of big data and big data-based digital technologies in fashion design.

A Comparative Study on Fixed-Order Event Sequence Visualizations: Gantt, Extended Gantt, and Stringline Charts.

We conduct two in-lab experiments (N = 93) to evaluate the effectiveness of Gantt charts, extended Gantt charts, and stringline charts for visualizing fixed-order event sequence data. We first formulate five types of event sequences and define three types of sequence elements: point events, interval events, and the temporal gaps between them. Our two experiments focus on event sequences with a pre-defined, fixed order and measure task error rates and completion time. The first experiment shows single sequences and assesses the three charts' performance in comparing event duration or gap. The second experiment shows multiple sequences and evaluates how well the charts reveal temporal patterns. The results suggest that when visualizing single fixed-order event sequences, 1) Gantt and extended Gantt charts lead to comparable error rates in the duration-comparing task; 2) Gantt charts exhibit either shorter or equal completion time than extended Gantt charts; 3) both Gantt and extended Gantt charts demonstrate shorter completion times than stringline charts; 4) however, stringline charts outperform the other two charts with fewer errors in the comparing task when event type counts are high. Additionally, when visualizing multiple point-based fixed-order event sequences, stringline charts require less time than Gantt charts for people to find temporal patterns. Based on these findings, we discuss design opportunities for visualizing fixed-order event sequences and discuss future avenues for optimizing these charts.

Optoelectronic metadevices.

Metasurfaces have introduced new opportunities in photonic design by offering unprecedented, nanoscale control over optical wavefronts. These artificially structured layers have largely been used to passively manipulate the flow of light by controlling its phase, amplitude, and polarization. However, they can also dynamically modulate these quantities and manipulate fundamental light absorption and emission processes. These valuable traits can extend their application domain to chipscale optoelectronics and conceptually new optical sources, displays, spatial light modulators, photodetectors, solar cells, and imaging systems. New opportunities and challenges have also emerged in the materials and device integration with existing technologies. This Review aims to consolidate the current research landscape and provide perspectives on metasurface capabilities specific to optoelectronic devices, giving new direction to future research and development efforts in academia and industry.

Replication of clinical prosthetic sockets for research purposes.

For research in the field of prosthetics to be representative of clinical realities, studies require inclusion of clinical standard prosthetic sockets. This necessitates involvement of a prosthetist (clinical professional) in any study, which is to truly explore the effectiveness of existing or novel prosthetic technologies. Unfortunately, there is a global shortage of prosthetists. With many technological advances in upper-limb prosthetics coming from engineering focused labs, it is unsurprising that studies are frequently conducted with anatomically intact individuals. In this paper, we present a method to clone the shape of a clinical standard prosthetic socket for research purposes. The technique uses silicone to capture the socket shape; this is then converted into a plaster mold, which can be used to manufacture an identically shaped socket using standard clinical manufacturing techniques. The whole process can be achieved without the involvement of a prosthetist. To validate the proposed technique, molds from an original socket and socket clone were 3D scanned. The distance between the aligned meshes were measured using CloudCompare software. The mean distance between the points on the 2 meshes was 0.16 mm (standard deviation 0.38 mm). This proof-of-concept study demonstrates that the proposed new approach to cloning a clinical standard prosthetic socket is feasible and accurate. This technique will facilitate improvements in the assessment of prosthetic technologies. The process is nondestructive, thus also opening opportunities for socket design and electrode placement research with the removal of confounding factors relating to socket shape.

COMPOSITE MATERIALS FOR STRENGTHENING OF REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES – A REVIEW

This article presents a study of the use of composite materials in strengthening building structures. Materials consisting of two or more components or phases are called composite. Now modern composite materials open up new opportunities for design in all areas of production. The construction industry is no exception. Laminates, canvases, nets, rebars and ropes made of high-strength fibers of various origins are among the most widely used in construction at the moment. The main components of any composite are high-strength fibers that absorb the load, and a stabilizing matrix that serves to transfer forces to the fibers. The following types of high-strength fibers are used in composites: glass fibers, carbon fibers, organic fibers, silicon-carbon, aluminum-silicon fibers, and others. With the help of composite reinforcement, it is possible to effectively strengthen normal and inclined sections of reinforced concrete structures.

Modeling and Simulation of Multi‐Material and Complex‐Shaped Gun Propellant Combustion in Closed Vessels

AbstractThe geometric shape and material structure of gun propellant grains control the pressure evolution during combustion and, consequently, the performance of the ammunition. Due to the large number of degrees of freedom, additive manufacturing offers novel opportunities for grain shape and structure design. However, this new freedom necessitates the development of new algorithms for modeling and simulation of surface regression. In traditional combustion models, it is assumed that the propellant′s burn rate is a global quantity on its surface, which enables separate simulation of the surface regression and pressure evolution. To exploit the full potential of additive manufacturing and optimize designs for different applications, it is necessary to simulate grain structures with locally different burn rates on the surface. This work presents a model to simulate quantitatively the combustion of multi‐material and complex‐shaped solid propellant grains in a closed vessel for the first time. A lumped parameter pressure model is coupled with a surface regression simulation based on the level set method. The model is validated by comparison to analytical surface regression. Then, for the first time, a combustion simulation of a multi‐material ball propellant grain consisting of two hemispheres in a closed vessel is presented. Compared to a combustion simulation using global and weighted mean burn rate values, the pressure and vivacity curve shows significant differences. This demonstrates impressively that for predicting the performance potential of multi‐material and complex‐shaped solid gun propellant grains, a quantitative and accurate combustion simulation is indispensable.

Space Making for Collective Well-being: Design, Dynamics, and Implications

This paper explores the multifaceted concept of space making for the collective well-being across diverse disciplines and contexts. Drawing on discussions regarding collaboration facilitation, narrative transformation, diverse approaches to space design, challenges, and opportunities, as well as inclusivity and equity considerations, it delves into the complexities of creating environments that foster collaboration, inclusivity, and equity. The research question addresses how various approaches to space making contribute to collective well-being, encompassing collaboration facilitation, narrative transformation, diverse design perspectives, challenges, and opportunities, as well as inclusivity and equity considerations. The objective is to analyze these discussions to gain insights into the dynamics of space making for collective well-being. Qualitative methods are employed to analyze discussions and findings across different disciplines. The findings highlight the importance of fostering collaboration, challenging existing narratives, utilizing diverse approaches, addressing challenges, and promoting inclusivity and equity in space making for collective well-being. The paper underscores the significance of creating spaces that promote collaboration, inclusivity, and equity in shaping a more just and thriving collective future.

Co-designing an artificial intelligence (AI) literacies framework for learning designers

Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) are undoubtedly changing the practice and profession of learning design. While the full impact is yet to be realised, learning designers grapple daily with the challenges, risk, and opportunities these technologies represent for changing how students learn, how faculty teach, and how we design. So, what knowledge, skills, and mindsets do learning designers need to survive and thrive in a post-AI higher education sector? This paper reports on a project to co-design an AI literacies framework for and with a team of learning designers. Using the world café method, we conducted an online workshop with a group of 18 learning designers, drawing on our collective experience and expertise to ideate and refine the essential elements of an AI literacies framework. The data generated was then coded and thematically analysed to develop a practical framework comprising four domains and 16 specific elements, each elaborated to describe the knowledge, skills, and mindsets required for post-AI learning design. This framework informs the development of training programs and professional learning opportunities for learning designers.

Menopause Legacies: Designing to Record and Share Experiences of Menopause Across Generations

Menopause is often overlooked or medicalized, consequently devaluing individual experiences and failing to support individuals experiencing this life event. Family dynamics, death, and taboo further mean that individuals often miss out on information that could help them contextualize their experiences. We examine participant experiences with menopause and explore designs of digital and non-digital legacies for sharing menopause experiences across generations. We conducted semi-structured interviews and design sessions with 17 participants who experienced or are experiencing menopause. We report participant information needs and sense-making practices, including what personalized information participants wish to pass down and preferred formats for intergenerational sharing. Findings highlight the potential of using storytelling and life-logging to create 'holistic' memories of the menopause journey, to support self-reflection, and for using legacies to initiate conversations about marginalized health experiences. We identify future design and research opportunities for the HCI and CSCW communities to support intergenerational sharing of non-medicalized and stigmatized health experiences.

Transhuman Communication: Human Augmentation Technologies through Co-Speculation Workshops

The advancement of human-computer integration as a research field promises to introduce transhumanistic ways of communicating through the enhanced abilities of augmented humans. Our work seeks to illuminate this experiential landscape, exploring a diverse set of human augmentation technologies (HATs) for communication purposes. We investigated this topic through four co-speculation workshops focusing on physical, cognitive, sensory and emotional augmentations with 35 participants. Through a reflexive thematic analysis of the workshop data, we outlined eight HAT speculations for transhuman communication, grouped into four overarching augmentation clusters: (1) Bodily Changes in/for Communication, (2) Communication with Transferrable and Collective Beings, (3) Communication through Emotion and Memory, and (4) Communication with Augmented/Altered Perception. By serving as a foundation for discussions on transhumanism and communication in CSCW and beyond, these speculations contribute to a design space highlighting design opportunities and challenges to developing and researching near-future communication technologies.

Therapy for Therapists: Design Opportunities to Support the Psychological Well-being of Mental Health Workers

On-demand mental health services-including counseling, crisis hotlines, and peer support programs-are vital to the healthcare system, providing acute and ongoing support through telephone, online chats, and text messaging. Although such services have proven effective at reducing hopelessness, psychological pain, and suicidality, they put the providers of these services at high risk of burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion fatigue. Our interviews with professionals from four mental health organizations revealed that while these workers have a strong motivation to help clients with mental health care needs, they face various challenges themselves, particularly regarding heavy caseloads, difficult crisis clients, and coping with repeated exposure to abuse and harassment. To overcome challenges, participants identify the need to be self-reliant and engage in self-care practices ranging from socializing with coworkers to yoga and meditation. Although organizations spend significant time training workers prior to their involvement with clients, the training typically lacks components on self-compassion and self-care. Designers might see technology as an opportunity to promote such practices; however, while technology is an integral part of their work routine, participants, irrespective of age, had misapprehensions regarding technology use in the mental health care space, including for managing their psychological well-being. We recommend design guidelines for HCI researchers, including developing contextualized just-in-time adaptive interventions to promote self-compassion and educating workers regarding the use of various technologies to manage their well-being.

Journeying Through Sense of Place with Mental Maps: Characterizing Changing Spatial Understanding and Sense of Place During Migration for Work

Millions of people move for work yearly, but this labor migration risks social and cultural challenges, hindering migrants' integration into new communities. Software tools could support this transition, but the design space around, and the mechanisms behind, how individuals develop spatial understanding and 'sense of place' is unclear. In our study, we leverage mental maps to explore migrants' 'sense of place'. We conduct a mixed- methods study with 12 participants, spanning two sessions - one before and one after their relocation, totaling 24 data sessions. We discover that post-relocation, mental maps not only widen coverage and generalization but also decrease in cartographic complexity and accuracy, reflecting a nuanced blend of personal narratives and spatial awareness. We also find that strategies for rebuilding and reshaping 'sense of place' span a complex set of dimensions spanning personal, social and environmental challenges, post-move. Our findings lay the groundwork, and underscore the need, for 'platial' (versus spatial) understanding and tools to rebuild sense of place, and foster better community cohesion. We highlight design opportunities for creating tools, especially those capturing personal nuances, to help migrants reestablish themselves and their sense of place.

Providing Context to the "Unknown": Patient and Provider Reflections on Connecting Personal Tracking, Patient-Reported Insights, and EHR Data within a Post-COVID Clinic

COVID Long Haul (CLH) is an emerging chronic illness for which the healthcare system continues to seek a common understanding of symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment. CLH experiences can differ drastically, necessitating personalized care plans. Because patients interact with different clinicians during their CLH journey, it becomes important to ensure interoperability and understand clinical relevance of different data that can support clinicians in making appropriate recommendations. We conducted qualitative research where we interviewed 13 patients, conducted a focus group with 8 clinicians, and analyzed care plan follow-up records. We report patient and clinician expectations from and interactions with clinic data. We uncover logistical challenges, personal contexts, and health barriers impacting patient compliance. As researchers embedded in the clinical system, we identify the potential of using multiple patient data streams to support personalized treatment and clinical decisions. We discuss technology design opportunities and provide actionable recommendations for improving clinical workflows and cross-provider collaboration.

Using Human-Centered Design to Improve Serious Illness Care for Older Adults with Advanced Dementia

ContextOlder adults with advanced dementia increasingly receive potentially non-beneficial, high-intensity life-sustaining treatments and goal-discordant care in the United States. Interventions to address this issue have shown limited success. ObjectivesTo use human-centered design (HCD) with clinicians caring for older adults with advanced dementia to develop intervention ideas to reduce high-intensity, goal-discordant treatments near the end of life. MethodsWe used the first two steps of HCD, inspiration, and ideation, to understand clinicians’ perspectives regarding challenges in providing goal-concordant care for older adults with advanced dementia and to generate intervention ideas. In inspiration, we conducted in-depth interviews with clinicians caring for older adults with advanced dementia. We analyzed interviews using thematic analysis to identify themes and insights, which we synthesized into design opportunities using HCD. In ideation, we completed structured brainstorming sessions with study investigators, physicians, and designers to generate ideas for interventions at different healthcare system levels. ResultsDuring inspiration, we developed seven themes about clinicians’ experiences providing serious illness care for older adults with advanced dementia. We identified six instances where two or more themes were in tension. We synthesized these tensions into five insight statements capturing clinicians’ key challenges, which we reframed as three design opportunities. Brainstorming sessions conducted as part of ideation generated 132 solution ideas for these three opportunities, with participants selecting nine for testing. ConclusionThe HCD process generated ideas at multiple healthcare system levels to address an enduring challenge in serious illness care by involving clinicians, researchers, and designers in intervention design.

Acceleration photochromic performance in tungsten oxide

Tungsten oxide (WO3) photochromic films require external force to accelerate the return to their original state after being photoinduced to color under ultraviolet light; otherwise, the fading process is exceedingly slow. The research explores the effects of various metal ion dopants on WO3 photochromic performance, with a focus on Fe doping. Fe-WO3 composite films demonstrate rapid coloration (3 min) and bleaching (30 min) processes, significantly improving upon undoped WO3. The mechanism of Fe ion catalysis in electron transfer is elucidated through HRTEM, SEM, EDS, and XPS analyses. The practical application of Fe-WO3 composite films in smart windows is evaluated using Energy-plus software, showing substantial energy savings across diverse climate zones. Our findings render great opportunities for innovative photochromic designs that can help achieve energy-saving performance in windows.