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Beyond The Gallery: Neurodivergent Digital Access In Australian Museums, Jorge E. Arreola Rosendo Jun 2026

Beyond The Gallery: Neurodivergent Digital Access In Australian Museums, Jorge E. Arreola Rosendo

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Australian museums invest heavily in hybrid and immersive gallery technologies yet treat their websites, where many neurodiverse visitors seek essential planning information, as static brochures. As 15 to 20 percent of the global population is neurodivergent, this oversight affects a significant audience. This study presents the first Australian audit of neurodivergent accessibility across 43 museums, revealing major disconnects: 86% offer minimal digital experiences despite their accessibility potential, and 35% provide no neurodivergent resources. While many claim consultation, neurodivergent voices remain absent from digital design. Shared digital infrastructure across museum networks creates sector-wide intervention points, since improving centralised systems could enhance …


When Grief Takes Shape: Codesigning Creative Modalities In Grief Support Groups For Children, Kirstine Neimann Skov, Eva Knutz, Thomas Markussen Jun 2026

When Grief Takes Shape: Codesigning Creative Modalities In Grief Support Groups For Children, Kirstine Neimann Skov, Eva Knutz, Thomas Markussen

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Research highlights the positive impact of creative modalities, such as drawings and images, in grief practice for children. However, more knowledge is needed to guide grief practitioners regarding the effects and contributions of these modalities to children’s coping strategies and wellbeing. This paper investigates the use of creative modalities in Danish grief support groups for children through a study involving participatory design research. The study provides a comprehensive overview of how creative modalities can support grieving processes and lay new ground for future work in codesigning creative modalities for and with practitioners and children. The concept of grief as an …


Breaking The Cycle: Understanding Self-Experimentation As A Health Behavior Change Approach For Young Adults With Adhd, Çağla Şen, Jaap Daalhuizen, Jos J. Kraal Jun 2026

Breaking The Cycle: Understanding Self-Experimentation As A Health Behavior Change Approach For Young Adults With Adhd, Çağla Şen, Jaap Daalhuizen, Jos J. Kraal

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is characterized by executive dysfunctions that disrupt the initiation and maintenance of everyday behaviors, making habit formation challenging. As a result, many individuals with ADHD struggle to sustain healthy routines. Conventional behavior change approaches overlook the complexity and variability of ADHD, highlighting the need for adaptive and personalized methods such as Self-Experimentation (SE). This study explores the potential of SE in supporting individuals with ADHD to change health behaviors. Using a Research through Design approach, stakeholders were involved across three iterative phases. The process resulted in two prototypes that facilitated SE while generating insights on how individuals …


Designing For Emotion: A Scoping Review Of Phygital Emotional Experience Design In Historical Museums, Linlin Wang, Jiarui Wu*, Yi Zhang, Sai Ma, Yingji Wang Jun 2026

Designing For Emotion: A Scoping Review Of Phygital Emotional Experience Design In Historical Museums, Linlin Wang, Jiarui Wu*, Yi Zhang, Sai Ma, Yingji Wang

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Abstract: As digital technology becomes an integral part of museum services and strategies, visitor experiences have evolved from physical to phygital experiences. Phygital emphasizes the fusion of digital and physical environments, constructing complex emotional scenarios that bridge those realms across different exhibition phases—from entry and immersion to extended experiences—thus distinguishing itself from traditional, object-led historical museums. This scoping review employs a hybrid deductive-inductive coding method to analyse 54 publications from databases including WOS, IEEE Xplore, Scopus, PubMed, and PsycInfo. It proposes a DES emotional experience framework for historical museums and identifies corresponding technological interventions and design directions. The study advocates …


Desiring Production: Design As An Ethical Action, Yihui Yang, Li Zhang Jun 2026

Desiring Production: Design As An Ethical Action, Yihui Yang, Li Zhang

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Contemporary design theory and practice have long taken user need-oriented as the core principle. Need has become the ethical and practical foundation of design. It has suppressed the creativity and initiative of both users and designers in the name of functionality. Tracing the origin and evolution of need in design history, this paper points out its inadaptability to complex contemporary design scenarios and diverse demands. On this basis, it introduces the Desiring Production theory of Deleuze and Guattari, reinterprets desire as a more productive and relational life power than need, and explores the feasible path for the ethical intervention of …


From Co-Design To Co-Execution: A Knowledge Map Of Real-Time User Participation In Service Settings (2008-2024), Yue Cao, Yihan Zhao Jun 2026

From Co-Design To Co-Execution: A Knowledge Map Of Real-Time User Participation In Service Settings (2008-2024), Yue Cao, Yihan Zhao

DRS Biennial Conference Series

This bibliometric study analyzes 236 articles from Web of Science (2008-2024) to map the intellectual structure of real-time user participation in service encounters (RUP-SE). The field has transitioned from exploration (2008-2013) to maturity, with post-2020 publications averaging 29.5 annually. Three core research clusters emerge: real-time co-creation and participation, digitally-driven service innovation, and value creation-destruction dynamics. Theoretically grounded in service-dominant logic and value co-creation frameworks, the field addresses how technological advancement and COVID-19 have accelerated the shift from co-design to co-execution. However, platform architectures introduce governance logics that render co-execution inherently asymmetrical, and value co-destruction in algorithmic contexts may be structurally …


Fine Observation And Material Care: An Interactionist Approach To Design Aesthetics, Washington Morales-Maciel Jun 2026

Fine Observation And Material Care: An Interactionist Approach To Design Aesthetics, Washington Morales-Maciel

DRS Biennial Conference Series

This paper argues that the question “How does the awareness of material sustainability change perceptions of aesthetics?” requires an interactionist framework from philosophical aesthetics, against both eliminativist and formalist models. Without treating materials as morally valuable entities, there is no room to integrate the ethical dimension into aesthetic evaluation. However, the question can be inverted, since aesthetic perceptions also contribute to how we ethically treat materials. Central to the argument is the claim that aesthetic properties, by virtue of their affective character, are partly constitutive of the moral dimension of visual representations, not mere embellishments but active elements in shaping …


A Systemic Design Approach To Supporting Children With Different Language Parents, Mitte Van Boxem, Maud Gruyters Jun 2026

A Systemic Design Approach To Supporting Children With Different Language Parents, Mitte Van Boxem, Maud Gruyters

DRS Biennial Conference Series

This paper describes a master’s thesis process in which systemic design was used to explore how children with a different home language than the national language can be supported. Using a systemic approach, this research maps the complex network surrounding these families and identifies key leverage points: valuing the home language, reducing pressure on the child, and strengthening family integration. Through interviews, cultural probes, and co-creation with professionals, insights were translated into a low-threshold product-service system (PSS) embedded in the children’s living environment. The PSS encourages family interaction and neighbourhood engagement through playful exploration. The findings underscore the potential of …


Balancing Aesthetics And Protection: How Digital Artists Navigate Structural Inequities Through Aesthetic Watermarking, Runqi Fang, Changjuan Ran, Shenglan Cui, Xiangyu Meng, Biyao Li, Fang Liu Jun 2026

Balancing Aesthetics And Protection: How Digital Artists Navigate Structural Inequities Through Aesthetic Watermarking, Runqi Fang, Changjuan Ran, Shenglan Cui, Xiangyu Meng, Biyao Li, Fang Liu

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Online presentations of digital art place artists in an ongoing trade-off between gaining exposure and protecting copyright, one that current platforms inadequately support. As a result, artists often rely on aesthetic watermarks, yet how they manage this balance remains underexplored. In this study, we conducted a co-creation workshop with 18 digital artists and examined how they design aesthetic watermarks in practice. Analysis reveals three key concerns shaping their decisions: aesthetic integrity, semantic fidelity, and protective functionality. Participants struggled to manage the tension between protection and artistic completeness, while also expressing growing concerns about the security of their work, facing rapid …


Historical Materials As Materials For Design, India Anderson, Skye Doherty, Ben Matthews Jun 2026

Historical Materials As Materials For Design, India Anderson, Skye Doherty, Ben Matthews

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Historical materials can support generative design work, however a tendency to focus on new and emerging technologies as design material mean the creative qualities of the past are underappreciated. This paper presents findings from four workshops that explore material and immaterial forms of history to better understand how the past might serve as material for design. Our findings illustrate how different material forms afford or limit relational connections to the present design context; that design references can hinder transformational experiences in practice; and how archival gaps and personal memory can also serve as design material. Our analysis underscores the need …


Co-Designing Co-Design Workshops With Adhd Adults, Patrick Brundell, Emily Thorn, Teresa Castle-Green, Paul Tennent, Juan Martinez Avila, Sachiyo Ito-Jaeger Jun 2026

Co-Designing Co-Design Workshops With Adhd Adults, Patrick Brundell, Emily Thorn, Teresa Castle-Green, Paul Tennent, Juan Martinez Avila, Sachiyo Ito-Jaeger

DRS Biennial Conference Series

The increased recognition that minoritised people should play a more significant role in the research and design of technologies aimed at them is welcomed. Though Interaction design research has begun to address the needs of neurodivergent people, the epistemic framing of the research aims, and practical co-construction of technologies are still infrequently from a lived-experience perspective. This work sought to address some of these concerns through a series of interaction co-design workshops with ADHD adults framed as technological design for wellbeing. This paper reflects on our adaptive use of Soma and Co-design workshop methodologies to account for and speak to …


Keeping It Real With Responsible Futuring: Reflecting On The Epistemic And Political Ambition Of A Transdisciplinary Approach For Societal Transitions, Cristina Zaga, Julieta Matos Castaño, Mascha Van Der Voort Jun 2026

Keeping It Real With Responsible Futuring: Reflecting On The Epistemic And Political Ambition Of A Transdisciplinary Approach For Societal Transitions, Cristina Zaga, Julieta Matos Castaño, Mascha Van Der Voort

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Amidst the upheaval of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the threat of the Sixth Extinction, designers focus on approaches that help communities connect and imagine alternative, desirable futures. Transdisciplinary approaches promise more sustainable and just transitions by valuing and integrating diverse forms of knowledge to co-shape more equitable design interventions. However, these ambitions often fall short. Transdisciplinary practices may be reduced to justice-washing or corporate co-optation, frequently failing to achieve epistemic and social justice. This paper introduces Responsible Futuring, a transdisciplinary design-led approach that enables communities to actively shape their future trajectories, embracing collaboration and diverse perspectives as catalysts for …


Co-Speculating Future Design Research Opportunities In Community Sharing With Local Sharing Communities, Haili Wu, Bettina Nissen, Susan Lechelt Jun 2026

Co-Speculating Future Design Research Opportunities In Community Sharing With Local Sharing Communities, Haili Wu, Bettina Nissen, Susan Lechelt

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Sharing communities challenge traditional models of ownership by allowing their members to temporarily access resources such as DIY tools, workshop spaces, and musical instruments. Although designers and design researchers have previously involved sharing communities in design, there are additional opportunities to engage sharing communities in speculating about their possible futures. This study invited 13 participants from various local sharing communities in Scotland to collaboratively speculate on how developments in technology, infrastructure, the economy, politics, and social and cultural aspects might influence their community sharing practices in the long term. By examining their future scenarios, we gain insight into the possible …


From Waste To Opportunity, Upcycling Innovation In The South African Context: The Case Of Clothes To Good, Jennifer Murray, Lindsey Carey, Desiree Smal, Adelaide Sheik Jun 2026

From Waste To Opportunity, Upcycling Innovation In The South African Context: The Case Of Clothes To Good, Jennifer Murray, Lindsey Carey, Desiree Smal, Adelaide Sheik

DRS Biennial Conference Series

South Africa is a country which is facing significant textile waste problem. High volumes of second-hand products are entering the marketplace and represent an opportunity to SMEs and micro-businesses. Clothes to Good (CTG), a South African charitable organisation, are working to offset this challenge by creating upcycling programmes which repurpose these products through micro-business models designed to empower mothers of neurodivergent children. Neurodiversity is rising in South Africa and sensory stimuli products are an opportunity to repurpose second-hand clothing to products to support these consumers. This research represents the pilot study of a larger project investigating micro-business programmes creating weighted …


From Discontent To Touchpoints: Analysing Art Festival Experience Design Through Participants’ Critical Feedback On Social Media, Wanchun Ye, Kin Wai Michael Siu, Yijia Jiang, Izzy Yi Jian Jun 2026

From Discontent To Touchpoints: Analysing Art Festival Experience Design Through Participants’ Critical Feedback On Social Media, Wanchun Ye, Kin Wai Michael Siu, Yijia Jiang, Izzy Yi Jian

DRS Biennial Conference Series

This study examines critical feedback shared by arts festival participants on social media. These posts, as a unique form of reflective user experience data, can spark dialogue and spread widely, helping to identify potential needs and key service touchpoints in the design of cultural and creative activities. Using purposive sampling, 104 relevant posts were collected and analysed thematically based on Buchanan’s four orders of design as a framework. The findings indicate that participant discontent stems from overlapping conflicts across different design orders, characterised by a lack of authenticity, value conflicts, and service limitations. Furthermore, the study emphasises the pivotal mediating …


Research On Integrated Immersive Interaction Design For Revolutionary History Museums: A Case Study Of The Hongyan Revolutionary Memorial Museum, Peng Lou, Yilin Wang, Xinyue Ru, Zhengyan Fan Jun 2026

Research On Integrated Immersive Interaction Design For Revolutionary History Museums: A Case Study Of The Hongyan Revolutionary Memorial Museum, Peng Lou, Yilin Wang, Xinyue Ru, Zhengyan Fan

DRS Biennial Conference Series

As digital interactive technologies evolve, visitors have higher expectations for narrative experiences in revolutionary history museums. This study uses the three stages of flow theory—conditions, experience, and effects—as a starting point, integrating user experience design with narrative communication theory. A mixed research approach is employed to explore how digital interaction design can trigger user flow states and enhance immersion. By transforming passive observation into actively engaging flow experiences, we focus on three dimensions: the operability of hardware interaction, the guidance of software interfaces, and the immersion of content narratives. An integrated immersive interaction design model, termed “Three-Dimensional - Four-Stage,” is …


Designing Inclusive Virtual Reality Experiences For Older Adults: Enhancing Digital Engagement And Challenging Digital Ageism, Lian Pan, Xiao Wei, Yuanyuan Yin Jun 2026

Designing Inclusive Virtual Reality Experiences For Older Adults: Enhancing Digital Engagement And Challenging Digital Ageism, Lian Pan, Xiao Wei, Yuanyuan Yin

DRS Biennial Conference Series

As global population ageing accelerates, virtual reality (VR) offers new opportunities to enhance older adults’ wellbeing, cultural participation, and social connection. Existing VR research concerning older adults has predominantly concentrated on medical or clinical applications. In contrast, this study investigates the potential affordances of VR for this population within cultural and entertainment domains. Through Participatory Design workshops with ten adults aged 60+ in UK, this study explores older adults’ user experience with VR and proposes recommendations for age-inclusive VR design. Results show that complex multi-step operations, dual-hand coordination, and complex menu structures create high cognitive load and reduce user confidence. …


Plant Biographies: Expanding More-Than-Human Modes Of Relating, Keili Koppel, Larissa Pschetz, Michelle Bastian, Antje Ahrends Jun 2026

Plant Biographies: Expanding More-Than-Human Modes Of Relating, Keili Koppel, Larissa Pschetz, Michelle Bastian, Antje Ahrends

DRS Biennial Conference Series

The term “plant awareness disparity” describes a tendency to overlook plants in the environment leading us to underestimate their significance in ecological systems. In this paper, we explore plant biographies as a participatory narrative method that aims to leverage new modes of relating to plants. The method consists of introducing people to the history of seasonal changes experienced by the plant, inviting them to locate and attune to its present condition, and finally writing a short biography about the plant. The interaction was tested with visitors of a botanic garden, who were invited to engage with two individual Rhododendron plants, …


The Role Of Participatory Architecture In Urban Transition, Mirian Calvo, Carmen Fabregat-Nodar Jun 2026

The Role Of Participatory Architecture In Urban Transition, Mirian Calvo, Carmen Fabregat-Nodar

DRS Biennial Conference Series

In response to escalating socio-environmental challenges, transformative approaches in architectural design are crucial for facilitating urban transitions. Conventional adaptation strategies, prioritising density and digital integration, often fail to address the multifaceted crises facing modern urban contexts. Participatory architecture offers a shift towards socially engaged practices, fostering innovation and sustainable adaptation by creating spaces of disruption. This study evaluates projects in Colombia, Spain, Senegal, and the UK using our tailored/expanded deep adaptation framework through four components— resilience, relinquishment, restoration, and reconciliation. Our findings reveal that participatory architecture can enable communities to transform vulnerabilities into actionable interventions for sustainable development and transitions. …


Attuned Design Practice: Embodied Knowledge As A Design Vocabulary At The Intersection Of Artistic And Scientific Inquiry., Anne Marleen Olthof, Jouke Verlinden, Somaya Ben Allouch Jun 2026

Attuned Design Practice: Embodied Knowledge As A Design Vocabulary At The Intersection Of Artistic And Scientific Inquiry., Anne Marleen Olthof, Jouke Verlinden, Somaya Ben Allouch

DRS Biennial Conference Series

This article introduces Attuned Design Practice (ADP) as an umbrella term for studying embodied knowledge at the intersection of artistic and scientific inquiry. It addresses an epistemological gap across design and human–computer interaction, dance and somatics, and disability studies. Building on an existing framework of embodied knowing, we examine domain-specific traditions and expose the threshold between these knowledge domains. We propose Open Rehearsals as experimental settings for co-performance among human and non-human actors. Within this context, attunement is introduced as a performative materiality that enables relational, situated, and operational forms of understanding across disciplines. An eighteen-month field study in design, …


Care-Ful Sensemaking: Co-Mapping Lived Experiences And Biases In Hormonal Self-Management Tools, Roberta Antognini, Francesca Toso, Cristina Zaga, Mascha Van Der Voort Jun 2026

Care-Ful Sensemaking: Co-Mapping Lived Experiences And Biases In Hormonal Self-Management Tools, Roberta Antognini, Francesca Toso, Cristina Zaga, Mascha Van Der Voort

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Self-management technologies help patients manage their health and improve autonomy by tracking biomedical data. For people with hormonal chronic conditions, these tools clarify complex, fluctuating symptoms. These technologies often rely on clinical data, overlooking the complexity and context of lived experiences, risking continued healthcare bias. This paper explores the lived experiences of people with chronic hormonal illness through a feminist ethics of care perspective. In collaborative sensemaking workshops, we unveiled how social and political contexts shape these experiences, the implicit politics of what data is valued (and what is not), and the socio-technical framing of self-management tools. Examining the intersections …


From Mindset To Measurement: Developing Scales For Inclusive And Reflective Design Practice, Akrimar Tongkaew, Carina Lomberg, Dagný Valgeirsdóttir, Maria Funk Jun 2026

From Mindset To Measurement: Developing Scales For Inclusive And Reflective Design Practice, Akrimar Tongkaew, Carina Lomberg, Dagný Valgeirsdóttir, Maria Funk

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Design practitioners and educators play an important role in advancing inclusive societies. However, the impact of educational initiatives aimed at cultivating inclusive thinking and behaviour among designers remains underexamined. We address this gap by reporting phase 1 of a scale-development study to measure inclusive mindset, knowledge, and behaviour in design and engineering education. Building on the Inclusive Mindset Model, the study operationalises inclusivity into three scales and presents the initial item pool developed through item generation and content validation. Following established scale-development procedures, items were refined through feedback from six expert judges and eight engineering students, resulting in an initial …


Enhancing Social Connections Through Co-Illustration Workshops Among Solo-Living Young Adults, Jueshuang Wang, Emma Rose, Mirian Calvo Jun 2026

Enhancing Social Connections Through Co-Illustration Workshops Among Solo-Living Young Adults, Jueshuang Wang, Emma Rose, Mirian Calvo

DRS Biennial Conference Series

The rising prevalence of social loneliness among solo-living young adults indicates an urgent need for support. However, research addressing this issue, especially in Asia, is limited. This study aims to bridge this gap by introducing co-illustration workshops as a novel method to enhance social connections and wellbeing in this demographic. Employing a participatory action research (PAR) methodology, the study engages participants in five iterative co-design cycles to enhance social connections. The findings suggest that temporary co-illustration workshops serve as a conduit for conversation and facilitate the formation of high-quality weak ties, thereby alleviating social loneliness. This paper provides guidance and …


Menopause Technologies Beyond Ableism And Normativity, Omleila Mohammadi, Sabine Thayer, Bernhard Maurer, Verena Fuchsberger Jun 2026

Menopause Technologies Beyond Ableism And Normativity, Omleila Mohammadi, Sabine Thayer, Bernhard Maurer, Verena Fuchsberger

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Many technologies are available that address menopause, yet more or less exclusively reflect and reinforce dominant narratives of ableism and normativity. To uncover untold stories of the menopause journey and add perspective to the pluralistic menopause experience, we conducted two workshop sessions with cis women and gender-diverse individuals who have experienced menopause. Through feminist and reflexive methodology and using critical disability studies (CDS) as an analytical lens, we present how menopause experiences are shaped through bodily transformations and relational social practices. Finally, we discuss possible future design directions for shaping the menopause experience beyond its conventional notion. We call for …


Positioning Wearable Design: Research-Practice Gaps And A Practice-Informed Model, Jialu Hou, Rowan Page, Chuan Khoo Jun 2026

Positioning Wearable Design: Research-Practice Gaps And A Practice-Informed Model, Jialu Hou, Rowan Page, Chuan Khoo

DRS Biennial Conference Series

With the emergence of technologies like Artificial Intelligence, wearable design is gathering renewed interest. Although design has an obvious role to play in developing wearables for user acceptance, the understanding of the role of design in wearables is fragmented and poorly understood. Through a scoping review, we highlight the fragmentation of the wearable research field and the lack of design-led approaches to developing wearable devices. To augment this lack of design literature, we analyze six design cases. The result reveals a key tension: wearable practice is rapidly expanding into interdisciplinary, speculative domains, blurring evaluative boundaries. To bridge this gap, we …


Psychological Responses To Green-Wall Layouts In Office Environments: A Virtual-Environment Study, Hengji Wang, Wengbo Li, Yihe Li, Yang Liu Jun 2026

Psychological Responses To Green-Wall Layouts In Office Environments: A Virtual-Environment Study, Hengji Wang, Wengbo Li, Yihe Li, Yang Liu

DRS Biennial Conference Series

As office practices improve, green walls are increasingly deployed to ease work stress; however, research on whether their overall geometry yields differential individual effects remains limited.In this study, virtual reality was used to construct four office scenarios: curvilinear green wall (CGW), linear green wall (LGW), polyline green wall (PGW), and no green wall (NGW). Restorative effects after stress induction with the MAST were evaluated using two subjective scales, the fatigue scale and the restorative outcome scale. Results showed that all three green-wall forms significantly promoted post-stress psychological recovery at the subjective level. Further comparisons indicated that CGW produced the strongest …


From Compliance Adoption To Co-Design: An Exploratory Study Of Older Adults’ Engagement With Technology, Lay Xuan Estherine Goh, Cees De Bont Jun 2026

From Compliance Adoption To Co-Design: An Exploratory Study Of Older Adults’ Engagement With Technology, Lay Xuan Estherine Goh, Cees De Bont

DRS Biennial Conference Series

The growing presence of digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI) offers new opportunities for older adults, yet raises concerns around the digital divide, trust, and social inclusion. This exploratory study examines how older adults perceive and engage with technology through a community-based approach. Data were collected from 106 participants using a mixed-methods design that combined the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to assess adoption factors with narrative storytelling to capture contextual experiences. By centring participants’ voices, the study identifies emotional, social, and contextual factors shaping technology engagement. Findings highlight the importance of relational trust, social learning networks, perceived ease of use, …


Consumer-Facing Technologies In Stores: A Longitudinal Study Of Their Impact On Customer Experience, Anthony Kent, Bethan Alexander Jun 2026

Consumer-Facing Technologies In Stores: A Longitudinal Study Of Their Impact On Customer Experience, Anthony Kent, Bethan Alexander

DRS Biennial Conference Series

This paper presents a longitudinal study of instore shopping technologies (ISTs) and their contribution to the phygital fashion store. It builds on studies of store design in an omnichannel environment and the use of ISTs for distinctive customer experiences (CX). The aim is to understand changes in fashion retailing brought about by ISTs and the extent to which they influence CX in the customer journey. The research was undertaken in three stages, in 2014, 2019 and 2024 in three of London’s West End shopping streets. The Methodology was replicated in each stage, using observations of store interiors and in-depth, qualitative …


Perception-Based Design: An Approach For Engineering Sustainable Biobased Materials, Manu Thundathil, Ali Reza Nazmi, Bahareh Shahri, Nick Emerson, Jörg Müssig, Tim Huber Jun 2026

Perception-Based Design: An Approach For Engineering Sustainable Biobased Materials, Manu Thundathil, Ali Reza Nazmi, Bahareh Shahri, Nick Emerson, Jörg Müssig, Tim Huber

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Biobased composites, which are sustainable materials ideally poised to replace fossil-based raw materials, paradoxically are struggling to gain market acceptance. This underperformance is attributed to poor demand and acceptance of biobased composites, driven by technical and perceptual challenges. However, most research on biobased composites focuses on addressing technical challenges and fails to incorporate perceptual qualities into the material development process. By understanding the role of material characteristics (colour, patterns, texture, roughness) in shaping these qualities, we propose that novel biobased composites could be developed to meet specific consumer product needs. A prediction model for generating the desired material perception could …


Telling Stories, Making Hanzi: Ai-Assisted Co-Creation With Elderly Migrants In Urban China, Yunfei Chen, Wen Zhan, Peiyue Lin, Ziqun Hua, Ying Hu Jun 2026

Telling Stories, Making Hanzi: Ai-Assisted Co-Creation With Elderly Migrants In Urban China, Yunfei Chen, Wen Zhan, Peiyue Lin, Ziqun Hua, Ying Hu

DRS Biennial Conference Series

This paper explores how older migrants in urban China can record stories that everyday language and design often miss. We ran two co-creation workshops with 10 elders. Activities combined oral storytelling, facilitator-mediated AI assistance, and hand making. Large language models proposed candidate glyphs through a facilitator. Participants crafted new Hanzi to hold their stories. The resulting characters served as memory anchors for later sharing and retelling. Our interpretive analysis shows heterogeneity and adaptive capacity among participants. Participants experienced AI as a creative initiator that lowered barriers to expression and making, especially for those with lower digital literacy. The work challenges …