Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Kawaii As Interface Grammar: Reframing Emotional Design In Post-Usability Cultures, Haopeng Wu, Mia Tanio, Wonseok Yang

IASDR Conference Series

In the context of post-usability cultures, where users increasingly seek emotional resonance over mere functionality, this study explores the potential of kawaii as a communicative grammar in interface icon design. Adopting a three-phase methodology— (1) UI audit of 31 mobile applications, (2) metaphor extraction across 101 apps to identify dominant icon types, and (3) an evaluation experiment involving 21 participants rating 12 heart-shaped icon stimuli—this research investigates how subtle visual modifications along three design axes (stroke thickness, curvature and fullness, spatial balance) influence users’ kawaii perception. Statistical analysis (ANOVA) revealed that moderately thick, rounded, and slightly imbalanced forms tend to …

Designing Co-Creation Tools For Interdisciplinary Design Thinking Education, Sooyeon Leem, Hyelin Ko

IASDR Conference Series

Interdisciplinary design thinking education often faces challenges in communication, problem framing, and team alignment, especially under flipped-classroom models. This paper introduces DThinkLab, a structured visual collaboration tool designed to support grounding, clarification, and reflection in team- based design thinking projects. Drawing from prior research and user interviews, the tool integrates step-based templates, role-based contributions, and AI-driven prompts to scaffold reasoning and mutual understanding. A planned pilot in university-level courses will test its effectiveness in addressing communication gaps and supporting educator facilitation.

Semantic Sonification Of Visual Art: Translating Contextual Information Into Structured Musical Layers For Multisensory Exhibition Experiences, Chunjing Xin, Juan Carlos Chacon Quintero, Hisa Maria Martinez Nimi

IASDR Conference Series

This research explores the potential of semantic sonification as a method to enhance the interpretation of abstract visual art in exhibition contexts. By translating contextual elements—such as historical background, artistic intent, and socio-political context—into structured musical layers, the study investigates whether system-generated music can support meaning-making and emotional engagement among viewers. A custom interactive system was developed to capture visual artworks, analyze their semantic attributes using AI, and generate short musical pieces that evolve in complexity based on user interaction. The study contributes to the field of multisensory exhibition design by proposing a sonification-based approach to enhance art accessibility and …

Circu.Ai: Accelerating Circular Product Design And Material Decision-Making, Ya-Han Li, Yu-Hsuan Wu, Chia-Chen Hu

IASDR Conference Series

Amid global sustainability trends and regulatory pressures, designers require more efficient and credible tools for circular material selection in early-stage product development. Current data sources are fragmented and lack transparency, impeding contextual recommendations and appearance evaluations, which creates a critical bottleneck in implementing circular design. To address this pain point, this study proposes a material selection support prototype that integrates generative AI recommendations with visual simulation. Adopting a three-phase Research-Through-Design (RTD) methodology, we have completed Phase 1. A core functional prototype was developed for preliminary concept validation at an international trade show, where we collected valuable feedback from designers and …

Companion Practice In Between Dogs And Owners; Co-Designing Urine Marking In Urban Space, Oh Hirano, Hinako Makita, Nanako Okusa, Hiroya Tanaka

IASDR Conference Series

Dog marking behavior in urban spaces is problematized as a factor causing corrosion of public property and soil damage. Conventionally, various solutions have been considered for this problem, including the application of repellents and water-flushable toilets for dogs, but all have remained human- centered approaches, consequently reducing dogs' place in urban space. Through four phases of prototyping, this study developed the "Dog-Pee Spot" a product that attracts and aggregates dog marking behavior. The prototyping process revealed complex dog agency where social behavioral patterns of dogs in outdoor spaces intersect with becoming-with owners connected through leashes. Furthermore, in Co-Design practice that …

Analysing Visitor Behaviour In Interactive Immersive Art Experiences And Exploring Their Potential In Art And Design History Education, Srutinwita Roy, Saurabh Tewari, Rana Shinde

IASDR Conference Series

This paper presents a first-hand account of an immersive, interactive exhibition of Leonardo da Vinci’s works. Unlike traditional museum visits, this exhibit featured touch-sensitive walls and multi-sensory engagement, making it highly interactive and captivating. Alongside Da Vinci’s artworks, his design prototypes were displayed, offering a comprehensive view of his creativity. Visitors across age groups engaged enthusiastically, with children and young adults particularly drawn to the dynamic presentation. The author uses participatory observation method to study visitor behaviour, focusing on interactions, engagement, and interest levels. Findings suggest that such formats can serve as powerful pedagogical tools in Art and Design history …

Innovating The Electoral Experience: A Public Service Design Study Of Taiwan's Electoral System, Mu-En Lin, Li-Ning Huang, Chih-Lu Lin, Junyu Chen, Nai-Wen Fan, Shu-Ting Ai, Chi-Yi Chang

IASDR Conference Series

This study adopts a public service design perspective to address the lack of professional design involvement in Taiwan’s election system. Within the constraints of existing laws and administrative procedures, the research proposes feasible, immediately applicable optimization strategies. Through cross-sector collaboration with the Central Election Commission, the study focuses on key voter-facing elements—such as election bulletins, polling station signage, and voting booths—introducing standardized, templated, and modular designs to resolve systemic issues like visual clutter and operational inefficiency. Using methods including user journey analysis, institutional research, and prototype testing, the project combines SOP guidelines and digital tools to improve information clarity and …

Research On The Immersive Experience Design Of Intangible Cultural Heritage Dance Based On Body Schema Theory, Wensi Dai, Yan Shuo

IASDR Conference Series

This study explores immersive experience design for Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) dance based on Body Schema Theory. By analyzing the triadic elements of body schema— corporeal subject, active space, and bodily imagery—we establish a theoretical framework for enhancing ICH dance transmission through digital immersion. Three design methodologies are proposed: coexistence of real-virtual dance bodies, construction of body- field interactive dance spaces, and reconstruction of inner cultural order. These approaches address challenges of homogenized symbol interpretation and low audience engagement by integrating multisensory feedback, physiological signal mapping, and culturally embedded narrative interaction. Case studies demonstrate how bodily perception and spatial dynamics …

Investigating The Application Potential Of Smart Wearable Technology In Craft Practical Instruction, Tzu-Hsu Chiu, Chen-Kuei Fan

IASDR Conference Series

Practical teaching, widely used in vocational education, faces challenges such as blocked views for rear students and reversed perspectives causing misunderstandings. With technological progress, smart glasses offer new possibilities for teaching. This study explored the potential of integrating smart glasses into craft practical teaching, focusing on jewelry and pottery. Conducted in two stages, it involved classroom observations and interviews, followed by teaching experiments evaluated via student questionnaires and teacher interviews. Findings revealed issues like obstructed views and reversed angles. Results showed that: 1. smart glasses’ first-person projections improved visibility; 2. recorded videos supported student review. However, teachers and students noted …

Avian Experience In Urban Grotto: Ecological Soundscapes As A Biosemiotic Methodology In Multispecies Ethnographic Research And More-Than-Human Communication, Qingyu Zhang, Francesca Valsecchi

IASDR Conference Series

Ecological soundscapes, once primarily regarded as carriers of environmental information, are increasingly understood as immersive, embodied experiences that offer experiential and ontological access to more-than-human worlds. Situated within the framework of more-than-human design, this research challenges anthropocentric paradigms by foregrounding ecological soundscapes as dynamic, sentient agencies that convey environmental meaning and social structures among non-human species. Through field-based, autoethnographic inquiry on crow vocal is ation in Vienna, the project 1) articulates a hybrid methodological approach combining deep listening, soundscape walks, and bio acoustic analysis; and 2) establishes a sonification process that translates the data from the multispecies ethnographic research into …

The Choreography Of Sympoiesis: A Speculative Design To Reshape Modern Equestrian Concepts, Heyu Shao

IASDR Conference Series

This study explores the interactive relationship between humans and horses in equestrian practice, proposing that through long-term coexistence and riding, humans are not only tamers but are also shaped by horses. Using speculative design, the author created two new equestrian devices—the “Sym- Bridle” and the “WaveSync Saddle”—to visualize and amplify the subtle flows of force and sensory feedback between rider and horse. These works challenge the notion of one-way control, reframing riding as a process of mutual adjustment and embodied dialogue. Building on this, the author introduces the post-human figure “Equiarch”, imagining the bodily, behavioral, and cognitive transformations emerging from …

Ar-Based Community Public Art Design: A Public Participation Perspective, Zane Liu, Tuotuo Yang, Xiaon Ma

IASDR Conference Series

This study investigates the integration of Augmented Reality (AR) into community public art, focusing on both public participation experience and outcomes. A model based on Intrinsic Motivation (IM), Participation Efficacy (PE), and Positive Group Affect (PGA) is tested via SEM to identify key factors influencing engagement and inform design strategies. Hands-on community workshops validate the model’s applicability, while an AHP–TOPSIS framework evaluates and ranks three co-created design proposals. The research provides a public-centered, media-adaptive approach for supporting and enhancing public participation in community art.

Using Midjourney For Ultra-Personalization Of Workwear With Multiple Self-Expressions – Exploring Opportunities And Risks, Svetlana Mironcika, Joep Frens, Kristina Andersen, Stephan Wensveen

IASDR Conference Series

Many wearable products are mass-personalized based on user data and produced through digital fabrication. This approach is known as ultra-personalization. Earlier work on ultra-personalization rarely discusses the perceived opportunities and risks associated with the practice or tools that allow future users to engage in the design process. This project explores the use of Midjourney (generative AI tool) in ultra-personalization for style and the design of garments that embody multiple self- expressions in the context of workwear. Study participants (five future wearers, two fashion designers, a lab manager, and a digital fabrication specialist) iteratively designed workwear with the help of Midjourney. …

A Study On Design Expression Methods Of The Traditional Japanese Aesthetic Concept "Sabi", Sugimoto Yoshitaka, Tanaka Saki, Tanaka Kanai, Iioka Yukiko

IASDR Conference Series

The purpose of this study is to derive effective design methods for expressing “Sabi,” one of the traditional aesthetic principles of Japan, within the context of contemporary industrial product design, including both appearance and user interface (UI). To achieve this goal, the study extracted 277 visual characteristics representing “Sabi” from traditional Japanese tea utensils. These characteristics were then systematically compared with 392 statements and behavioral records of the artisans who created the utensils, in order to infer their aesthetic intentions. As a result, five core expression features— “miniaturized,” “linear,” “technical,” “delicate,” and “vivid”—were identified. Furthermore, 14 concrete design techniques for …

Holiday Concert (December 2, 2025), Lindenwood University

Student Music Performance Programs

Event program for the Holiday Concert (December 2, 2025), Lindenwood University.

Advent Season And God’S Unchanging Purposes, Isaias D'Oleo-Ochoa

CTS Student Publications and Creative Works

Christian Advent, or Adventus, is the four-week period before Christmas in the Christian liturgical year. Each week encompasses one of the following themes: hope, peace, joy, and love. The Advent season serves as a remembrance of Christ’s incarnation, inviting us to reflect on God’s promises of liberation and salvation. I find a powerful connection between Advent and God’s unchanging purposes since the Advent season is not only about remembrance but also about expectation. We expect Christ’s return. Considering this, I see Advent as a great time to meditate on God’s purposes, which help us prepare our hearts for Christ.

The Misunderstood Election Of 1876 And Colorado's Rocky Quest For Statehood, Maxwell D. Rotbart

History Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity

On December 8, 1873, Representative Jerome B. Chaffee, the non-voting delegate of the Colorado Territory, submitted a proposal in the House of Representatives to make Colorado the 38th state in the Union. What should have been a routine matter — Colorado had the sizable population and economic stability necessary to achieve statehood — dragged on for more than three years. At stake was the outcome of the 1876 presidential election, in which Colorado’s electoral votes had the potential to — and ultimately did — decide which party would control the Executive Branch into the 1880s.

When historians consider the factors …

Consumers, Protectors, And Organizers: Women’S Anticommunism In The Post-World War Ii United States, Hannah Panicci

Honors Program Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Liturgia Queer Para Afrontar La Situación De Forma Activa: Oraciones Judías Para Tratamientos Y Pruebas Médicas Lgbtiq+, Elazar Ben-Lulu Dr

Conexión Queer: Revista Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Teologías Queer

In recent years, medicine has moved toward greater inclusivity of the LGBTIQ+ community, ushering in an era focused on health needs linked to diverse identities. This qualitative study analyzes six contemporary Jewish prayers that address LGBTIQ+ concerns, such as support for medical care and treatments related to sexual and gender identities, including hiv/aids. Often written by LGBTIQ+ rabbis, these liturgies introduce new conceptions of body, gender, sexuality, and divinity. They express reverence for creation, trust in medicine, and respect for the body’s capacity for transformation, articulating queer Jewish liturgy as active coping.

¡El Cielo Es Una Habitación Llena De Mujeres Gordas Riendo!, Lisa Isherwood

Conexión Queer: Revista Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Teologías Queer

This article examines a pervasive yet often overlooked form of abuse against women: the lifelong regulation of bodily size and shape. While acknowledging the horrific rise in domestic physical violence during the United Kingdom’s lockdown, the focus shifts to the normalized pressures of patriarchal control that women internalize from an early age. Such control disguises itself as concern or benefit, yet inflicts profound personal and spiritual harm. Approaching the issue from a Western perspective, the article argues that, within an incarnational faith, the disciplined body becomes the very site of resistance where transformative divine power is located in human experience.

El Corazón Al Descubierto: Reflexiones Sobre Levítico 18.22, Renato Lings

Conexión Queer: Revista Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Teologías Queer

The article explores the hermeneutical paradoxes of the book of Leviticus through the personal experience of Rabbi Steven Greenberg, whose encounter with Leviticus 18.22 transformed his relationship with the Torah and his own identity. Through rigorous textual analysis, the article questions traditional cis-heterosexist interpretations and examines the semantic complexity of the expression mishkebey ishshah [a wife’s bed]. The study shows how Leviticus—far from being a monolithic code—contains internal tensions, profound ethical elements, and a surprising openness toward neighbors and immigrants, inviting a critical and liberating reading.

La Pasarela De Santiago 2.1-26: Buitres, Muertas Y Otros «Varones De Fe», Roque Javier Cabrera Feliciano

Conexión Queer: Revista Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Teologías Queer

The article proposes a theological-academic and creative-critical reading of James 2.1-26 through the metaphor of a fashion runway, integrating biblical exegesis, socio-historical analysis, and contextual theology. The study addresses the denunciation of favoritism toward the rich and the relationship between faith and works, engaging Paul in critical dialogue without positing doctrinal contradiction. Through a camp aesthetic register, the figures of Abraham and Rahab underscore an embodied faith expressed in concrete practices of justice, hospitality, and mercy. The study advances an explicit critique of capitalism, cis-heteropatriarchy, and the spiritualization of poverty, and proposes a coherent, contextually grounded Christian ethic.

Pensar Desde Los Márgenes: Travesías Teológicas Desde Cuerpos, Fronteras Y Disidencias En La Obra De Hugo Córdova Quero, Anderson Fabián Santos Meza

Conexión Queer: Revista Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Teologías Queer

This essay offers an interpretive reading of Hugo Córdova Quero’s theological work from a third-person perspective, avoiding a laudatory or autobiographical tone. Based on queer and decolonial Trinitarian theology, the text traces a path that articulates biblical hermeneutics, migration studies, popular culture, queer theory, and pastoral praxis. The work is read as a relational and pilgrimage project. In this difference, displacement, and violated bodies do not constitute a theological problem, but rather an epistemic place from which to rethink the sacred, community, and justice.

Between The Calm Lake Waters, Adrian Martinez

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Travesías Y Disidencias: Queerizando/Cuirizando La Hermenéutica Bíblica, Hugo Córdova Quero, Anderson Fabián Santos Meza, Cristian Mor, Jorge A. Aquino Ph.D.

Conexión Queer: Revista Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Teologías Queer

This essay proposes to queer biblical hermeneutics as a critical theological intervention that is not limited to the creative rereading of texts, but questions the epistemic and political conditions that regulate interpretation. From a situated and embodied perspective, it affirms that queer bodies and lives do not constitute a pastoral or doctrinal problem, but rather an epistemological place from which to rethink the sacred, authority, and community. In dialogue with Spanish-speaking ecclesial and academic contexts, the analysis is presented as a rigorous and vital intervention that opens fissures, disrupts consensus, and vindicates hermeneutical plurality as theological power.

Cartografías Del Que(R)Er: Subjetividades En Tránsito Y Creación, Dan González-Ortega

Conexión Queer: Revista Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Teologías Queer

I propose insights into a theology in motion that maps «Wanting» [que(r)er]—love, desire, and the search for a whole life—amid multiple transitions: forced migrations, the climate crisis, queer and digital (epochal) subjectivities. From a territorial and incarnate biblical hermeneutic, I reread Scripture from the perspective of marginalized bodies and territories. I integrate feminist, postcolonial, and posthumanist contributions to think of creation as living territoriality and subjectivity of revelation. Human mobility and the wounded Earth are understood as intertwined cries that challenge the world. I present a potential open spiral of communion, in which all subjectivity—human and more-than-human—is welcomed …

A Burlesque: The Shimmering Body Of Revealing, Lola Montgomery

Staff Scholarship - Australia & Dubai

A Burlesque: The Shimmer Manuscript is a hybrid critical–creative work that examines burlesque as an embodied methodology and a mode of knowledge production. Drawing from my two decades as a performer–scholar, the work reframes glamour, desire, and adornment as epistemological practices rather than theatrical ornamentation. The project is significant in that it expands understandings of performance studies, autotheory, and feminist aesthetics by foregrounding the performer’s body as an intelligent, sensing, world-making apparatus.

The methodology is creative practice research and archive-driven, integrating backstage documentation, AI-assisted photomontage, and theoretical reflection. The work draws from poststructuralist and feminist frameworks (Irigaray, Deleuze & Guattari, …

Emphasis On The External: Deceptive Beauty In Lady Audley’S Secret And The Picture Of Dorian Gray, Arden Cravy

Honors Theses

The novels Lady Audley’s Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon and The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde both present major themes of beauty, authenticity, and morality while maintaining their didacticism. This thesis comes as a surprise due to the beliefs and intentions of the authors, both of whom claim other motivations than the betterment of their readers. The parallels between these narratives ascribe to the fallible Victorian perspectives regarding external appearance and internal motivations. The danger of assumed authenticity becomes apparent in these authors’ works as they grapple with the realities of human nature. Wilde and Braddon each depict …

Second- Generation Korean American Adults’ Parenting Styles: The Role Of Acculturation And Enculturation, Teri Lynn Ku'ulei Kim

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This quantitative survey study explored whether acculturation and enculturation predicted parenting styles among second-generation Korean American adults. The study was guided by Berry’s acculturation theory, Kim’s enculturation theory, and Baumrind’s parenting typology. Two research questions were addressed: (a) whether acculturation level predicted parenting style when controlling for parent age, gender, and number of children, and (b) whether enculturation level predicted parenting style when controlling for the same demographic variables. Emails and flyers were used to recruit participants from various Korean American groups on social media. A total of 146 Korean American parents completed anonymous online questionnaires about acculturation, enculturation, and …

Emmett Deur - Senior Recital, Emmett Deur

Honors Theses

As a culmination of three and a half years of study in the Irving S. Gilmore School of music, I, Emmett Deur, have put together a senior recital, performing a variety of works on the euphonium. My studies have included experiences within some of Western Michigan University’s top ensembles, including the Western Michigan University Wind Symphony, the University Symphony Orchestra, and the Western Brass Quintet’s Brass for the Holidays Ensemble. In addition to these ensemble experiences, my studies included regular one-on-one applied lessons with applied Tuba/Euphonium faculty members. With a year of lessons with former Tuba/Euphonium instructor, Professor Chance Trottman-Huiet, …