Engaging with Information in Design
This research focuses on the intersection of creativity and information technology during the early stages of the design process. Specifically, to investigate and gain a better understanding of the changing landscape of design, including the role of crowdfunding platforms, data-mining, and global collaborations on how decisions regarding innovation are made in current design practice.
Since design is considered an "information-centric" enterprise, the research also explores the information flow throughout the design process and investigates the impact of the increasing volume, velocity, and variety of information available in today's design environment.
Crowdfunding also allows designers to bypass the traditional business pitch to potential investors, and instead, allows designers to focus on appealing to online audiences that serve as both stakeholder and consumer. In addition, the incremental completion of design projects due to open channels of communication between designer and customer has the potential to significantly shape the design profession, and the research explores this changing paradigm.
Contact: Christine Toh
Designing Relationships of Trust Between Humans and Home Automation
This project explores the unique relationship between end-users and their home automation ecosystems, how users perceive automated agents, and interact with increasingly interconnected networks of smart devices. The potential of smart home devices for improving the comfort, energy efficiency, and security of its residents has been noted by researchers and early adopters of these technologies.
Despite these advantages and advances in home automation technology, their adoption has not been as widespread as anticipated by experts. Existing research has shown that the lack of trust in-home devices is a significant deterrent to widespread adoption. This research project investigates the link between factors such as perceived automation gender and location of use on various facets of trust between humans and machines.
Contact: Christine Toh