3132 research outputs found
Sort by
Using Foresight to Bridge Personal and Community Flourishing
Full text linkThis research project explores the use of personal futures tools to enhance and bridge both individual and collective flourishing. The study employed a literature review, surveys, the development of a personal futures workbook, and piloting of community-oriented workshops to better understand this connection. The study reveals how a structured approach to personal futures and its incorporation into community engagement initiatives may lead to collective transformation
Enhancing Mental Health and Learning Outcomes using Biophilic Design in Post-Secondary Educational Settings
Full text linkBiophilic design is an approach to architecture that seeks to connect building occupants more
closely to nature by incorporating natural elements such as plants, daylight, water features, and organic
forms into built environments. Biophilic design, which integrates elements of nature into architectural
spaces, has gained recognition for its potential to enhance mental well-being and learning outcomes. This
Major Research Project (MRP) investigates the impact of biophilic design elements in educational
environments, focusing on classrooms libraries and study spaces within post-secondary institutions. The
study is inspired by personal experiences with family members who face invisible disabilities, combined
with the rise in mental health challenges during the COVID-19 lockdown, where the absence of
stimulating and natural environments exacerbated issues like anxiety and depression. The study employs
a mixed-methods approach, incorporating case studies, interviews, and prototype testing within an
academic setting. Thematic and statistical analysis will evaluate how biophilic elements such as natural
lighting, greenery, and spatial layouts, influence participants' mental well-being and academic
performance. By understanding the impact of design on users' mental health, this research seeks to
contribute to the growing body of knowledge in inclusive, mental-health-centred architecture. Through the
practical application of these insights, the project offers recommendations for educators, architects, and
policymakers, with the goal of creating more supportive, sustainable learning environments that prioritize
mental well-being and inclusivity
I Have Thought A Lot About This: On the feelings of misfitting and the possibilities of softness
Full text linkI Have Thought A Lot About This is an autoethnographic re-telling of my experiences as a neurodivergent person navigating academic institutions; the grief and the gift of being and doing non-normativity within the (often) hyper-normative structures of academia. Through the language of fitting and misfitting developed by Rosemarie Garland-Thomson alongside Sara Ahmed’s exploration of queer orientations, I follow Judith Butler’s insistence that the thought of a possible life is as crucial as bread for those of us who have never been able to imagine it. These theories are critical companions to the furniture objects designed and fabricated throughout this thesis. The Buddy Desk, Armchair, and Chest Cabinet ultimately offer a response to the guiding question— how can we make the world a softer place
Fostering Financial Literacy in Individuals with Intellectual Disability: A Workbook-based Co-design Study
Full text linkIndividuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) encounter challenges in their everyday life, particularly in managing finances due to the abstract nature of financial knowledge. Navigating financial tasks is a key part of independent living, and developing financial skills can enhance autonomy and agency for individuals with ID. This research used a qualitative approach to explore co-designing with individuals with ID on a visual-based financial literacy workbook that could support them in managing their finances. We conducted fourteen sessions with six individuals with ID across three phases: (1) individual interviews, (2) group co-design sessions, and (3) user testing sessions. The study employs a thematic analysis of transcripts, complemented by narrative and visual analyses of drawings and workbook artifacts. The findings are organized around three themes. Theme 1: Participants prioritized having multiple ways (drawing, writing, or both) to engage with the workbook rather than any specific types of illustration. Theme 2: With the facilitator’s guidance, peer sharing in the group setting, and workbook diagrams and content designed from participants’ feedback, the abstract financial concepts were grounded in more concrete ways. Theme 3: Simulated stories and tracking expenses helped participants to practice financial knowledge. These themes were synthesized into a learning pathway that moves from building an understanding of financial knowledge in the group setting with the facilitator, to practicing it through simulated stories, and finally to applying and reflecting on it in real-life situations. This pathway supported participants in learning and practicing financial literacy. This study presents a practical workbook that can be implemented in future financial literacy programs. This also demonstrates the value of co-designing through drawing as a research method for creating accessible learning material
Multiple Contemporaneities in Peruvian Art as seen through the practices of Dora Panduro Silvano and Claudia Martinez Garay
Full text linkThis major research paper explores contemporary Peruvian art through a decolonial lens to examine how memory and identity are central to histories of colonial oppression and displacement. Drawing on concepts of multiple contemporaneities, creative adaptations, and alternative modernities, I focus on the work of two contemporary Peruvian artists, Dora Panduro Silvano and Claudia Martinez Garay, to explore how each artist embeds in their practice the cultural transmission of memory as distinct sites of resistance and resilience in response to histories of colonialism and state violence. I analyse how the Andean concept of pacha (non-linear space-time) and mestiza identity are central to the hybrid qualities of Claudia Martinez Garay’s artworks, and how Amazonian Indigenous cosmologies are central to Dora Panduro Silvano's artistic practice. The paper concludes with a discussion of how my own positionality as a displaced Indigenous-Peruvian, adopted as a baby and raised in Canada, led to the themes and artists explored in this paper
The Room and The Riddle: Artistic Reflections on Hikikomori and the Question of a Meaningful Life
Full text linkThis research explores the issue of self-isolation in contemporary society, focusing on the cultural phenomenon and figure of the Hikikomori, which first emerged in Japan. As societal structures and global situations continue to evolve —particularly in the wake of the pandemic —self-isolation and social participation demand renewed attention, reexamination, and redefinition beyond the confines of pathological and psychological studies.
Adopting a mixed-methods approach, this research is comprised of three case studies of Hikikomori in different fields of art. The theoretical frameworks are case-specific, integrates visual, content, narrative analysis. Through in-depth research on three selected works: Goodbye Without Leaving (2021), Pull Stay (2024), and 修復のモニュメント (2019), to investigate how Hikikomori is represented across different artistic forms, how its discourse is shaped from diverse viewpoints, and how it intersects with social relationships across varying community scales.
By examining the portrayal and characteristics of the Hikikomori, this research ultimately seeks to answer a question: What does it mean to live a meaningful life in contemporary society as analyzed through Hikikomori art? This study offers a new understanding on self-isolation while also providing insights into the nature of well-being, healthy interpersonal relationships and the pursuit of a fulfilling life from the perspective of being and living with Hikikomori
Radical interfaces
Full text link‘Radical interfaces’ wanders beyond the conventional boundaries of interaction design by rethinking the
utilitarian frameworks that dominate the design industry. It aims to discover the playful and open-ended
spirit of making by combining unconventional web applications, DIY (Do It Yourself) electronics, and
atypical graphic design methods that prioritize experimentation and individuality. It approaches interfaces
as playgrounds rather than tools.
Through five core prototypes - a font that you can physically pump air into, an Excel styled spreadsheet
as a drawing tool, a 3D application that uses words as coordinates, typing with a rotary phone, and an
animation pipeline for a dot-matrix display, I try to articulate ‘radical’, by addressing issues of openness,
materiality, criticality, and reflection.
This research combines mutually informed research through design and observational analysis by
developing prototypes, documenting their evolution and reflecting on their intended and unintended
uses, allowing for analysis focused on their reflective and critical potentials.
By building open source and malleable tools that can be built upon, re-purposed or even reinvented,
‘Radical interfaces’ aims to refresh our relationship with technology from being passive consumers to
active makers
A Study on Relieving Player’s Anxiety and Promoting Self-Reflection Through Game Design Elements
Full text linkThis research explores how story-driven exploration games can help players relieve
anxiety and promote self-reflection through storytelling, game mechanics, visual design, and
interaction design. As part of this research, the project involves creating a story-driven
exploration game to examine its effectiveness in achieving these goals. The paper focuses on
analyzing how the game’s story, scene construction, level design, and overall atmosphere
trigger the player's emotional resonance and enhance immersion. The research evaluates the
game’s impact on emotions and its effectiveness in relieving anxiety through user testing. The
expected outcome is to provide new insights into the field of game design and mental health
“Talking With”: Building a co-narrative to inspire critical thinking about the Artificial intelligence
Full text linkThis research aims to explore the possibility of using storytelling from a non-anthropocentric perspective based on the concept of ‘Chthulucene’ proposed by Donna Haraway as a way to inspire people to think critically about artificial intelligence and their futures. This research created a text adventure game in which a player and a large language model (ChatGPT-4o) worked together to advance the story in a pre-set, text-based fantasy game world background. The player used the keyboard to type or interact with interactive installations to communicate with ChatGPT, while the dialogue between the player and ChatGPT in the story was recorded by three looms weaving two types of thread representing the player and ChatGPT. This design considers AI-human collaboration and touches upon the importance of label workers and their labours, which is behind the large language model to annotate data, and inspires players to think critically about artificial intelligence. It also examines the relationship between material and virtual worlds