Research Interests
- Participatory Design
- Design for Mental Health & Wellbeing
- Design Ethnography
- Narrative & Lived Experience
- Research Through Design
- Visual Communication & Visual Methods
Research Statement
I am interested in exploring the intersection of design, mental health, and social care, particularly how low-threshold, non-clinical creative tools may support emotional expression, self-reflection, and narrative reconstruction during periods of social transition and personal change. My background is rooted in graphic and service design, which has shaped my interest in design as a practice of relationship-building and meaning-making. Through projects in cross-cultural communication, community engagement, and cultural initiatives, I became aware that questions of identity, belonging, and wellbeing are often difficult to articulate or address through language alone.
Building on these experiences, I am eager to further develop my skills in participatory design, visual storytelling, and design research through doctoral study. While my interests are still evolving, I am particularly interested in how creative and arts-based approaches may support reflection, communication, and learning across communities and life contexts. I hope to explore how design can contribute to more accessible and inclusive forms of support beyond traditional clinical settings.
Publications
Dynamic Representation of Embodied Tai Chi Motion Knowledge Based on Motion Capture and a Visual Mapping Protocol
Xiaofan Xue, Jingran Lin, Ziqi Zhou, Shiquan Guan, Yue Chang
Accepted for presentation and publication at the 2026 International Conference on Computer Information Science and Application Technology (CISAT 2026), Chengdu, China.
Research in Progress
Designing for the Articulation and Visibility of Older Adults' Lived Experiences in Community Settings
This research investigates how visual media and participatory design can create conditions that enable community-dwelling older adults to articulate and communicate their lived experiences. Rather than treating design as a means of solving predefined problems, the project positions design as a process of making experiences visible, facilitating collective interpretation, and generating community knowledge.The project aims to develop a culturally sensitive, participatory design framework and a visual toolkit that support the articulation of lived experiences, informing future community support, inclusive communication, and research on healthy ageing.
Current Questions
My current work is guided by the following questions:
- How can design support the articulation of lived experiences that are difficult to express through language?
- What roles can visual media play in enabling reflection, communication, and collaborative interpretation?
- How can participatory design transform individual experiences into shared community knowledge while preserving participants' agency?
- How might culturally sensitive design methods contribute to more inclusive community support and healthy ageing?
