Innovation Showcases
Enhancing Romantic Relationships Through Design Thinking: A Design Innovation Toolkit Approach
Innovation Showcase Nicholas Teo
In our interconnected yet often isolating world, this project delves into the unique challenges faced in the pursuit of romantic relationships. Leveraging an innovative extension of design thinking principles, we draw from a designer’s toolkit—comprising empathy, ideation, experimentation, integrative thinking, and analysis—to enrich reflective practices within the context of romantic relationships and dating. The project builds upon prior work, including an exploration of expectations and media influences on romantic relationships. The toolkit, inspired by design thinking, serves as an extension of various dating events, equipping participants with practical tools to navigate relationship dynamics more intentionally. These tools transcend conventional design thinking methods, incorporating elements specifically tailored for relationship contexts. Participants can use these tools to reflect, ideate, and experiment within their relationships. Notably, societal shifts in how people perceive online dating play a crucial role. The concept of expectations—how individuals view and manage them—emerges as a key component in the toolkit. Furthermore, our process involved user-testing with singles through multiple iterations. The book itself underwent the design thinking process of development, ensuring its effectiveness in fostering meaningful connections. As part of a larger project, 300 printed copies of the journal are being utilised during events and workshops, disseminating these insights and empowering participants to create more intentional, fulfilling connections.
Modern Mythos - Heritage Meets Hypertech AI: Exploring Batak Ritual Masks View Digital Media
Innovation Showcase Jaygo Bloom
Modern Mythos explores how artificial intelligence (AI) can be integrated with traditional craft practices to foster innovation while preserving heritage techniques. The project investigates AI's role as a tool for cultural preservation and examine the symbiotic relationship between modern technology and traditional craftsmanship. The research presentation and combined AI workshop promote the sustainability of craft practice and the innovative use of AI within design education. Building on insights gained from the first phase - an enquiry into Ves Muhunu Ritual Masks and AI, with workshops held for the SLDF festival 2025, Sri Lanka. Research presented for this conference will broaden its scope to evidence additional craft forms with deep cultural and historical significance to this area, and include collaborations alongside traditional Batak ritual mask makers from Sumatra. This expansion will open up new opportunities to examine how AI can be tailored to preserve and reinterpret a variety of craft practices across different cultural contexts. The presentation will provide fresh perspectives on the role of AI in safeguarding heritage while fostering innovation, further enriching contributions in the field.
The Aesthetics of Immersion - Towards a Visual Design Lexicon for Emerging Spatial User Interfaces: Perspectives from Research and Teaching Explorations
Innovation Showcase Gabriel Lipkowitz
Spatial computing interfaces being introduced into the mass market hold the promise to offer users compelling immersive and interactive 3D experiences for applications ranging from media and entertainment to gaming and sport to productivity and education. Nonetheless, there is a lack of visual design methodologies and frameworks to facilitate the creation, criticism, and communication of visually compelling such spatial computing applications. In this showcase, several case study applications from the speaker’s pedagogical experience teaching design students at both Stanford University and the National University of Singapore are discussed from a visual design perspective. The study highlights both opportunities and challenges for visual design associated with the unique considerations surrounding such immersive experiences, including scene reconstruction, object and image tracking, real-time 3D rendering, including through the integration of novel artificial intelligence models for 3D computer vision and 3D asset generation tasks. Particular emphasis is placed on the novel aesthetic qualities made possible by such technological modalities, while also highlighting the risk of producing visually incoherent and disorienting user experiences if visual design perspectives are ignored during the design and development phases. The discussion concludes with perspectives and predictions on the short to medium term future for such technologies in the context of visual design, and the skills required to prepare visual designers of the future to render such emerging immersive interfaces not only functional but visually delightful to users.
