In complex and distributed human-made-systems, the intimate co-dependency between humans and non-humans can feel distant and vague. A novel approach for fostering a sense mutual care between people and living organisms can be found within biodesign, where living artefacts provide human users with functional benefits, like lighting, air purifying and unique material qualities in exchange for care. Emerging bio-technologies bring new opportunities for mutualistic care. Recent research has, for instance, demonstrated the ability to engineer bioluminescent plants with inbuilt switches, and electrosynbiotics have demonstrated that trees can generate electricity. Other projects are experimenting with the feasibility of storing data in living plants. Using speculative design as a tool, this thesis starts unpacking how storing data in microalgae might facilitate mutualistic care, and how this might implicate care. The final speculative research artefact, “Algae Cloud,” imagines a personal cloud-storing system as a series of algae cultures; a relation of mutualistic care where data storage is traded for sunlight, nutrients, and regular attention. Algae Cloud is a contribution of this project as a speculative design provocation that intends to inspire designers to think of novel ways to design for mutualistic care. It was presented and discussed in a focus group format with researchers from bio-design, more-than-human design, and data-centric design. The results from the discussions suggests that storing data in algae might bring new opportunities for mutualistic care that blend what it means to care for algae and data. The discussions also highlighted implications of care, like who should care, and what do people actually care for when they care for algae with data inside. Bridging results from the discussions with previous work in HCI, the thesis presents opportunities for designers to further explore what could emerge in the intersection of virtual and biological worlds.

Academically, the application of participatory practices that involve the people who will use the products or services has become widely recognized and essential. However, many organizations struggle with implementing this concept within their organizational context, particularly when it comes to participatory decision-making. It is common for decisions to be made by a few individuals with authority, significantly impacting others who feel limited in their ability to influence the outcome. Consequently, there is a pressing need to develop innovative solutions to address these challenges. This project, conducted in collaboration with CGI Netherlands GTO, aims to bridge the gap between the theoretical emphasis on participatory value and its practical application in organizations. Two research questions are formulated to guide the investigation: “How can participatory decision-making be integrated into GTO?” and “How can hierarchical structures and power imbalances in decision-making be overcome to embrace participatory decision-making?” To address these questions, a proposed reflexivity exercise, known as Power-full Reflexivity, is introduced. The goal of this exercise is to assist individuals in positions of authority in recognizing the power dynamics inherent in the decision-making process. The ultimate objective is to facilitate the meaningful involvement of individuals who are affected by the decisions and have experienced the issues, granting them greater access and agency within the decision-making process. It is believed that the use of Power-full Reflexivity by decision-makers will enhance the participatory value in their decision-making practices, benefiting individuals through increased agency and fostering a collaborative and participatory environment within the organization.

Young adults with Concerns about their mental health issues (YAMHI) seeking support in the Dutch mental health system struggle with long waiting times. Enliven aims to develop a virtual peer mentor support platform for YAMHIE to bridge these waiting times. This thesis explores the design process and development of a concept with the following design goal: To Enable young adults with concerns about their mental health issues to engage with a peer mentor through interaction in a virtual reality environment while waiting on the professional health care, with the aim to support them in addressing their problems. The design process involved participatory design methods like contextmapping, co-design sessions and prototyping. The tools used for prototyping consisted of Minecraft to design the virtual environments, Figma and paper prototypes. The outcome of this project is: A design concept: 1) consisting of ten virtual environments that can be used to design a virtual peer mentor support platform. 2) An experiential prototype to demonstrate the intended interactions between YAMHI and peer mentors of some of those environments (6 of the 10) As an addition on the side: 3) Because the platform does not exist yet, a manual to support the design team to further integrate these environments in their platform has been created.

Everybody has a personal space. A zone that you naturally preserve free around you, so you feel at your most comfortable. That personal space varies quite a lot from person to person. It is also a fluid zone because it is very much dependent on the type of interaction you are having at that moment. 
This thesis was the development of a design tool for the exploration of proxemic zones. It focussed on using modern sensors and technology to be able to measure exact distances towards people. By user testing the different iterations in the development, it became more apparent how people set distances. 
The final design is called the Proximity vest. The tool is a vest that is easily deployable and can be used all day without interrupting the user or the people around them. It uses a stereoscopic camera in the front that has the same field of view as a person. It accurately detects people and measures the distance they are apart from you. The video is locally processed to distance data-points and sent to the cloud for easy data analysis.

As automation technology continues to transform various industries, achieving both high operational reliability and high efficiency emerges as a critical challenge in task delegation between humans and Automated Systems (ASs). This project, conducted in collaboration with the Royal Schiphol Group (RSG), investigates the intricate dynamics of Human-Automation Collaboration (HAC) in the context of Passenger Boarding Bridge (PBB) operations at the Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The design goal is for organizations to strike a balance between the decision-making authority retained by humans, and that can be transferred to ASs. Through a combination of literature study, context research, in-depth interviews, and surveys, this study synthesizes insights to understand the changing nature of tasks, identify influential factors, and determine the appropriate level of human involvement with the main research question: “In the different PBB operation types (e.g., semi-auto controlled in a PBB, semi-auto controlled outside PBB), which tasks can be delegated to automated systems, and which tasks should be performed by humans?” The main insights indicate that high-precision tasks are identified as potential candidates for AS delegation, while tasks requiring clear communication and meticulous inspection align better with human management. The study underscores the significance of effective information exchange, emphasizing the multifaceted roles of humans beyond mere data exchange. To address this, two main outputs were introduced: one is a decision-making board game as a speculative probe called PBB, and the other one is a roadmap for RSG’s future vision, which can empower organizations with insights into the evolving nature of tasks for both humans and ASs. The PBB game is expected to allow diverse stakeholders to enact multiple scenarios in various decision pathways aligned with different levels of automation. Further, the roadmap will envision the optimal future scenario, leading to actionable plans for organizations with a holistic understanding of Human-Automation Collaboration (HAC).

The focus of this project was the research and development of an affective social touch wearable. AffectiveAir uses pneumatic actuation on the shoulder to convey a library of haptic sensations. The goal was to overcome physical limitations in potential digital communication contexts, by a non-verbal, tactile, and possibly intimate social touch using pneumatic actuation. This would offer a way for individuals to connect, much like in face-to-face interactions The embodiment of the prototype is the result of an iterative design process based on literature research, benchmarks, and user tests. The wearable actuator, designed to be worn on the back of the shoulder, is secured using an elastic band that attaches to the wearer’s pants. A custom-designed, thin polyurethane airbag with an integrated nozzle provides a soft, textile-integrated actuator solution. An external pneumatic control system controls the airflow, allowing for inflation under 1000- and deflation under 100 milliseconds. Effects of the actuator are monitored using an air pressure sensor and force sensitive resistor, offering controlled feedback and data logs for prototyping and user research. Multiple user tests functioned as a means to explore and verify new designs throughout the project. Initial tests identified the shoulder as an effective and acceptable location for the feedback, and an airbag of 40x40mm was determined to provide the best balance between intensity and comfort for this specific location. Subsequent tests determined optimal pressure levels for pneumatic haptics on the shoulder and evaluated user responses to various pneumatic patterns. Results revealed that it was challenging for participants to distinguish pressure levels from each other within the 0 to 500 mbar range. However, there were promising results in the general identification of increasing or decreasing pneumatic patterns using three pressure levels of 75, 200 and 500 mbar. ‘TripleShort’ received the highest identification rating at 85%, while ‘short staircase down’ received the lowest rating at 44%. Patterns with a prolonged high pressure level at the end such as ‘heartbeat forward’ and ‘long staircase up’ received a slighly higher comfort and pleasantness rating compared to others, where the latter was rated the least exciting at lower speed. Overall ratings remained close to the median across tests with variable speed or pressure levels. General user feedback on the prototype and haptic experience was positive, with participants noting the novelty and the sensation’s occasional resemblance to intimate human touch. Feedback from the interview also notes how context and social relationship status closely relates to the acceptability of receiving such feedback. The ergonomics of the prototype were considered satisfactory, allowing for adjustment to fit any body size and position the feedback on the back of the participant’s shoulder. In conclusion, AffectiveAir demonstrated the potential for affective touch through a pneumatic shoulder wearable. It offers a library of identifiable and characterized pneumatic patterns and the ability to extend the possible actuations with adjustable parameters. The project’s outcomes suggest promising potential for further research using affective pneumatic haptics, applicable not only in mediated communication but also in other possible areas such as gaming and navigation.

For some, smart home living is a sign of the future, and provides an opportunity to solve major societal problems. For others, it is just a vague buzzword. This thesis project sought to explore the potential implications of living with smart and connected technologies in our most private spaces and to engage non-experts in a conversation about it. This speculative project first used traditional design research activities to understand the context of the smart home, informing the design process of two design fiction artifacts. Following, these design fictions were used as a research for design tool to 1) sensitize and engage non-experts to provide their perspective on the context and 2) indicate threats and opportunities for the design of smart home devices in the home. The first design fiction was a physical booklet containing news articles from the future. This was used to convey the broad spectrum of findings to a non-expert audience. Using these findings, the final speculative question was formulated, which defined the pretense of the film: “What if smart home devices develop dementia (and other aging-related conditions) due to their short product lifespans and the deterioration of hardware and software over long-term use?”. This question was used to define the storyline, scenes, filming, and editing process. As a result of the production process, a short, 6.5-minute film was created as the final design fiction prototype. 8 participants were evaluated using a semi-structured interview and the film, which considered their previous knowledge, their perspective on living with smart home systems, and the extent to which the film sensitized them to the topic. These findings contributed to the 12 design recommendations, which is a call to action for designers to design for ownership. These recommendations highlight the imbalanced relationship between devices, companies, and users while providing 12 tangible ways designers can create a greater sense of agency and ownership by making changes to the design of the user experience, user interface, and the way these systems themselves are designed.