Applied Design Research
University → Southern University of Denmark
Degree → MSc IT - Product Design
Tenure → Aug 2023–Jun 2025
“A physical-digital installation that transforms lying down into a shared experience.”
Intro
This project was part of my MSc IT Product Design curriculum and explored how tangible, embodied interaction can create playful shared experiences. Working hands-on with physical materials and electronics, I designed and built an interactive installation that invited users to lie down, rotate, tilt, and co-manipulate a shared prototype.
Role and Responsibilities
My work focused on the full end-to-end design and research process, including physical prototyping and user engagement.
→ Built a full-scale physical prototype (woodworking, materials, mechanism design)
→ Integrated electronics and dual-screen setup into a stable structure
→ Conducted research through design using body-storming and exploratory testing
→ Designed and ran user experiments in unconventional interaction settings
→ Iterated and refined the prototype based on insights and material explorations
01
Assignment
Overview
The assignment was to explore how tangible interaction and unconventional bodily positions can shape user engagement. Instead of designing a traditional screen-based solution, the goal was to create a physical-digital installation that encourages playful collaboration, multi-sensory interaction, and shared control between users.
The project required us to prototype a system where people could lie down, move the structure together, and interact through integrated screens, turning physical movement into part of the interface.
My Role
I led the project end-to-end, from research and ideating to hands-on fabrication and user testing.
Investigate embodied interaction and how posture affects collaboration.
Build a functional prototype using real materials.
Test with users to understand engagement, comfort, and interaction patterns.
Document insights and propose future contexts for use.
Skills
Research-through-Design • Tangible Prototyping • UX Research • Interaction Design
02
Process
Overview
The project followed a research-through-design approach, where insights emerged by building, testing, and iterating. Rather than defining a fixed outcome, I explored how materials, movement, and posture shaped the user experience.
I worked hands-on with physical construction and electronics while continuously evaluating how users engaged with the installation.
Key activities:
Conducted literature research on embodied interaction and tangible media
Performed bodystorming sessions to understand full-body movement and posture
Designed and built multiple prototype iterations (frame, rotation mechanism, dual-screen mounting)
Explored materials for stability, tactility, and safe physical manipulation
Ran user sessions to observe behavior, collaboration, and engagement patterns
Facilitated co-creative tasks where participants invented activities and decorated the environment
Captured qualitative data through video, notes, drawings, and in-situ observations
Refined the prototype based on feedback, movement constraints, and user improvisations
Skills
Embodied Interaction • Physical Prototyping • Co-Creation & User Testing
03
Prototype
Overview
The prototype took the form of a full-scale tangible installation designed to be explored while lying down. Built from a sturdy wooden frame suspended on a central hook, it enabled users to rotate, tilt, and co-manipulate the structure together. Two embedded iPads acted as shared digital touch-points for collaborative activities such as drawing, guessing games, and emotion-based storytelling.
The tactile properties of the materials were essential: the wooden structure created a sense of safety and grounding, while the movement mechanism introduced a subtle non-verbal communication channel between participants. The undecorated surface became a creative canvas, allowing users to personalise the experience during co-creation tasks.
My Role
I led the physical prototyping work, from early sketches and material selection to building the full-scale structure. I engineered the rotation and tilt mechanism, integrated the dual-screen electronics, and ensured the installation was stable, safe, and engaging to interact with. Throughout testing, I refined the form and interaction qualities based on movement, user feedback, and tactile performance.
Skills
Material Exploration • Interactive Installation Design • Tangible Interaction
My reflections from the project...
This project strengthened my understanding of how physicality, posture, and material qualities shape user engagement in ways that traditional digital interfaces cannot. Working hands-on with wood, mechanics, and electronics showed me how prototyping beyond the screen can unlock new forms of play, collaboration, and non-verbal interaction. Most importantly, the exploratory and research-through-design process taught me how letting users co-create, improvise, and shape the experience leads to richer insights and more meaningful design outcomes.