INDUSTRIAL DESIGN

A team of recent graduates—Donghee Hyun, Dongheun Kang, and Harim Choi—presented their poster paper at the prestigious ACM CHI 2025 conference, held from April 26 to May 1.

Their research was based on their graduation project “HOOAH”, conducted under the guidance of Professor Hyoseon Kwon, and evolved into an empirical study worthy of international recognition.

The CHI Conference (Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems) is the world’s leading academic venue in the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), where innovative research and groundbreaking ideas from around the globe are shared.

The research titled
“VibroCushion: Design for Inclusive Connectedness Between Deaf and Hearing in Meditation Practice”
proposes an interactive cushion-shaped device designed to enable both Deaf and hearing individuals to meditate together.

Recognizing that most existing meditation programs rely heavily on spoken language—making them less accessible to the Deaf—the study presents an innovative approach that utilizes tactile feedback, allowing both groups to immerse themselves in the practice simultaneously.

link to the paper : https://doi.org/10.1145/3706599.3719745

 The students organized a co-design workshop involving both Deaf and hearing participants to identify the optimal conditions for tactile feedback. Based on these insights, they structured an actual meditation session.

In the next phase, a hearing meditation instructor and a Deaf beginner conducted a joint meditation session using the VibroCushion, followed by post-session interviews.

The results showed that this tactile interaction–based meditation device significantly enhanced participants’ sense of immersion and greatly strengthened the feeling of connectedness between hearing and Deaf individuals.

Moreover, the study revealed the potential of non-verbal communication through tactile cues, offering valuable insights for future research in inclusive design.

The project was carried out with the active support of the Seongbuk-gu Sign Language Interpretation Center, and it has been recognized as a meaningful example of design practice grounded in a deep understanding of Deaf culture.

During the co-design workshop, rich cultural and experiential exchange took place between Deaf and hearing participants, presenting a strong case for inclusive design in action.

The first author, Donghee Hyun, reflected: 

“It was a meaningful experience that made me deeply reflect on what kind of value a designer can create between technology and people. Watching Deaf and hearing participants meditate together and feel connected through the VibroCushion was incredibly moving. I hope to continue growing as a designer who creates meaningful change through human-centered design.” 

The Late-Breaking Work track at CHI 2025 received a total of 1,888 submissions,
of which 620 were accepted, resulting in an acceptance rate of 32.83%.

Meanwhile, Professor Hyoseon Kwon also presented a Full Paper at this year’s conference.
Her research explored how hybrid gifts, exchanged through IoT devices in everyday life, are experienced and valued within interpersonal relationships.

The CHI 2025 Full Paper track had a highly competitive acceptance rate of 24.9%.

link to the paper : https://doi.org/10.1145/3706598.3714048 

This research was supported by the Excellent Young Researchers Program
 funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT (2022–2025).