[Masterproject] Designing Interactive Spaces for Awareness and Reflection

This project explores how digital art and interactive technologies can be used to foster reflection and awareness around LGBTQ+ experiences. Grounded in activist, feminist, and design justice approaches, the project aims to center the voices of LGBTQ+ individuals by involving them directly in the design process through interviews, workshops, and community-led methods.

What makes this project especially exciting is that the final outcomes are intentionally open-ended. Students will shape the direction of the work based on what they learn from the community. That could mean designing an interactive game that puts players in the shoes of an LGBTQ+ person navigating a medical appointment, creating a data-driven visualization that reveals systemic inequalities, developing a chatbot that shares real stories, or building something completely different.

If you’re passionate about social justice, interested in human-centered design, and excited about using technology for good, this is a great opportunity to work on a meaningful, real-world project. It’s also a strong portfolio piece for students interested in interaction design, UX, HCI, and digital media.

Methodologies & Learning Outcomes

Students will engage in qualitative research methods, including interviews, focus groups, and workshops with LGBTQ+ individuals and communities. The project is grounded in activist, feminist, and design justice methodologies, with an emphasis on community-led and participatory design practices.

Through this, students will learn how to:

• Conduct and analyze qualitative research with sensitivity and care

• Translate lived experiences into interactive and digital design outcomes

• Apply community-based and justice-oriented design methods in practice

• Reflect critically on the ethics and politics of designing with marginalized communities

Depending on the direction of the project, final outputs might include interactive installations, games, chatbots, visual narratives, or other digital experiences—shaped entirely by what emerges through the research and design process.

Interested?
Reach out to Kristijonas Buciunas and Nimra Ahmed to learn more.

Ready to apply?
Please review the application process and send your materials to Nimra Ahmed with the subject line: [Masterproject] Designing Interactive Spaces for Awareness and Reflection.