Soojung Ham is a full professor in the Industrial Design Department at the Rhode Island School of Design. Before transitioning to academia, she began her career as a professional designer at companies such as Samsonite, A.T. Cross, and Gillette. While establishing her expertise as an educator, Soojung has continued to maintain her professional practice as a design consultant for several companies, including Gillette and Samsung Electronics.
In her academic research, Soojung has been collaborating with professors from Brown University and various small startups, and she has also developed her own project on future HVAC platform design as a resident at the Autodesk Technology Centers in Boston.
Designing the Future: Emotional and Cognitive Connections in AI-Driven UI/UX Systems
The project presents an exploration into the integration of AI and sensory-driven interactions within HVAC systems, transforming them from purely functional entities into emotionally resonant experiences.
Drawing inspiration from speculative design and critical narratives, this work investigates UI/UX strategies that enable human-centered interactions and immersive storytelling within smart environments. Insights from emotional design and theories of motivation guide this investigation, aiming to develop interfaces that foster trust, empathy, and cognitive-emotional engagement in future smart systems.
