Authors: Bhada Yun, Dana Feng, Ace Chen, Afshin Nikzad, Niloufar Salehi Status: Currently in submission to CHI '25 Starting in the Fall semester of my Junior year, I joined Professor Niloufar Salehi's lab and collaborated closely with Dana Feng to design and conduct a user study using a system they were developing for knowledge workers. Concurrently, I took the graduate-level Human-Computer Interaction Research course (INFO 217A), which significantly enhanced my HCI research skills. This project marked my first experience leading a full research project from start to finish, conducting interviews, analyzing data, interpreting results, writing and submitting to a conference. The hands-on nature of this research allowed me to gain invaluable skills in study design, qualitative data analysis, and academic writing. This research introduces Yodeai, an AI-powered system designed to address the challenges faced by knowledge workers in navigating and synthesizing unstructured data. Through comprehensive studies with 36 participants, including product managers and knowledge workers, we identified critical design implications for AI tools: adaptability, accountability, and interoperability. Our findings provide actionable insights for developing AI systems that support diverse workflows, foster collaboration, and ensure responsible AI integration in professional settings.

Yodeai integrates multimodal widgets to streamline data navigation, knowledge synthesis, and decision-making.

Illustration of diverse user workflows, demonstrating how Yodeai enables flexible exploration and prioritization of data through customizable templates for various tasks and decision-making processes.

Quantitative findings from our user study, highlighting Yodeai's effectiveness in supporting complex decision-making through structured data exploration and synthesis.

Summary of key design implications for AI systems in knowledge work: user control, accountability, and interoperability.

Authors: Carrie Lau, Bhada Yun, Samuel Saruba, Efe Bozkir, Enkelejda Kasneci Status: Currently in submission to CHI '25 Over the summer of 2024, I was invited to Enkelejda Kasneci's lab at the Technical University of Munich as a visiting researcher. In Germany, I collaborated with Carrie Lau on multiple projects exploring the use of XR technologies for preserving intangible cultural heritage. This project, which I co-designed with Carrie, was a highlight of my international research experience. Working in an international context provided valuable insights into different research approaches and cultural perspectives, enhancing both my technical skills and cross-cultural understanding. This research explores the potential of VR and Gen-AI in revitalizing oral traditions, specifically focusing on the Ghanaian Anansi folktales. We developed 'Spider Stories', an innovative VR experience that combines immersive storytelling with Gen-AI-driven personalization. Through a comprehensive user study with 48 participants, we investigated how these technologies can enhance engagement, cultural learning, and personal reflection. Our findings reveal that VR significantly boosts user engagement and interest in cultural learning, while Gen-AI personalization deepens immersion and fosters greater self-reflection.

Me conducting the VR experiment with the Head-Mounted Display, demonstrating the immersive nature of the Anansi the Spider VR experience.

Participant facing Onini the spider, illustrating the personalized interaction where users must creatively bait Onini, showcasing the Gen-AI driven narrative customization.

Artistic representation of the Anansi story, visualizing key elements of the traditional folktale adapted for the VR experience.