Alumni

Researchers at the Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business challenge the belief that Virtual Reality (VR) inherently fosters perspective-taking in their article, “Seeing Is Not Thinking: Testing capabilities of VR to Promote Perspective-Taking.” They argue that VR's potential as an "empathy machine" relies on intentional design that promotes active cognitive engagement. Through experiments, they found that perspective-taking is enhanced when users are prompted with specific tasks, encouraging them to consider the character's viewpoint. This study, which received the Best Paper Award at IEEE VR, underscores the importance of purposeful VR design to effectively harness its empathetic capabilities.

Because of the Stratford School Student Initiatives Fund supporting student-led activities, Gaurav was able to grow as a leader and community builder, whether it was through coding for a local non-profit or reviving the GBDA On Air podcast to reach incoming students.

Learn more about the Stratford School Student Initiatives Fund, and join us on May 15th for Giving Day, encouraging donations to support educational initiatives.

Three student projects from the University of Waterloo Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business will be showcased at the Lights On Stratford festival, running until January 19, 2025. These projects, part of the GBDA 412 – Special Topics in Media Architecture course, highlight the students' ability to merge technology and the arts.

Under the guidance of David Han, students created interactive installations reflecting on local, non-human activity. The top three projects selected are:

1. A Living Entity: Animates the Avon River, emphasizing its future significance.
2. Nocturnal Visions: Highlights the roles and behaviors of nocturnal animals.
3. Fungi: Beyond the Eye: Explores the hidden world of local fungi roots (mycelium).

The course emphasizes thorough research and iterative feedback, culminating in a final presentation to a panel of community representatives.

In November, over 100 students from UWaterloo, University of Toronto, and Wilfrid Laurier participated in a Financial Fluency design event. The goal was to empower young Canadians with financial tools and education. Students worked through the weekend to develop solutions and pitch them to judges from Sun Life and UWaterloo.

Winning Team: Fund Forward - Visualized financial goals and life milestones. Runner-Up: Mula - Created a community of financial advisors. Honourable Mention: Sprout - Used gamification to engage users with financial goals.

Professors Karen Cochrane and Daniel Harley from Stratford are using Generative AI (GenAI) to create customizable gaming controllers for individuals with complex disabilities. Dr. Cochrane's collaboration with caregivers plays a crucial role in designing these accessible solutions, ensuring they meet the unique needs of users. Their project, awarded by the Google Academic Research Awards (GARA), aims to enhance accessibility and social inclusion through low-cost, user-friendly technology. By leveraging their combined expertise in physical computing and gaming interaction, Dr. Harley and Dr. Cochrane are developing innovative solutions that improve the quality of life for people with disabilities. The project will receive up to $150,000 USD in funding and support from Google, highlighting a future where technology fosters a more inclusive gaming experience.

Stratford School’s 2024 Design Jam challenged students to design digital platforms where the user experience (UX)  can help destigmatize mental health.

Map the System is a global challenge hosted by Oxford University that tasks students with mapping a problem using systems-thinking tools. Students will pitch their completed "map" of their problem to a panel of judges, with the winners receiving cash prizes and the opportunity to represent the University of Waterloo at the Canadian Finals in Calgary.

A chat with CPI member Leah Zhang-Kennedy about making her own mark in the globally impactful field of cybersecurity and privacy as an Assistant Professor in interaction design and user experience research, and director of the Safe Interactions Lab at the University of Waterloo’s Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business.

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