Embodiment as Design Material and Research Method
- Xinglin Sun(Speaker)
- Tongji University
Activity:
Talk or presentation types
Lecture and oral contribution
Activity Information
Activity type
Lecture and oral contribution
Time period
21/08/2026Degree of recognition
InternationalDescription
Embodied interaction has become increasingly influential within Human-Computer Interaction, yet many interactive systems continue to privilege cognitive processes over lived bodily experience. My research explores how embodiment can be employed not only as a design material but also as a research methodology for understanding and designing interactive experiences.
In this talk, I will present a series of research-through-design projects that investigate embodied approaches across different contexts. These include designing embodied methods to support stress self-disclosure among adolescent girls; developing Embodied Embroidery as a craft-based practice for women's mental wellbeing; creating an Embodied Embroidery Toolkit that enables young women’s everyday body-centred reflection through textile making and sensory engagement; and facilitating embodied workshops with neurodivergent women to reimagine bodily experiences and design futures.
I will also discuss how Micro-Phenomenology has informed these projects as a qualitative method for accessing subtle lived experiences that are often difficult to articulate, and how it complements embodied design by providing richer insights into bodily experience.
Rather than presenting embodiment solely as an interaction paradigm, this talk argues for understanding embodiment as both a medium for design and a way of generating knowledge. I will conclude by reflecting on emerging opportunities for integrating embodied practices and micro-phenomenological inquiry into future HCI research and interaction design.
Xinglin Sun is a final-year PhD candidate in Interaction Design at Tongji University and a Visiting Researcher at Open Lab, Newcastle University. Her research investigates embodiment as both a design material and a research method in HCI. Working across embodied interaction, soma design, and research through design, she develops body-centred approaches for designing interactive experiences that support women’s mental wellbeing and neurodivergent experiences.
In this talk, I will present a series of research-through-design projects that investigate embodied approaches across different contexts. These include designing embodied methods to support stress self-disclosure among adolescent girls; developing Embodied Embroidery as a craft-based practice for women's mental wellbeing; creating an Embodied Embroidery Toolkit that enables young women’s everyday body-centred reflection through textile making and sensory engagement; and facilitating embodied workshops with neurodivergent women to reimagine bodily experiences and design futures.
I will also discuss how Micro-Phenomenology has informed these projects as a qualitative method for accessing subtle lived experiences that are often difficult to articulate, and how it complements embodied design by providing richer insights into bodily experience.
Rather than presenting embodiment solely as an interaction paradigm, this talk argues for understanding embodiment as both a medium for design and a way of generating knowledge. I will conclude by reflecting on emerging opportunities for integrating embodied practices and micro-phenomenological inquiry into future HCI research and interaction design.
Xinglin Sun is a final-year PhD candidate in Interaction Design at Tongji University and a Visiting Researcher at Open Lab, Newcastle University. Her research investigates embodiment as both a design material and a research method in HCI. Working across embodied interaction, soma design, and research through design, she develops body-centred approaches for designing interactive experiences that support women’s mental wellbeing and neurodivergent experiences.