UNIST researchers earned international recognition through seven papers accepted to ACM Designing Interactive Systems (DIS) 2026, one of the world's leading conferences in human-computer interaction (HCI), interactive systems, and user experience (UX) design. Their research explores how emerging technologies—including AI, digital communication, and interactive media—can be designed to better support everyday life, strengthen human relationships, and encourage self-reflection.

Held at the National University of Singapore, ACM DIS brings together researchers from design, computer science, and related disciplines to explore the future of human-centered technologies. Faculty members from the Department of Design at UNIST contributed research spanning embodied interaction, human-centered AI, and algorithmic transparency, demonstrating how thoughtful design can make emerging technologies more intuitive, meaningful, and accessible.

Rethinking Everyday Interaction

Professor Young-Woo Park's research group presented four papers examining how physical interaction can reshape familiar digital experiences—from notifications and workplace communication to messaging and music sharing. 

Together, the four projects demonstrate how subtle changes in interaction design can make everyday technologies more intuitive, expressive, and emotionally engaging.  Prepy  replaces conventional notification sounds with gentle vertical movement to communicate upcoming events, while  SOTATE  visualizes a person's social battery to support communication in open-plan offices.  Adilet adds a tangible dimension to digital messaging, and  Reelee transforms music sharing into an interactive experience that helps people maintain emotional connections across distance.

Human-Centered AI

Two papers from Professor Kyungho Lee's group examined how AI can support reflection, creativity, and civic participation while keeping people at the center of decision-making.

Augmentiary  uses large language models (LLMs) to support reflective journaling by providing thoughtful feedback that encourages self-reflection while preserving users' agency. Another study presents an   AI-assisted platform for local journalism that enables citizens to contribute community news through AI-supported writing combined with collaborative human review, strengthening trust and civic engagement.

Is This the Real Me?

Professor Dajung Kim's research group explored how recommendation algorithms shape digital identity through     TubeLens . The project asks a simple but thought-provoking question: " Is This the Real Me?"   By transforming a user's YouTube recommendation history into an algorithmic self-portrait, it encourages users to critically examine how recommendation algorithms shape—and sometimes distort—their digital identities. 

Although the seven projects span diverse applications, they share a common goal: designing technologies that are more human-centered, transparent, and meaningful. Rather than adding complexity, the research demonstrates how thoughtful interaction design can help people engage with AI and digital systems in more intuitive and empowering ways.

Together, the seven papers reflect the growing international recognition of UNIST's Department of Design in HCI and interactive design research, while highlighting the expanding role of human-centered design in shaping the future of emerging technologies.