Skip to main content
University of Washington UW W Logo Human Centered Design & Engineering Wordmark Logo

Research

Tyler Fox's Research Group Archive

The following research group descriptions are archived because they are no longer offered, the faculty member is on sabbatical, or the group is taking a break. Please contact the faculty member or an advisor to learn more about these groups.

Spring 2024

From UX to Transitions - Understanding Design Competencies

This is a two-quarter DRG. Individuals will be joining an existing team for Spring Quarter. 

In this DRG, we seek to understand the core competencies of Transition Design. Transition Design aims to catalyze socio-technological transition toward more sustainable futures focusing on fundamental change at every level of society through reimagining entire lifestyles and infrastructures like energy, economy, food, healthcare, and education. We are interested to know if and how UX design processes support transition design frameworks, and what implications this may have for both design education and design practice.

This research will be participatory. Participants in these DRGs will work in teams to work with local organizations in winter and spring. In winter, teams will mobilize user and human-centered processes to help our local organizations realize a modest workflow (onboarding for a community-based science project, for example). In spring, teams will work with the same organization to envision a transition for the future directly related to the organization's mission.

We seek both undergraduate and graduate students to participate in this research. We use the term participation with intent. 

Spring 2024

Exploring LLMs for UX Design Critique

Your faculty hosts:

  • Dr. Tyler Fox
  • Dr. David W. McDonald

Can an LLM generate a design critique? Well … sure it can. But is it any good? How would you know?

User experience professionals will soon encounter all types of tools driven by LLMs, GPT, or AI that will claim to make their jobs easier, provide feedback, and assess usability of their designs. Having a clear understanding of what these tools can or cannot provide will be important to being an effective professional in the new world of UX.

This DRG will explore how GPT and LLMs can be used to provide important design feedback on early stage design artifacts. Participants in this DRG will work with their own early stage designs - perhaps something they already have designed. Those designs will then be used to examine the quality and effectiveness of different types of critique generated by LLMs. Students will qualitatively evaluate the LLM generated critique to understand the different qualities of LLM feedback. During the quarter, students will work to engineer a ChatGPT prompt that will provide a selected form of critique.

What students can expect to learn by participating in this DRG:

  • Styles and forms of UX critique
  • Qualitative and quantitative assessment of feedback content
  • Prompt engineering techniques for ChatGPT

Skills that would allow you to be successful in this DRG include:

  • The ability to give and interpret (receive) critique
  • Basic technical skills (e.g., ability to understand or learn JSON markup)

Winter 2024

From UX to Transitions - Understanding Design Competencies

This is a two-quarter DRG. Individuals available for both the Spring and Winter quarters will be prioritized. Each DRG will be 1-2 credits.

In this DRG, we seek to understand the core competencies of Transition Design. Transition Design aims to catalyze socio-technological transition toward more sustainable futures focusing on fundamental change at every level of society through reimagining entire lifestyles and infrastructures like energy, economy, food, healthcare, and education. We are interested to know if and how UX design processes support transition design frameworks, and what implications this may have for both design education and design practice.

This research will be participatory. Participants in these DRGs will work in teams to work with local organizations in winter and spring. In winter, teams will mobilize user and human-centered processes to help our local organizations realize a modest workflow (onboarding for a community-based science project, for example). In spring, teams will work with the same organization to envision a transition for the future directly related to the organization's mission.

We seek both undergraduate and graduate students to participate in this research. We use the term participation with intent. Not only will students in this DRG be subjects, but they will also help with analysis. Students participating in this project will come away with a better understanding of their own design competencies. This will be valuable in portfolio creation, interviews, and simply understanding one's self as a designer.

Winter 2024

Workshops for Wicked Problems II: Qualitative Coding and Analysis of Workshop Data

Building on the successful completion of our initial phase, which focused on the facilitation and data collection of six design workshops, this Directed Research Group (DRG) is now entering its second phase: qualitative coding, analysis, and evaluation of the collected data. We invite 2-3 graduate students to join us in this critical stage, where the emphasis will shift from data collection to deep analytical engagement.

During the first DRG (AU23), titled "Workshops for Wicked Problems: Mapping Ethical Relations and Responsibilities in Multidisciplinary Collaborations," the DRG team supported a series of workshops, conducted post-workshop interviews with participants, and prepared data for analysis. These included 3 Speculative F/Actors workshops and 3 Entangled Justice workshops, each uniquely designed to explore global and local perspectives on climate futures, trace intricacies of wicked problems, and experiment with multidisciplinary collaboration strategies for understanding justice issues in specific focus areas: circular economy, marine energy, and climate migration.

In this next phase, our focus will be on thoroughly analyzing the rich data from these workshops. The DRG team will engage in qualitative research methods such as qualitative coding and interpretive analysis, gaining hands-on experience in evaluating multidisciplinary research data. Our weekly schedule will include a 2-hour Zoom meeting for discussions, analysis progress reviews, and collaborative coding sessions. In these meetings, we will delve into the nuances of our workshop data, exploring themes such as knowledge practices, ethical encounters, and the role of design in addressing societal challenges.

We are looking for 2-3 graduate students to participate in this DRG. No prior experience is needed, but experience with qualitative research methods is a plus. The weekly 2-hour meeting time will be determined by the team using a when2meet poll (shared in the invite email) so we can find a time that works best for everyone. The DRG will be led by PhD Candidate Michael Beach and advised by Associate Teaching Professor Tyler Fox. If you have any questions, please reach out to Michael at mwb8@uw.edu or DM on the HCDE Slack. 

Autumn 2023

Workshops for Wicked Problems: Mapping Ethical Relations and Responsibilities in Multidisciplinary Collaborations

The primary goal of this DRG is to support the facilitation, data collection, and early analysis of a series of six design workshops: 3 Speculative F/Actors workshops and 3 Entanglement workshops. In addition to these supportive roles, DRG participants will also take the role as a workshop participant in one or two of the workshops. The Speculative F/Actors workshop is designed to support collaborative worldbuilding around climate change issues at global scales as they resonate in locally situated scales. The Entanglement workshop is designed to explore, map and trace relations around wicked problems through scaffolded conversation and design activities that support collaborative multidisciplinary engagement. Each workshop will focus on a different topic: e.g., decline of the western redcedar in the PNW, marine energy, and circular economy. This workshop looks at “(a) the performative relationship between humans and technology; (b) the re-framing of knowledge generation processes around phenomena; (c) the tracing of accountabilities, responsibilities and ethical encounters; and (d) the practices of design and mattering that move beyond user-centered design” (Frauenberger, 2019).

The DRG will have a 1-hour weekly check-in meeting on Zoom for general housekeeping, workshop preparations, and ongoing analysis as we collect data.  In addition to the recurring check-in meeting, each DRG participant must sign up to attend and support at least 2 of the 6 in-person workshops. The workshops are still being scheduled according to recruitment efforts and will most likely be held on the UW campus. We should have the full workshop schedule sorted before the start of the quarter and we will take time in the first check-in session for you to sign up.

A brief overview of the DRG schedule:

  • Weeks 1-2: Introductions, DRG goals, onboarding, and data collection/analysis activities
  • Weeks 3-8: Workshops and Analysis
  • Weeks 9-10: Analysis 

We are looking for 5-6 dedicated undergrad or graduate students to participate in this DRG. No prior experience is needed, but experience with qualitative research methods is a plus. The 1-hour check-in meetings will be held on Tuesdays from 3-4pm, although we may not need to meet the entire time so there is more time to work on workshop preparation, analysis, and other aspects of the project. 

The DRG will be led by PhD Candidate Michael Beach and advised by Associate Teaching Professor Tyler Fox. If you have any questions, please reach out to Michael at mwb8@uw.edu or on the HCDE Slack. 

Spring 2023

Human Centered Design in London Preparatory Seminar

This bi-weekly seminar will prepare students for the design work that they will undertake during the Study Abroad Program. We will prepare to explore the cultural and design context of London and discuss readings on design strategies and methods. Practical considerations for the program will also be covered.

This course meets bi-weekly, for 2 hours. This DRG is exclusive to and required for participants in the HCDE in London Study Abroad program. 

Spring 2023

Climate Migration Design Workshops

This DRG is a week-long experiment connecting UCD and transition design practices. Inspired by a local project exploring assisted climate migration for the Western Red Cedar, we will explore the connections between creative practice and human and nonhuman worlds. As members of this DRG you will be responsible for the continuity of ideas over the week. In other words, you will be the “designer glue,” shepherding initial ideas to realization.
The DRG will be run by Drs. Tyler Fox, Brock Craft, and John Fass (from the MAUX program at the London College of Communication), and PhD Candidate Michael Beach.

Spring 2022

Service Design Artifacts and Toolkits

Service design is a growing field focused on the success of an organization beyond an individual product or user experience.

In collaboration with CX/service designers at Microsoft, we will explore a suite of artifacts that support service design. We will see how they are currently used in industry, and begin to assemble service design toolkits with an eye on adding new tools to enhance future service design. Working in teams, students will develop toolkits for possible services. Designers from Microsoft will partner with us, offering insight into service design at Microsoft and will join us periodically for feedback, critique, and mentorship.

This will be a fast-paced DRG, focused on understanding the design artifacts for service design. Students with a strong interest in service design, or an established expertise in a design practice (visual design, interaction design, etc.) are encouraged to apply.

Spring 2022

Human Centered Design in London Preparatory Seminar (1 credit)

This bi-weekly seminar will prepare students for the design work that they will undertake during the Study Abroad Program. We will prepare to explore the cultural and design context of London and discuss readings on design strategies and methods. Practical considerations for the program will also be covered.
This course meets bi-weekly, for 2 hours. This DRG is exclusive to and required for participants in the HCDE in London Study Abroad program. 

Winter – Spring 2021

The UX of Climate Change: Western Red Cedar Dieback

How do we notice and experience climate change? How might we design human-centered experiences that contribute to science, while also considering the impact on local communities? In this DRG, we will partner with Forest Health Watch and approach these questions through Western red cedar dieback.

Western red cedars are a critical organism in PNW forests. Environmentally, they perform critical roles such as storing carbon, filtering water, and cleaning the air. Western red cedars also have cultural importance with many indigenous communities. Currently, Western red cedars are dying back across the region, most likely caused by climate change. Scientists believe that Western red cedars offer a unique opportunity to track the effects of climate change in our region.

In Spring 2021, we will shift focus from current conditions and solutions to consider future conditions. Drawing upon discursive design techniques, we will seek ways to understand, imagine, and envision future states of a changing world. 

Autumn 2020

POST(-)HUMAN HAZMAT: Design fiction for multispecies care and collaborative survival in cataclysmic climates

In this DRG, we will explore and design for the concept: post(-)human hazmat by examining what it means to design for multispecies care and collaborative survival in cataclysmic climates. We will examine emerging design practices that emphasize the interrelations between human and nonhuman actors, such as Laura Forlano’s piece, “Posthumanism and Design.” Through works of design fiction, we will ask: How can we reimagine the boundaries of what it means to be human and our relationship with other species and the natural world? And, how can we build more-than-human relationships of care that build protection in hazardous contexts? 

Join us on a creative journey to design some-other-worldly characters, settings, and future scenarios of care and safety. We will use this exploration of the strange and imaginary as a way to sit with, digest, work with, stay with the trouble, communicate, and interrogate concepts, implications, and other considerations for this world. We will develop a series of scenarios in the form of comic strips. By the end of the quarter we will curate our narratives together into a final zine. 

The sessions will largely be a co-design studio where we can work collaboratively on our designs through design sprint activities. Each week, we will have readings, videos, and other types of media to check out that will help contextualize the upcoming activities in the design process. We will use a collage of methods, pulling from user-centered design, value sensitive design, speculative design, discursive design, critical design, and multispecies ethnography. 

The work of imagining alternative worlds is a useful practice for designers. We will make use of Le Guin's subjunctive mood to invoke the "what if" of speculative fiction. We will find inspiration from artistic mediums such as science fiction and graphic novels, interesting technologies such as coral planting robots, and fascinating species entanglements. 

We are looking for 6-8 undergraduate or graduate students to participate in this DRG. No prior experience in these areas needed. You do not need to be in the HCDE major to participate.

The group will be facilitated by PhD student Michael Beach (mwb8@uw.edu) with guidance from Tyler Fox. 

Autumn 2019

Design Research: Cultural Probes

This DRG will provide students with hands-on research experience using cultural probes. Cultural probes were introduced in 1999 as a playful, open-ended design research method. As a method, they are generative in nature, producing unique, qualitative results that require interpretation. It is an approach that will help broaden your understanding of human-centered design. Due to their nature, probes require an appreciation of, and comfort with, ambiguity, applicants must be willing to experiment and take risks! 

Students will work in groups to create, deploy, and analyze probes within Seattle communities. Simultaneously, we will explore the literature behind probes and similar research methods to understand their broader potential. 

This DRG will give priority to HCDE MS students currently enrolled in HCDE 518. However, advanced undergraduates and graduate students are welcome to apply.

Problematic Futures

Spring 2019

Co-directed by Brock Craft and Tyler Fox

In this DRG we will use design as a tool for critical thought, reflection, and commentary. Following a trajectory of discursive design practice (radical design, anti-design, critical design, speculative design, design as inquiry, to name a few) participants in this DRG will read, discuss, and design in response to a selection of provocations drawn from critical theory, cinema, and contemporary design. We seek individuals who want to think deeply about the world, and what it could be.

We use the term problematic as a means of directing attention to thickly contextual knots comprised of bodies, institutions, and ideas. Here, design methods become a way to understand these different contextual knots as imbricating structures of lived experience. While our reading list is still under construction, participants can expect to read Flusser, Simondon, Latour, and more.

The DRG will follow a tight structure of read, discuss, and critically respond through low-fidelity prototypes meant to provoke new thought and experience. The course will conclude with three weeks of frenetic building and critique as participants make a more complex prototype.

Human Centered Design in London Preparatory Seminar (1 credit)

Spring 2019

This bi-weekly seminar will prepare students for the design work that they will undertake during the Study Abroad Program. We will prepare to explore the cultural and design context of London and discuss readings on design strategies and methods. Practical considerations for the program will also be covered.

This course meets bi-weekly, for 2 hours. This DRG is exclusive to and required for participants in the HCDE in London Study Abroad program.

Removing Barriers: Exploring User Experiences in the new Burke Museum

Winter 2018

The new Burke Museum offers an exciting opportunity to apply user-centered design processes in a dynamic, real-world context. Currently, as the museum staff prepares to move into their new building, they are prototyping new museum spaces wherein researchers perform their work in the public eye. These spaces are in the existing building and not only constitute new ways of working, but also new forms of public engagement. This comes with multiple challenges and opportunities, and stakeholders.

In this DRG, we will consider distinct points of view (researchers, interpretive staff, and visitors) through direct engagement and observation. We will also explore potential technologies and design interventions through which to create evocative museum experiences that support the needs of the Burke’s various stakeholders.

Students will work in small teams and present design proposals at the end of Winter Quarter.

Problematic Futures

Spring 2018

In this DRG we will use design as a tool for critical thought, reflection, and commentary. Following a trajectory of discursive design practice (radical design, anti-design, critical design, speculative design, design as inquiry, to name a few) participants in this DRG will read, discuss, and design in response to a selection of provocations drawn from critical theory, cinema, and contemporary design. We seek individuals who want to think deeply about the world, and what it could be.

We use the term problematic as a means of directing attention to thickly contextual knots comprised of bodies, institutions, and ideas. Here, design methods become a way to understand these different contextual knots as imbricating structures of lived experience. While our reading list is still under construction, participants can expect to read Flusser, Simondon, Latour, and more.

The DRG will follow a tight structure of read, discuss, and critically respond through low-fidelity prototypes meant to provoke new thought and experience. The course will conclude with three weeks of frenetic building and critique as participants make a more complex prototype.

Instructors: Brock Craft and Tyler Fox

Designing Bioluminescent Displays

Autumn 2017 & Winter 2019

Bioluminescence is light produced by living organisms. Pyrocistis fusiformis is a single-celled, nonmotile dinoflagellate (algae) that emits a flash of light when physically agitated. Bioluminescent algae can be found in seawater around the world. In this DRG will explore the expressive potential of bioluminescent algae as a form of display. Students will learn how to propagate algae, use physical computing to agitate it, and utilize the affordances of this form of bioluminescence in a display.

We will collaboratively construct a display as a group, then students will divide into small teams to create custom visualizations for it. Along the way, we will consider intersecting questions regarding our topic: What are practicalities and limits of bioluminescence? What are the ethical questions of designing with living organisms? How can speculative projects such as this help provoke environmentally-sensitive design, or do they? Students can expect to gain practical skills in physical computing and interactive installations as well as to grapple with broader, theoretical questions, such as, what should living displays be used for, and why?

While we seek to develop a robust, interdisciplinary group, ideal candidates will have significant interest in, or basic skill in:

Physical Computing/Electronics
Physical Prototyping
Interaction Design
Interactive Art
Creative Coding
Marine Biology

Faculty:  Tyler Fox, Brock Craft

Designing Interactivity in the Urban Landscape

Spring 2017

Instructors: Tyler Fox, Brock Craft, Andrew Davidson

EXPLORE interactivity with large screen interfaces!
INVESTIGATE sensors and gestural interactions!
DESIGN for a high-profile interactive public display wall!

This is the continuing on going project for interactive displays at the West Campus Utility Plant (WCUP) - a brand new major power plant installation on the UW Campus located on University Way. The facility contains 12 large, street-facing, high-resolution screens. This DRG will explore and implement prototype interactions for this display, enabling passersby to gain an understanding of the University’s commitment to the environment and energy conservation, and enhancing public perception of UW Campus and UW sustainability profile. Team members will investigate possible gestural, sensor-driven interactions and incorporate feeding live data to the responsive displays. 

The WCUP displays are intended to be a permanent installation on the UW campus, and student work will be considered for showcasing at a project launch or in the media.

This project is sponsored by the Office of the UW Architect, This DRG requires dedicated and enthusiastic students at all levels (BS to PhD) to help with the project. We will be limiting participation to a small number of students. Only those willing to commit to at least 3 credit hours will be considered.

Ideal candidates will have some of the following knowledge/skills:

User Research
Contextual inquiry
UI Prototyping
Physical Computing/Electronic​s
HTML+CSS+Javascript
D3
Information Visualization