Case Study

Defining Collaborative Research Methods

Exploring novel collaborative research methodologies through workshops, ideation sessions, interviews, and surveys to ideate and envision on future technologies, spaces, and services.

Overview


In an era where human-computer interaction (HCI) is increasingly shaped by user collaboration, I investigated how  participatory research, storytelling, and digital tools can enhance stakeholder engagement across different domains.

Problem statement

Traditional design processes often exclude end-users from meaningful participation. While co-design methodologies exist, there is a lack of scalable, accessible tools to engage diverse stakeholders—ranging from local communities to researchers—especially in socially embedded projects like environmental sustainability and civic engagement.

Key Challenges

  • Bridging the gap between design research and real-world community needs.
  • Ensuring that local stakeholders have an equal say in the design process.
  • Developing digital platforms that scale participatory ideation and storytelling.

My Role

Designed and led multiple research projects across different domains and demographics to evaluate the effectiveness of new research methods and use findings to implement change.  

Research Methods

  • Survey Design & Analysis
  • User Studies & Interviews
  • Co-design Workshops
  • Rapid Design
  • Focus Groups
  • A /B Testing

Research Process

To address these research challenges, I implemented a multi-pronged research strategy that combined co-design workshops, speculative design, and online crowd-based storytelling tools. This approach was applied across three major projects:

01
Solar Cooking: Empowering Communities Through Design

Objective: Understand and improve solar cooking practices using participatory design.

Methods:

  • Conducted a summer-long usability research study with seven food enthusiasts.
  • Developed DIY solar ovens with participants.
  • Iterated on prototypes based on real-world usage and feedback.

Impact:

  • Identified key usability challenges in solar cooking.
  • Created actionable design recommendations for future solar cooking tools.
  • Strengthened community engagement in sustainable food practices.
🔥 “Participants highlighted setbacks in solar cooking, such as inconsistent heat retention, but also saw it as an opportunity for climate-resilient food preparation.”

02
Community Pollinator Gardens: Co-Designing for Citizen Science

Objective: Collaborate with older adults at ASU Mirabella to design a pollinator-friendly community garden equipped with sensors.

Methods:

  • Conducted surveys to identify local plants and pollinators.
  • Hosted co-design workshops with residents.
  • Installed an initial community garden alongside sensors for moisture and UV light, and documented pollinator activity.

Impact:

  • Established a self-sustaining garden club with 37 members.
  • Implemented an automatic irrigation system based on stakeholder feedback.
  • Generated over 150 observations of pollinator activity, contributing to urban ecology research.
🌱 “I really miss walking out my backdoor and seeing my garden. This project gives me a way to connect with nature again.”
— Mirabella resident
Workshop with community stakeholders focused on food and sustainability at Emerge Food Festival

Workshop with community stakeholders focused on food and sustainability at Emerge Food Festival

Workshop with Gen-Z focused on designing and envisioning the future cafe in collaboration with Starbucks.

Workshop with Gen-Z focused on designing and envisioning the future cafe in collaboration with Starbucks.

03
Dream Drone & The Dream Collective: Scaling Design Fiction

Objective: Explore how collaborative design can scale from small workshops to crowd-based storytelling, enabling communities to co-design future technologies.

Methods:

  • Design Fiction: Applied to examine community aspirations and concerns by prompting participants to brainstorm, sketch, and narrate future scenarios
  • Online Creativity Support Tools: Utilized to collect feedback on designs, gather crowd-generated ideas, and support rapid ideation and "re-mixing" of ideas
  • Crowd-based Storytelling: Used within the Dream Drone platform to support communities in envisioning new systems and proactively shaping futures
  • Online Platform (The Dream Collective): Stakeholders can create, remix, and reflect on products, spaces, or services, add futuristic features, and contextualize their ideas through storytelling

Impact:

  • Dream Drone – Demonstrated the value of co-created artifacts and the potential of crowd-based storytelling in shaping future technologies equitably.
  • The Dream Collective – Deployed in civic engagement (petrochemical pipelines) and Gen-Z perspectives on food systems, generating insights that inform design and inspire reflection.
  • Public Engagement Toolbox – Designed to facilitate stakeholder participation in civic decision-making, particularly around pipeline development.
  • Community-Informed Design – Collected data serves as a foundation for researchers to better understand stakeholder needs, aspirations, and concerns at scale.
🚀  "Design fiction allowed us to think beyond today's drones—to imagine a world where drones serve communities, not just corporations."
Workshop with community stakeholders focused on Drone design in collaboration with the city of Mesa

Workshop with community stakeholders focused on Drone design in collaboration with the city of Mesa

Workshop with designers focused on creating low fidelity prototypes around classroom design

Workshop with designers focused on creating low fidelity prototypes around classroom design

Results & Insights

  • Localized Impact: Co-design workshops helped communities build tangible solutions (e.g., solar ovens, pollinator gardens).
  • Scalable Storytelling: Online creativity tools allowed for broad participation in speculative design.
  • Sustainable Engagement: Community-led initiatives continued beyond research interventions.

Key Takeaways for Recruiters

  • Proven ability to lead community-driven design projects from ideation to implementation.
  • Experience in developing scalable digital tools for participatory design.
  • Strong background in HCI research, citizen science, and speculative design.
  • Passion for creating human-centered, impact-driven solutions.

HCI Research Publications

Dissertation

Download the full paper
Exploring Collaborative Design Through Storytelling and Ideation


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