Alaa finished her MSc at the iStudio, Queen’s School of Computing in 2023. She was experimenting with smart materials such as thermochromic pigments to design interactive artwork that conveys wellbeing and connectedness between people on the autism spectrum and their carers. Alaa is now working as a Digital Planning and Reporting Analyst at Queen’s University.
Publications
Lee Jones, Alaa Nousir, Tom Everrett, Sara Nabil
Tangible, Public, and Miniature Creative Exchanges: What HCI and Design Researchers Can Learn From the Free Little Art Gallery Movement Proceedings Article
In: Proceedings of the 15th Conference on Creativity and Cognition, pp. 413–428, Association for Computing Machinery, Virtual Event, USA, 2023, ISBN: 9798400701801.
@inproceedings{10.1145/3591196.3593433,
title = {Tangible, Public, and Miniature Creative Exchanges: What HCI and Design Researchers Can Learn From the Free Little Art Gallery Movement},
author = {Lee Jones and Alaa Nousir and Tom Everrett and Sara Nabil},
url = {https://doi-org.proxy.queensu.ca/10.1145/3591196.3593433
https://labs.cs.queensu.ca/istudio/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/06/FLAG___C_C_resubmit.pdf},
doi = {10.1145/3591196.3593433},
isbn = {9798400701801},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-01-01},
urldate = {2023-01-01},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the 15th Conference on Creativity and Cognition},
pages = {413–428},
publisher = {Association for Computing Machinery},
address = {Virtual Event, USA},
series = {C&C '23},
abstract = {HCI researchers are continually exploring new ways of engaging the public in participatory design and bringing creative making research activities to new audiences. In this paper, we interviewed individuals who independently began public and DIY installations for sharing miniature art among their neighbours. During the COVID-19 pandemic, participatory miniature art exchanges, commonly known as Free Little Art Galleries (FLAGs), organically spread in response to lockdowns and institutional constraints. In this qualitative study, we interviewed 20 FLAG ‘curators’ to understand the implications involved in setting up and maintaining these long-term deployments. From the analysis of these interviews, we provide 5 practical recommendations on supporting these types of deployments, and discuss how HCI researchers can expand upon these DIY participatory practices to bring creative ideation activities on the future of technology to broader audiences.},
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HCI researchers are continually exploring new ways of engaging the public in participatory design and bringing creative making research activities to new audiences. In this paper, we interviewed individuals who independently began public and DIY installations for sharing miniature art among their neighbours. During the COVID-19 pandemic, participatory miniature art exchanges, commonly known as Free Little Art Galleries (FLAGs), organically spread in response to lockdowns and institutional constraints. In this qualitative study, we interviewed 20 FLAG ‘curators’ to understand the implications involved in setting up and maintaining these long-term deployments. From the analysis of these interviews, we provide 5 practical recommendations on supporting these types of deployments, and discuss how HCI researchers can expand upon these DIY participatory practices to bring creative ideation activities on the future of technology to broader audiences.
Lee Jones, Alaa Nousir, Tom Everrett, Sara Nabil
Libraries of Things: Understanding the Challenges of Sharing Tangible Collections and the Opportunities for HCI Proceedings Article
In: Proceedings of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Association for Computing Machinery, Hamburg, Germany, 2023, ISBN: 9781450394215.
@inproceedings{10.1145/3544548.3581094,
title = {Libraries of Things: Understanding the Challenges of Sharing Tangible Collections and the Opportunities for HCI},
author = {Lee Jones and Alaa Nousir and Tom Everrett and Sara Nabil},
url = {https://doi-org.proxy.queensu.ca/10.1145/3544548.3581094
https://labs.cs.queensu.ca/istudio/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/02/Library_of_Things_CHI23.pdf},
doi = {10.1145/3544548.3581094},
isbn = {9781450394215},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-01-01},
urldate = {2023-01-01},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems},
publisher = {Association for Computing Machinery},
address = {Hamburg, Germany},
series = {CHI '23},
abstract = {“Libraries of Things” are tangible collections of borrowable objects. There are many benefits to Libraries of Things such as making objects and skill-building accessible, reducing waste through the sharing of items, and saving costs associated with purchasing rarely-used items. We introduce the first HCI study of Library of Things by interviewing 23 librarians who run a variety of collections such as handheld tools, gear, and musical instruments – within public institutions and more grass-roots efforts in the private sector. In our findings, we discuss the challenges these collections experience in changing behavioural patterns from buying to borrowing, helping individuals ‘try new things’, iterating to find sharable items, training staff, and manual intervention throughout the borrowing cycle. We present 5 opportunities for HCI research to support interactive skill-sharing, self-borrowing, maintenance recognition and cataloguing ‘things’, organizing non-uniform inventories, and creating public-awareness. Further in-the-wild studies should also consider the tensions between the values of these organizations and low-cost convenient usage.},
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“Libraries of Things” are tangible collections of borrowable objects. There are many benefits to Libraries of Things such as making objects and skill-building accessible, reducing waste through the sharing of items, and saving costs associated with purchasing rarely-used items. We introduce the first HCI study of Library of Things by interviewing 23 librarians who run a variety of collections such as handheld tools, gear, and musical instruments – within public institutions and more grass-roots efforts in the private sector. In our findings, we discuss the challenges these collections experience in changing behavioural patterns from buying to borrowing, helping individuals ‘try new things’, iterating to find sharable items, training staff, and manual intervention throughout the borrowing cycle. We present 5 opportunities for HCI research to support interactive skill-sharing, self-borrowing, maintenance recognition and cataloguing ‘things’, organizing non-uniform inventories, and creating public-awareness. Further in-the-wild studies should also consider the tensions between the values of these organizations and low-cost convenient usage.
Lee Jones, Alaa Nousir, Renee (Xinyu) Chen, Anne Liu, Meara Donovan, Eliza Wallace, Sara Nabil
Making From Home: Reflections on Crafting Tangible Interfaces for Stay-at-home Living Proceedings Article
In: Proceedings of the Seventeenth International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction, Association for Computing Machinery, Warsaw, Poland, 2023, ISBN: 9781450399777.
@inproceedings{10.1145/3569009.3572744,
title = {Making From Home: Reflections on Crafting Tangible Interfaces for Stay-at-home Living},
author = {Lee Jones and Alaa Nousir and Renee (Xinyu) Chen and Anne Liu and Meara Donovan and Eliza Wallace and Sara Nabil},
url = {https://doi-org.proxy.queensu.ca/10.1145/3569009.3572744
https://labs.cs.queensu.ca/istudio/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/01/tei23-19-1.pdf},
doi = {10.1145/3569009.3572744},
isbn = {9781450399777},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-01-01},
urldate = {2023-01-01},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the Seventeenth International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction},
publisher = {Association for Computing Machinery},
address = {Warsaw, Poland},
series = {TEI '23},
abstract = {Pandemic lockdowns created new barriers for HCI researchers, but also provided new opportunities for deeper engagement and reflection in our home environments. Five participants were introduced with a design brief on self-isolation and engaged 12 of their friends and family in the design process of in-the-isolated-wild deployments. By analysing the design process, we found that –while ‘making from home’– our participants noticed the subtlety of the interactions and materials, the processes of remembrance embedded in craft, the use of imperfection and metaphor in homeware, and how ambient presence can provide emotional support. We then conducted a follow-up study on the benefits and limitations of using a crafting approach while ‘making from home’ and discuss the tensions that novices experience while designing TUIs in such an environment. Our results expand the literature by highlighting the benefits, limitations, and trade-offs of user-led design, DIY user empowerment, and harnessing the power of craft.},
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pubstate = {published},
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Pandemic lockdowns created new barriers for HCI researchers, but also provided new opportunities for deeper engagement and reflection in our home environments. Five participants were introduced with a design brief on self-isolation and engaged 12 of their friends and family in the design process of in-the-isolated-wild deployments. By analysing the design process, we found that –while ‘making from home’– our participants noticed the subtlety of the interactions and materials, the processes of remembrance embedded in craft, the use of imperfection and metaphor in homeware, and how ambient presence can provide emotional support. We then conducted a follow-up study on the benefits and limitations of using a crafting approach while ‘making from home’ and discuss the tensions that novices experience while designing TUIs in such an environment. Our results expand the literature by highlighting the benefits, limitations, and trade-offs of user-led design, DIY user empowerment, and harnessing the power of craft.
Pouya M Khorsandi, Alaa Nousir, Sara Nabil
Functioning E-Textile Sensors for Car Infotainment Applications Journal Article
In: Engineering Proceedings, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 22, 2022.
@article{khorsandi2022functioning,
title = {Functioning E-Textile Sensors for Car Infotainment Applications},
author = {Pouya M Khorsandi and Alaa Nousir and Sara Nabil},
doi = {10.3390/engproc2022015022},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-01-01},
urldate = {2022-01-01},
journal = {Engineering Proceedings},
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Alaa Nousir, Renee (Xinyu) Chen, Anne Liu, Meara Donovan, Eliza Wallace, Lee Jones, Sara Nabil
COVIDware: Designing Interactive Everyday Things as Tangible Homeware for Social Isolation Journal Article
In: Interaction Design & Architecture(s) Journal (IxD&A), vol. 54, iss. 9, pp. 209–240, 2022.
@article{nousir2022covidware,
title = {COVIDware: Designing Interactive Everyday Things as Tangible Homeware for Social Isolation},
author = {Alaa Nousir and Renee (Xinyu) Chen and Anne Liu and Meara Donovan and Eliza Wallace and Lee Jones and Sara Nabil},
url = {https://labs.cs.queensu.ca/istudio/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/06/54_9.pdf},
doi = {10.55612/s-5002-054-009},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-01-01},
urldate = {2022-01-01},
journal = {Interaction Design & Architecture(s) Journal (IxD&A)},
volume = {54},
issue = {9},
pages = {209–240},
abstract = {This paper describes our collaborative journey of creating everyday interactive artefacts to help us think, reflect, and live through self-isolation.
Through a co-design approach, we designed interactive homeware objects (that we collectively refer to as ‘COVIDware’) to address the challenges of isolation
during the pandemic. Five artefacts were developed by self-isolated designers as interactive art installations. We discuss how each creator reflected on her design
concept, process, and encounter through concepts of critical making, speculation, and engagement via in-the-isolated-wild deployments. By empowering early
researchers/enthusiasts to design ‘with’ smart-materials, and off-the-shelf items, we reflect on how these homey interfaces can enhance people’s wellbeing beyond
screen-based interactions. Despite not collaborating in the making process, our findings from the designer’s making process show how all the designed artefacts
shared attributes of biophilic design, imperfection, and unconventional interactions with the overarching goal of promoting wellbeing, and meaningful connection with nature, self, and others.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
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This paper describes our collaborative journey of creating everyday interactive artefacts to help us think, reflect, and live through self-isolation.
Through a co-design approach, we designed interactive homeware objects (that we collectively refer to as ‘COVIDware’) to address the challenges of isolation
during the pandemic. Five artefacts were developed by self-isolated designers as interactive art installations. We discuss how each creator reflected on her design
concept, process, and encounter through concepts of critical making, speculation, and engagement via in-the-isolated-wild deployments. By empowering early
researchers/enthusiasts to design ‘with’ smart-materials, and off-the-shelf items, we reflect on how these homey interfaces can enhance people’s wellbeing beyond
screen-based interactions. Despite not collaborating in the making process, our findings from the designer’s making process show how all the designed artefacts
shared attributes of biophilic design, imperfection, and unconventional interactions with the overarching goal of promoting wellbeing, and meaningful connection with nature, self, and others.
Through a co-design approach, we designed interactive homeware objects (that we collectively refer to as ‘COVIDware’) to address the challenges of isolation
during the pandemic. Five artefacts were developed by self-isolated designers as interactive art installations. We discuss how each creator reflected on her design
concept, process, and encounter through concepts of critical making, speculation, and engagement via in-the-isolated-wild deployments. By empowering early
researchers/enthusiasts to design ‘with’ smart-materials, and off-the-shelf items, we reflect on how these homey interfaces can enhance people’s wellbeing beyond
screen-based interactions. Despite not collaborating in the making process, our findings from the designer’s making process show how all the designed artefacts
shared attributes of biophilic design, imperfection, and unconventional interactions with the overarching goal of promoting wellbeing, and meaningful connection with nature, self, and others.
Pouya M Khorsandi, Alaa Nousir, Sara Nabil
Designing e-textile sensors and actuators for infotainment interaction in cars Proceedings Article
In: E-Textiles Conference, Manchester, UK, 2021.
@inproceedings{khorsandi2021e-textile,
title = {Designing e-textile sensors and actuators for infotainment interaction in cars},
author = {Pouya M Khorsandi and Alaa Nousir and Sara Nabil},
url = {https://e-textilesconference.com/poster-presentations-2/},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-11-01},
urldate = {2021-11-01},
booktitle = {E-Textiles Conference},
address = {Manchester, UK},
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pubstate = {published},
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}