👋 Announcements — New Year, New Team!

Welcome back HCI community! Please look forward to our first official release next Wednesday! For our pre-release, we’ll revisit articles we enjoyed to get you back in “design mode.” Before we dive in, get to know this semester’s Interaction Nerds team:

Content Head

• 😈 Niki Wang is a senior studying CogSci + HCI. A book she enjoyed recently is The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom!

Content Team

• 😛 Helen Fu is a sophomore studying IS + HCI + a minor in design for learning. A movie she enjoyed recently is Spider-Man: Brand New Day!

• 🐟 Angel Yu is a sophomore studying ECE + HCI. A movie she enjoyed recently is The Odyssey!

• 🗿 Abby Xiong is a junior studying CS + Art (BCSA) + HCI. A movie she enjoyed recently is Obsession!

👯 Join our Team!

We are recruiting for Events/Outreach and Marketing members this year (including this semester)! This is a great opportunity to learn more about the HCI landscape and join the team behind the largest HCI community on campus! No prior experience or involvement with UXA required. Anyone can apply — Freshmen + Sophomores are encouraged to!

Events/Outreach + Marketing Applications

🚛 Helen’s Throwback: Transportation Design: An Interview with Julie Eckstrom, Design Lead @ Aurora

Written & edited by: 😛 Helen Fu

This article is a special one to me as it was the first time I was able to do an interview with an individual who had a pretty niche career at that. I mean, designing automated trucks? Who knew we were so ahead in that type of technology? I was able to build a connection with Julie, the person I interviewed, and see more doors open on what I could do in the future as a career. - Helen Fu

Transport Design w/ Julie Eckstrom

🎧 Angel’s Throwback: my daylist: spotify ai ux tuesday morning

Written & edited by: 👽 Joelle Lee

I chose this specific article because I love exploring how tech and AI is utilized within any creative industry, such as the music industry. While AI can facilitate personalized experiences, it can also create fatigue and tiredness. This article touches exactly on that! Technology has become increasingly more integrated in life and people are definitely feeling it - Angel Yu

Spotify & AI

🥱 Abby’s Throwback: Slop Fest or Snooze Fest: Your AI Slop Bores Me

Written & edited by: 😈 Niki Wang

I chose this article because I wholeheartedly agree with the idea that the most important thing in the age of AI has become time and effort because for a human, that's partially the only thing that distinguishes what it means to be human in the digital age. When all AI output takes the same amount of time and can be of the same quality, who's left to say what's good and what's bad? - Abby Xiong

Your AI Slop Bores Me

🤔 Who’s behind the scenes?

The editors behind this week’s issue are 😛 Helen Fu, 🐟 Angel Yu, 🗿Abby Xiong, and 😈 Niki Wang,

✍️ Have Thoughts?

We are always looking for topics of interest to you and ways to improve our content! Let us know your thoughts/suggestions about our content via the google form below.

Feedback Form

🌱 Join the Community

Join the UXA Slack channel to get updates on upcoming events, learn about cool resources and opportunities, ask questions about anything HCI, and much more.

Join the Slack channel!

🥰 Follow UXA!

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This will sadly be our last newsletter for Spring 2026. Thank you all for reading, good luck with finals, and have an amazing summer!

👋 Announcements — Framer Design Jam!

Join us next Wed (4/22) 5-6PM at NSH 4305 for a casual portfolio and project work sesh. Come to chat, collaborate, and get help building with Framer :) Snacks and Framer merch will be provided!!

RSVP Here!

Goodbye Kaitlyn and Joelle!

Kaitlyn and Joelle will both be graduating this May, and we’re so grateful for their contributions to the newsletter over the past two years! Good luck and we wish you both the best in your future endeavors :,)

💼 No Internship? No Problem!

Written & edited by: 🐸 Clarise Liu

Even if the absence of a summer internship feels like falling behind, it can also create space to do things differently. For my final article, I’d like to highlight 4 ways you can build experience this summer without an internship.

No Internship? No Problem!

✍️ Writing is Design: Tips, Tricks, and Senior Advice

Written & edited by: 😛 Helen Fu

From first writing about Duolingo Going ‘AI First’ to going down the rabbit hole that is Cracker Barrel, I’ve realized writing itself is a form of design. How is writing aligned with design, and what actually makes writing good?

Writing is Design

🚏 The Grindset: Tech Culture in SF vs NYC

Written & edited by: 😈 Niki Wang

San Francisco is famously known to be the hub of start-ups — where young aspiring founders hole themselves up hoping to create the next big thing. However, not every place fosters this environment: how does the tech culture in NYC compare to SF?

SF vs NYC Tech Culture

🤔 Who’s behind the scenes?

The editors behind this week’s issue are 😛 Helen Fu, 🐸 Clarise Liu, 😈 Niki Wang, and 🦑 Kaitlyn Ng

✍️ Have Thoughts?

We are always looking for topics of interest to you and ways to improve our content! Let us know your thoughts/suggestions about our content via the google form below.

Feedback Form

🌱 Join the Community

Join the UXA Slack channel to get updates on upcoming events, learn about cool resources and opportunities, ask questions about anything HCI, and much more.

Join the Slack channel!

🥰 Follow UXA!

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As we’re gearing up for XHacks, we centered this issue around the theme of ‘brightening the mundane’ to spark some ideas for this upcoming weekend. Before the sun rises on Sunday, what will you design?

👋 Announcements — XHacks is this Weekend!!

XHacks, UXA’s premier design-a-thon, is fast approaching this Friday at 6:30pm! No prior experience is required and free food will be provided. RSVP NOW before it’s too late!

XHacks 2026 RSVP

📋 CMU Bulletin: Interview with Hana Benko, Director of Labrador @ ScottyLabs

Written & edited by: 😛 Helen Fu

How can I make something mundane… playful? And, what does “playful” even mean? Well, at ScottyLabs students are constantly exploring this question. To get a better sense of what this engaging design looks like in practice, I interviewed Hana Benko, ScottyLab’s Director of Labrador.

CMU Bulletin w/ Hana Benko

😌 The Little Things in Life: Re-imagining Everyday Designs

Written & edited by: 😈 Niki Wang

The design of everyday objects are something we often overlook because we’re used to easy experiences now. How might we re-imagine everyday objects to brighten up our lives through either improved functionality or simply delight?

Re-imagining Everyday Designs

📷 The QR Code is Broken

Written & edited by: 👽 Joelle Lee

QR Codes are everywhere in the current day, and they are convenient for the everyday mobile phone user. But have you ever wondered, when exactly did this become the norm? When did we stop typing things into a search engine and start conveniently using the camera app instead?

Design of QR Codes

🤔 Who’s behind the scenes?

The editors behind this week’s issue are 😛 Helen Fu, 👽 Joelle Lee, 😈 Niki Wang, and 🦑 Kaitlyn Ng

✍️ Have Thoughts?

We are always looking for topics of interest to you and ways to improve our content! Let us know your thoughts/suggestions about our content via the google form below.

Feedback Form

🌱 Join the Community

Join the UXA Slack channel to get updates on upcoming events, learn about cool resources and opportunities, ask questions about anything HCI, and much more.

Join the Slack channel!

🥰 Follow UXA!

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👋 Announcements — XHacks!

XHacks is our annual UX (no-code) hackathon where creativity meets problem solving. Whether you're a designer, researcher, developer, or just UX-curious — this is your chance to bring bold ideas to life, collaborate with awesome people, and get real feedback from industry judges. We hope to see you April 3-5!

RSVP Now!!

🥱 Slop Fest or Snooze Fest: Your AI Slop Bores Me

Written & edited by: 😈 Niki Wang

As human-made and AI-generated content become increasingly difficult to differentiate, how do people hold onto what makes content ‘human’? Your AI Slop Bores Me explores this by presenting the AI chatbot with a playful authentic twist.

Yout AI Slop Bores Me

🔴 Pokémon Pokopia: Design To Catch Em’ All

Written & edited by: 😛 Helen Fu

Pokémon Pokopia is the newest addition to the Pokémon franchise and it's been an absolute hit. It’s clear something about this game just works, but what exactly is it that makes the game so engaging and loved over others?

Pokopia

🍎 Just a Little Guy: Apple’s New Neo Mascot

Written & edited by: 🐸 Clarise Liu

When you think of a curious little creature that brings a moment of joy to your day, what comes to mind? For me, it's Lil' Finder Guy — Apple's newest mascot for the MacBook Neo. Given Apple's reputation for sleek, minimal design, why did they take such a different direction brand and marketing-wise? What made it work?

Apple's Neo Mascot

🤔 Who’s behind the scenes?

The editors behind this week’s issue are 😛 Helen Fu, 🐸 Clarise Liu, 😈 Niki Wang, and 🦑 Kaitlyn Ng

✍️ Have Thoughts?

We are always looking for topics of interest to you and ways to improve our content! Let us know your thoughts/suggestions about our content via the google form below.

Feedback Form

🌱 Join the Community

Join the UXA Slack channel to get updates on upcoming events, learn about cool resources and opportunities, ask questions about anything HCI, and much more.

Join the Slack channel!

🥰 Follow UXA!

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In the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, we’re covering all things green and lucky! 🌈

🐈‍⬛ Designing the Irrational: Superstitions in Design

Written & edited by: 😛 Helen Fu

From avoiding floor numbers to possible evil spirits, how do superstitions shape our behaviors and decisions on how spaces are designed?

Superstitions in Design

🍀 Lucky by Design: The UX of Parade Floats

Written & edited by: 🐸 Clarise Liu

Every St. Patrick’s Day, cities worldwide crowd for a celebratory parade complete with floats. How are parade floats designed to prioritize the audience, performers, and everyone else in between?

UX of Parade Floats

🥦 No Food Left Uneaten: Designing to Reduce Food Waste

Written & edited by: 😈 Niki Wang

The US alone discards nearly 60 million tons of food every year. To battle food waste, how are services driving more sustainable practices and behaviors?

Designing for Food Waste

📋 Opportunities in HCI

Figma x Notion x The Collective: Cafe & Coworking Session

Join us this Sunday (3/22) 1-3PM to work on new ideas and passion projects. FREE drinks and pastries from Paris Baguette will be provided. RSVP here!

Summer Undergrad Research Apprenticeship (SURA)

If you’re interested in conducting HCI research, SURA provides university-funded variable units for faculty-mentored research or creative inquiry. Find a list of potential projects here and apply here! Deadline is 5/8.

🤔 Who’s behind the scenes?

The editors behind this week’s issue are 😛 Helen Fu, 🐸 Clarise Liu, 😈 Niki Wang, and 🦑 Kaitlyn Ng

✍️ Have Thoughts?

We are always looking for topics of interest to you and ways to improve our content! Let us know your thoughts/suggestions about our content via the google form below.

Feedback Form

🌱 Join the Community

Join the UXA Slack channel to get updates on upcoming events, learn about cool resources and opportunities, ask questions about anything HCI, and much more.

Join the Slack channel!

🥰 Follow UXA!

Instagram | Facebook | Linkedin | UXA Website

🪑 Finders Sitters, Loser Diggers: The Psychology of Pittsburgh Parking Chairs

Written & edited by: 🐸 Clarise Liu

What seems like a trivial piece of furniture actually is a key part of Pittsburgh’s culture. What does a Pittsburgh parking chair signal about the city’s social behavior?

Pittsburgh Parking Chairs

🩸 Entering Flow State: Designing for Menstruation

Written & edited by: 😈 Niki Wang

The most popular “fem-tech” applications target menstruation and fertility tracking, including widely used ones like Clue and Flo. How are these applications designed to improve the menstruation experience, and what happens when they’re misused?

Designing for Menstruation

🥟 Dim Sum Win Sum: Trolleys That Hit Home

Written & edited by: 😛 Helen Fu

Every time I come home from college I crave one thing— dim-sum. But its not just the delicious food I’m missing, but the sense of community and solidarity that comes with it. What aspects of the dim sum environment and experience evoke “home”?

Dim Sum Experience

📋 Opportunities in HCI

Product Design Intern, National Security Agents

Sabby Anandan (CMU alum) is looking for 1-2 product design interns for his startup! US citizenship required. If interested, contact him at sabby.anandan@gmail.com.

🤔 Who’s behind the scenes?

The editors behind this week’s issue are 😛 Helen Fu, 🐸 Clarise Liu, 😈 Niki Wang, and 🦑 Kaitlyn Ng

🌱 Join the Community

Join the UXA Slack channel to get updates on upcoming events, learn about cool resources and opportunities, ask questions about anything HCI, and much more.

Join the Slack channel!

🥰 Follow UXA!

Instagram | Facebook | Linkedin | UXA Website

🎧 Listen Up: AI is Invading Your Playlist

Written & edited by: 😛 Helen Fu and 🐸 Clarise Liu

Choosing which songs to play on repeat, how to curate a playlist, and selecting which artists to support are points of pride for many. What happens to listeners, musicians, and the future of the music industry when artists are no longer human?

AI x Music

🤵 Who’s Actually Serving? The Evolving Landscape of Service Design

Written & edited by: 😈 Niki Wang

From AI-powered drive-thrus to robot baristas, humans are steadily getting removed from the service equation. While, human service workers can make mistakes, do we value that face-to-face interaction over “perfection” and efficiency?

AI x Service

🏈 Fun — New Age Super Bowl Ads

Written & edited by: 🦑 Kaitlyn Ng

While Super Bowl ads have always been a chance for brands to get creative, this year offered endless possibilities due to the rapid advancement of AI creative software. One notable example is Dunkin’ Donuts’ “Good Will Dunkin’”, in which famous actors were de-aged with AI to play roles in a mock 90s sitcom.

The main role of marketing is get a consumer to buy your product. A balance to consider is whether the lower costs of AI are worth the potential public backlash from utilizing AI, deterring from the task at hand.

🤔 Who’s behind the scenes?

The editors behind this week’s issue are 😛 Helen Fu, 👽 Joelle Lee, 🐸 Clarise Liu, 😈 Niki Wang, and 🦑 Kaitlyn Ng

✍️ Have Thoughts?

We are always looking for topics of interest to you and ways to improve our content! Let us know your thoughts/suggestions about our content via the google form below.

Feedback Form

🌱 Join the Community

Join the UXA Slack channel to get updates on upcoming events, learn about cool resources and opportunities, ask questions about anything HCI, and much more.

Join the Slack channel!

🥰 Follow UXA!

Instagram | Facebook | Linkedin | UXA Website

👋 Announcements — Framer Portfolio Workshop!

Our Framer Portfolio Workshop is this Friday 3-4PM @ NSH 3305! Join us for a live interactive demo and free Framer merch + (first come, first serve) boba!

Sign up here!

💬 Mind the Gap: How Rice Design-a-thon Judges Define Age-Inclusive Design

Written & edited by: 🐸 Clarise Liu

Designing for all ages seems intuitive on paper, but what does it look like in practice? For this week’s issue, 4 Rice design-a-thon judges shared their perspectives on the principles of age-inclusive design and how they can be applied to different disciplines & hackathon projects.

Rice Design-a-thon

💌 Kindness Gallery: Socioemotional Learning for Children

Written & edited by: 😛 Helen Fu

How can we communicate kindness to children? Sure, you could hang up a poster that says “be kind.” But kindness isn’t just a slogan—it’s actions and interactions.

The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh has a permanent gallery called the kindness gallery designed to nurture empathy– the core of kindness. In this blog, I’ll share how it started, what it includes, and how visitors have been impacted by it.

The Kindness Gallery

🏘️ Feeling Homey: Design for Communities & Public Spaces

Written & edited by: 😈 Niki Wang

Certain public spaces feel more welcoming than others, while some even flat out feel rejecting. Often, this is a conscious decision that decides, who, or what, should feel welcome — even if we subconsciously don’t realize it. How does design play a role in how we feel when we enter a space?

Hostile vs Inclusive Public Spaces

🤔 Who’s behind the scenes?

The editors behind this week’s issue are 😛 Helen Fu, 🐸 Clarise Liu, 😈 Niki Wang, and 🦑 Kaitlyn Ng

✍️ Have Thoughts?

We are always looking for topics of interest to you and ways to improve our content! Let us know your thoughts/suggestions about our content via the google form below.

Feedback Form

🌱 Join the Community

Join the UXA Slack channel to get updates on upcoming events, learn about cool resources and opportunities, ask questions about anything HCI, and much more.

Join the Slack channel!

🥰 Follow UXA!

Instagram | Facebook | Linkedin | UXA Website

👋 Announcements — UXA x Framer Portfolio Workshop!

Want to build a portfolio but don’t want to code or (let’s be real) vibe-code!? UXA and Framer Ambassadors are hosting an interactive workshop showing you how to leverage Framer for your UX design portfolio! First 20 get free boba + free Framer merch and snacks for all!

⏰ Fri Feb 20th, 3-4PM
📍 NSH 3305 (near Hunan)

RSVP Here!

🤔 Should I Believe What I See? : r/medialiteracy

Written & edited by: 🐸 Clarise Liu

AI-generated content feels like an upward battle between authenticity and ‘slop’. But building media literacy, learning to spot AI-generated content, and designing platforms that incentivize accuracy are tools already within our reach.

AI & Media Literacy

🙀 Fearmongering: Selling Fear in the Digital Age

Written & edited by: 😛 Helen Fu

From exploding trees to toilet paper hoarding, the digital age has heralded an increased rate of fearmongering, “the action of intentionally trying to make people afraid of something when this is not necessary or reasonable”.

Fearmongering

🗣️ Props to Propaganda: Winning Elections & Social Influence

Written & edited by: 😈 Niki Wang

The rise of Facebook allowed politicians to reach widespread audiences with targeted adverts infused with propaganda. Now with AI’s image generation capabilities, twisting rhetoric into radicalization has never been easier.

Modern Political Propaganda

🤔 Who’s behind the scenes?

The editors behind this week’s issue are 😛 Helen Fu, 🐸 Clarise Liu, 😈 Niki Wang, and 🦑 Kaitlyn Ng

✍️ Have Thoughts?

We are always looking for topics of interest to you and ways to improve our content! Let us know your thoughts/suggestions about our content via the google form below.

Feedback Form

🌱 Join the Community

Join the UXA Slack channel to get updates on upcoming events, learn about cool resources and opportunities, ask questions about anything HCI, and much more.

Join the Slack channel!

🥰 Follow UXA!

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As our world becomes increasingly digital, will we yearn for the tangible experiences we’ve left behind?

🏓 Marty Supreme: Timothée Chalamet vs. Streaming Platforms

Written & edited by: 👽 Joelle Lee

Marty Supreme. What comes to mind when you hear the movie title? The actual plot of the movie or the unconventional marketing escapades that occurred during the movie’s promotion? Are these the lengths theatrical releases must go to in the age of streaming?

Marty Supreme

🛒 The Price of Convenience: Doordash & Instacart

Written & edited by: 😈 Niki Wang

With “doordashing” replacing the term “takeout”, food delivery services like Instacart and Doordash have almost completely integrated into our daily lives. While food delivered to your doorstep is a great convenience, what are the downsides?

Doordash & Instacart

🌿 Touch (Digital) Grass: Roblox & the Rise of Digital Third Places

Written & edited by: 🐸 Clarise Liu

Last semester, we covered third spaces ranging from local cafes to co-working spaces. However, physical third spaces can be inaccessible to individuals who lack stable income and transportation. When you remove those factors from the equation, where might third places thrive? Virtual spaces!

Digital Third Places

🤔 Who’s behind the scenes?

The editors behind this week’s issue are 👽 Joelle Lee, 🐸 Clarise Liu, 😈 Niki Wang, and 🦑 Kaitlyn Ng

✍️ Have Thoughts?

We are always looking for topics of interest to you and ways to improve our content! Let us know your thoughts/suggestions about our content via the google form below.

Feedback Form

🌱 Join the Community

Join the UXA Slack channel to get updates on upcoming events, learn about cool resources and opportunities, ask questions about anything HCI, and much more.

Join the Slack channel!

🥰 Follow UXA!

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🚛 Transportation Design: An Interview with Julie Eckstrom, Design Lead @ Aurora

Written & edited by: 😛 Helen Fu

Julie Eckstrom is a CMU HCI alum who currently works at Aurora, a tech company that designs and builds self-driving trucks. Below, she shares what she does at Aurora and what experiences at CMU helped her get there.

Transport Design w/ Julie Eckstrom

🚕 There’s Waymo Layers Than You Think: Autonomous Vehicles

Written & edited by: 😈 Niki Wang

Completely self-driving cars are slowly but surely entering our lives through Waymo, a driverless taxi service. How has Waymo successfully risen above the competition, and as safety concerns emerge, do the harms outweigh the benefits?

Waymo & Autonomous Vehicles

🚄 NYC’s Gatekeepers: The MTA

Written & edited by: 👽 Joelle Lee

In mid-December, New Yorkers were faced with a new obstacle… literally. The MTA introduced a new subway gate system they claim will amplify safety and efficiency. In practice and design-wise, are these claims accurate?

NYC Subway Gates

🚌 Accessible Transport: TBD Lab @ CMU

Written & edited by: 🦑 Kaitlyn Ng

Many transport-related interactions are unnecessary obstacles for people with disabilities. To address this, the TBD Lab, led by Prof. Aaron Steinfeld, is developing human-computer and human-robot interactions that advance accessible transport.

Accessible Transport

🤔 Who’s behind the scenes?

The editors behind this week’s issue are 😛 Helen Fu, 👽 Joelle Lee, 😈 Niki Wang, and 🦑 Kaitlyn Ng

✍️ Have Thoughts?

We are always looking for topics of interest to you and ways to improve our content! Let us know your thoughts/suggestions about our content via the google form below.

Feedback Form

🌱 Join the Community

Join the UXA Slack channel to get updates on upcoming events, learn about cool resources and opportunities, ask questions about anything HCI, and much more.

Join the Slack channel!

🥰 Follow UXA!

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👋 Announcements — Welcome back!

Hi Interaction Nerds, welcome to the spring semester! We’ll be discussing online social platforms for our first issue. Thanks for sticking with us in 2026!

If you want to see what UXA has in store for this semester, feel free to swing by the Winter Club Fair in Wiegand Gym @ Table 53! We’ll be tabling from 5-6:30PM 🤩

🎭 @Grok, is AI Corrupting Social Media?

Written & edited by: 😈 Niki Wang

AI advancements have transformed school, work, and play. However, from Grok’s nonconsensual bikini pics to scamming the elderly on Facebook, what place does AI have in social media? Should it have a place at all?

AI in Social Media

💬 Haters Wanna Hate: Twitter vs. Instagram Haters

Written & edited by: 👽 Joelle Lee

Twitter, now known as X, has been an iconic platform known for sharing random thoughts, fighting random people online, and cancelling celebrities. What about the platform makes it easy for users to spread negativity compared to platforms like Instagram?

Online Hate

🦺 Roblox Age Verification: Protecting Users or Breaking the Community?

Written & edited by: 😛 Helen Fu

Roblox is an online multiplayer gaming platform, especially popular amongst children and teens. So, when Roblox introduced a flawed age verification system it was met with backlash. Why did this system fail and how might we design more effective solutions to uphold online safety?

Roblox Age Verification

🤔 Who’s behind the scenes?

The editors behind this week’s issue are 😛 Helen Fu, 👽 Joelle Lee, 😈 Niki Wang, and 🦑 Kaitlyn Ng

✍️ Have Thoughts?

We are always looking for topics of interest to you and ways to improve our content! Let us know your thoughts/suggestions about our content via the google form below.

Feedback Form

🌱 Join the Community

Join the UXA Slack channel to get updates on upcoming events, learn about cool resources and opportunities, ask questions about anything HCI, and much more.

Join the Slack channel!

🥰 Follow UXA!

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👋 Announcements — Giving Day!

We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! If you’d like to continue spreading gratitude, consider donating to UXA today! Your support will accelerate our mission and help us continue holding great events and meaningful opportunities for our members 🌟💞

Donate Here!

✍️ Content Team, Signing Off

As the semester comes to an end, this will sadly be our last Fall 25 issue. Thanks for sticking around and reading our thoughts! See you all in 2026 :)

🛒 E-Commerce: The New Black Friday Experience

Written & edited by: ❤️‍🔥 Audrey Zhao

Black Friday was a couple days ago, and if you’re a proper American whose blood beats red, white, and blue, you participated in the annual discount extravaganza. But how has Black Friday evolved through the years? How have those changes been reflected in UI/UX changes?

Black Friday

☃️ Buddy the Elf’s User Journey

Written & edited by: 👽 Joelle Lee

During the cold winter season, what better way to get in the holiday spirit than cozying up on your couch and watching a Christmas movie from your childhood? The directing and editing of a movie is not so different from designing user experience, after all both processes are all about the journey. Let’s take a dive into a classic: Elf (2003).

Elf and UX

📝 Gift Wrapping: A Christmas Brand

Written & edited by: 😛 Helen Fu

For those who celebrate Christmas, waking up to intricately wrapped presents under a tree is a cherished tradition. Each gift is typically wrapped in paper featuring Christmas colors and icons, topped with a beautiful ribbon bow. But why do people stick to these specific colors and designs? Why not leave presents unwrapped?

Gift Wrapping

☕️ The Ever-so-Controversial Starbucks Holiday Cup

Written & edited by: 😈 Niki Wang

Many brands capitalize on the holidays by releasing on-theme marketing and products. However, many haven’t been as scrutinized by the public as Starbucks with their yearly release of holiday cups. What about Starbucks and their holiday cup designs have consequently landed them in hot water throughout the years?

Starbucks Holiday Cups

🤔 Who’s behind the scenes?

The editors behind this week’s issue are 😛 Helen Fu, 👽 Joelle Lee, 😈 Niki Wang, ❤️‍🔥 Audrey Zhao, and 🦑 Kaitlyn Ng

✍️ Have Thoughts?

We are always looking for topics of interest to you and ways to improve our content! Let us know your thoughts/suggestions about our content via the google form below.

Feedback Form

🌱 Join the Community

Join the UXA Slack channel to get updates on upcoming events, learn about cool resources and opportunities, ask questions about anything HCI, and much more.

Join the Slack channel!

🥰 Follow UXA!

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🔍 Seeing Through The Apple Glass iOS

Written & edited by: 👽 Joelle Lee

When iOS 26’s new ‘liquid glass’ visuals were announced this past summer, many were skeptical. Starting from its first demonstration, people already had concerns about accessibility. The purpose of glass as a material is the ability to see through it after all (making it a bird’s archnemesis). So how exactly is the concept incorporated in the iPhone’s design system?

Apple's Liquid Glass

🦅 A Bird’s-Eye View of HCI Research @ CMU

Written & edited by: 😈 Niki Wang

Despite being such a young profession, HCI researchers have contributed to large amount of innovative research, spanning from computer-supported cooperative work, ubiquitous technologies, educational technologies, and accessibility. Amazing and important research is being done here at CMU’s HCI Institute, check out the highlights below!

CMU HCI Research

🏙️ What Times Square Says About the Shifts in the Advertising World

Written & edited by: ❤️‍🔥 Audrey Zhao

The New York Times Square billboard–in today’s current pop culture, it’s a prestige marker and a sign that you’ve “made it” if your ad appears there. This is an investigation into what being shown in Times Square really means, how the digital collides with physical space, and other kernels of detail that might’ve gone unnoticed before.

Times Square x Advertising

🤔 Minimalism vs. Maximalism: Design Approaches

Written & edited by: 😛 Helen Fu

Minimalism and maximalism: two sides of the same coin. The first describes a design style that focuses on simplicity, clean lines, and plainness, while the latter embraces a design style that’s abundant, bold, and often times a sensory overload. They are total opposites of each other, yet both have made a defining mark on design history. But, is one approach better than the other?

Minimalism vs Maximalism

🤔 Who’s behind the scenes?

The editors behind this week’s issue are 😛 Helen Fu, 👽 Joelle Lee, 😈 Niki Wang, ❤️‍🔥 Audrey Zhao, and 🦑 Kaitlyn Ng

✍️ Have Thoughts?

We are always looking for topics of interest to you and ways to improve our content! Let us know your thoughts/suggestions about our content via the google form below.

Feedback Form

🌱 Join the Community

Join the UXA Slack channel to get updates on upcoming events, learn about cool resources and opportunities, ask questions about anything HCI, and much more.

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👋 Announcements — Career Prep Weekend!

CMU UXA is hosting CPW, a 2-day event filled with hands-on workshops, speaker panels, and recruiting insights from UX professionals at top companies (Duolingo, CrowdStrike, UPMC). If you’re thinking about internships, case studies, or portfolio reviews, this is the weekend to level up.

📍 Where: CMU, Baker Hall A51
🗓️ When: November 15–16, 2025

RSVP Now!

🦉 Interview — ‘How will I Survive the UI/UX Job Market?’ with Jay Fanelli, ex-Duolingo Hiring Manager

Written & edited by: ❤️‍🔥 Audrey Zhao

From portfolio curation to differentiating yourself in an AI world, ex-Duolingo hiring manager (now CMU Design prof) Jay Fanelli breaks down the essentials for landing UI/UX roles — what to include, what to cut, and how to tell your story authentically.

Be brave, be self-aware, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. There’s no shame in having unphotogenic parts–we’re all human.

Interview w/ Jay Fanelli

🔦 CMU Student Spotlights — Design Internships

Written & edited by: 🦑 Kaitlyn Ng and 👽 Joelle Lee

Pictured above are CMU students Amy Choi, Joanna Ni, and Jodie Yang. Read on to learn about their internship (iHeartRadio, Biography, Roblox) experiences and how to break into the design industry!

Design Internships

🤫 Un-gatekeeping Hidden Essentials to Succeed in the Design Industry

Written & edited by: 😈 Niki Wang

Want your designs to matter beyond your classes? Learn how to connect work to business goals, turn concepts into portfolio‑ready artifacts, and present decisions persuasively below.

Design Industry Essentials

🗃️ Resource — Standout Case Studies!

Written & edited by: 🦑 Kaitlyn Ng

🧩 Bringing parents and children closer together through the NYT Mini Crossword [Link]

• Jacqueline Guo - Design Intern @ Apple

✈️ Designing (an) Airport AI Voice Assistant [Link]

• Youngryun Cho - Product Designer @ Duolingo

🗺️ Reimagining Google Maps with a New Color Palette [Link]

• Google Design Team

🤔 Who’s behind the scenes?

The editors behind this week’s issue are 👽 Joelle Lee, 😈 Niki Wang, ❤️‍🔥 Audrey Zhao, and 🦑 Kaitlyn Ng

✍️ Have Thoughts?

We are always looking for topics of interest to you and ways to improve our content! Let us know your thoughts/suggestions about our content via the google form below.

Feedback Form

🌱 Join the Community

Join the UXA Slack channel to get updates on upcoming events, learn about cool resources and opportunities, ask questions about anything HCI, and much more.

Join the Slack channel!

🥰 Follow UXA!

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👋 Announcements — Go Vote!!!

Even though a major presidential election isn’t happening this year, it’s still very important to make your voice heard and vote for your political representatives. If you’re a CMU student you have the day off to vote so please do so!

Find your Polling Location

Figma Workshop #1!

We will be hosting our first Figma Workshop this Wednesday 11/5 from 5-6PM in NSH 4305. We’ll be introducing the platform along with basic techniques for creating designs, so no prior experience with Figma is required. See you all there!

👩‍💻 HCI Design Electives: Classes to take Spring 2026

Written & edited by: 😛 Helen Fu

With course registration coming up in two weeks, if you’re interested in exploring what HCI has to offer take a look at the following guide to the many electives and design courses you can take within the department! We’ve even provided a few student testimonies on their experiences in particular courses.

HCI Courses!

🗳️ Designing How and Why We Vote

Written & edited by: 😈 Niki Wang

A huge problem within politics is increasing voter turnout. Over the years, there’s been many innovative campaigns to solve this — from something as simple as a sticker to full-blown marketing campaigns. How does design fit into the equation?

Design x Voting

📺 Presidential Candidates in Squid Games? How Media Affects Political Engagement

Written & edited by: 👽 Joelle Lee

In the current digital age where social media rules over marketing, do political campaigns have to try to go “viral”? Does virality distract from the actual political issues at hand? We’ll be examining these questions through both US and South Korean presidential elections.

Media & Political Engagement

📰 AI vs Journalism: Reshaping How We Report

Written & edited by: ❤️‍🔥 Audrey Zhao

AI is rapidly taking over industry after industry, and a notable one is journalism. Some outlets take measures to ensure humans remain part of the process, while others may let these new models go unchecked. But, should AI even be in the writing room at all?

AI vs Journalism

🤔 Who’s behind the scenes?

The editors behind this week’s issue are 😛 Helen Fu, 👽 Joelle Lee, 😈 Niki Wang, ❤️‍🔥 Audrey Zhao, and 🦑 Kaitlyn Ng

✍️ Have Thoughts?

We are always looking for topics of interest to you and ways to improve our content! Let us know your thoughts/suggestions about our content via the google form below.

Feedback Form

🌱 Join the Community

Join the UXA Slack channel to get updates on upcoming events, learn about cool resources and opportunities, ask questions about anything HCI, and much more.

Join the Slack channel!

🥰 Follow UXA!

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👋 Announcements — UXAcademics!

UXAcademics is happening next Monday 11/3 from 5-6:30 PM in NSH 3305. Learn about HCI courses, electives, and more from UXA board and other members that have taken them before class registration starts 📝📓🍎

(Be on the lookout for more info regarding our first Figma workshop next Wednesday 🤫)

🎰 Casinos, Sports, & Waifus: Gambling in All its Forms

Written & edited by: ❤️‍🔥 Audrey Zhao

It’s no secret that casinos are predatory institutions that feed on people lured in by “striking it rich”. But, subtler forms of gambling such as sports betting and gacha games are just as exploitative. The big question is: how do these manifestations of gambling successfully draw people in?

Gambling

🫘 Focus Friend: Are ‘Lock-In Apps’ Sustainable Long-Term?

Written & edited by: 😛 Helen Fu

As a college student, you’ve probably heard this phrase before. Locking in means cutting out distractions—closing TikTok and Instagram Reels, stepping away from games, and eliminating anything else that stops you from focusing.

With the right tools, you can potentially train yourself to lock in for a certain period and get stuff done. The question is: are these tools sustainable for focusing long term?

Lock In

👾 From CoD to Balatro: What makes Video Games so Addictive?

Written & edited by: 😈 Niki Wang

Ever heard stories of people spending thousands of dollars on in-game purchases or hundreds of hours on famously addicting games like Candy Crush? Maybe you’ve found yourself burning hours away on a game and thought to yourself “wait… am I addicted?” It might not be a self‑control problem so much as a design one.

Video Games

🎮 The Curious Case of Buttons

Written & edited by: 👽 Joelle Lee

From “clicking” to “tapping” a button… where have all the physical buttons gone? The iPhone home button was laid to rest in 2017, ushering in the age of contactless interactions like Face ID, Apple Pay, and more. However, sometimes physical feedback is necessary, namely with video game controllers.

Physical Buttons

🤔 Who’s behind the scenes?

The editors behind this week’s issue are 😛 Helen Fu, 👽 Joelle Lee, 😈 Niki Wang, ❤️‍🔥 Audrey Zhao, and 🦑 Kaitlyn Ng

✍️ Have Thoughts?

We are always looking for topics of interest to you and ways to improve our content! Let us know your thoughts/suggestions about our content via the google form below.

Feedback Form

🌱 Join the Community

Join the UXA Slack channel to get updates on upcoming events, learn about cool resources and opportunities, ask questions about anything HCI, and much more.

Join the Slack channel!

🥰 Follow UXA!

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👋 Announcements — TMA x UXA Figma Workshop!

Come to our TMA (Tartan Marketing Association) x UXA collab workshop, where we’ll be teaching design principles through Figma! Please make a Figma account before the workshop as we’ll be doing an interactive demo.

Date: Thursday 10/23
Location: Tepper 2610
Time: 6-7 PM

🕶️ Big Meta is Watching: Meta Ray-Bans’ Benefits & Harms

Written & edited by: 😈 Niki Wang

Developed in collaboration with Meta and Ray-Ban, a popular glasses brand, Meta Ray-Bans are smart glasses equipped with cameras, open-ear speakers, a microphone, and even a built-in touchpad. How can these glasses benefit people’s lives, and how can they harm them?

Meta Raybans

📼 Nothing Phones: From Retro Craze to “Nothing”

Written & edited by: 😛 Helen Fu

From wired earbuds and iPods to vinyl records and Polaroid cameras, retro technology is experiencing a revival among young people, especially Gen Z. A notable company riding the nostalgia wave is Nothing, a tech startup that creates quality phones with a retro aesthetic. How has Nothing cultivated a diehard fanbase, and how have they disappointed them?

Nothing Phones

🔁 The Apple That Never Falls Far From The Tree: Apple’s Ecosystem

Written & edited by: ❤️‍🔥 Audrey Zhao

The Apple Ecosystem is an intangible product–giving you the best experience by making products that function near-perfectly only amongst themselves. This creates a seamless experience when you’ve got the iPhone, iPad, or Macbook, but makes things harder if you’ve got non-Apple tech. What are the consequences of a closed-loop system like this?

Apple Ecosystem

🤔 Who’s behind the scenes?

The editors behind this week’s issue are 😛 Helen Fu, 😈 Niki Wang, ❤️‍🔥 Audrey Zhao, and 🦑 Kaitlyn Ng

✍️ Have Thoughts?

We are always looking for topics of interest to you and ways to improve our content! Let us know your thoughts/suggestions about our content via the google form below.

Feedback Form

🌱 Join the Community

Join the UXA Slack channel to get updates on upcoming events, learn about cool resources and opportunities, ask questions about anything HCI, and much more.

Join the Slack channel!

🥰 Follow UXA!

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Happy (late) Mid-Autumn Festival Interaction Nerds 🥮🌙! To celebrate, we’ve explored various aspects of Asian design and experiences.

Fall Break is coming up, so you’ll hear from us again in 2 weeks. We hope all you CMU students enjoy your time off 🧘<3

🕵️ How Admiration Turns Into Obsession on K-Pop Social Platforms

Written & edited by: 👽 Joelle Lee

Western celebrities hide behind curated Instagram feeds and Paparazzi, keeping up a mysterious allure. On the other side of the world, the K-pop industry feeds into parasocial relationships with direct idol chatting and streaming platforms. How do these differences shape each hemisphere’s fan culture?

Weverse & Bubble

🎤 K-POP Demon Hunters: UI/UX in Film Animation

Written & edited by: 😛 Helen Fu

Released on June 20th, 2025, the K-POP centered urban fantasy movie has attracted more than 236 million views. It is also most-watched-animated film on Netflix as of today. How have UI/UX Design principles contributed to the success of K-POP Demon Hunters?

K-POP Demon Hunters

💱 TEMU: CONTEMPORARY ORIENTALISM? Eastern VS. Western UI/UX Design

Written & edited by: ❤️‍🔥 Audrey Zhao

As the world globalizes, it is crucial to understand different audiences and their perspectives. A noticeable divide in UI/UX design can be in Eastern vs Western interfaces, which is a result of cultural differences. With an increasingly interconnected globe, how might we create localized experiences that resonate with diverse global audiences?

Eastern vs Western UX

📦 Labubu or Lafufu: Unboxing the Craze Behind Blind Boxes

Written & edited by: 😈 Niki Wang

From “ugly-cute” Labubus to whimsical Sonny Angels, trendy collectibles are everywhere — the biggest catch is that you don’t have a choice in which one you get. How have companies like Pop Mart heightened the “blind box” experience?

Blind Boxes

🤔 Who’s behind the scenes?

The editors behind this week’s issue are 😛 Helen Fu, 👽 Joelle Lee, 😈 Niki Wang, ❤️‍🔥 Audrey Zhao, and 🦑 Kaitlyn Ng

✍️ Have Thoughts?

We are always looking for topics of interest to you and ways to improve our content! Let us know your thoughts/suggestions about our content via the google form below.

Feedback Form

🌱 Join the Community

Join the UXA Slack channel to get updates on upcoming events, learn about cool resources and opportunities, ask questions about anything HCI, and much more.

Join the Slack channel!

🥰 Follow UXA!

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🏥 Revolutionizing Healthcare: Machines in Medicine?

Written & edited by: 😈 Niki Wang

AI has already existed in healthcare for decades, dating back to the 1950’s when researchers explored the value of computers in diagnosing medical conditions. Now with the improved capabilities of ML models, AI now has the power to rapidly speed up medical work — will this truly revolutionize the healthcare industry?

ML x Healthcare

🩸 Smarter UX, Healthier Blood Sugar: Redesigning the Diabetes Experience

Written & edited by: 😛 Helen Fu

I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes this summer of 2025. Surprisingly, the reality of having diabetes has not been as overwhelming as I imagined. Why? Glucose monitoring apps. They’ve turned a daunting medical condition to something manageable, and sometimes, even empowering.

Diabetes Monitoring

👵 Grandmas, Robots, and Reducing Dementia Risk

Written & edited by: 👽 Joelle Lee

Each generation has had to adapt to its own wave of innovation: from Generation X witnessed the rise of the Internet and its ability to connect people worldwide, to Gen Alpha growing up alongside the advancement of artificial intelligence. While younger people often joke about “Boomers” struggling to keep up with FaceTime or misusing text abbreviations, many older adults are finding meaningful ways to adopt new technologies to improve their lives.

Companion Bots

🧠 AI Chatbots & Mental Health: Innovation or Intrusion?

Written & edited by: ❤️‍🔥 Audrey Zhao

With all the talk surrounding AI, it can only be expected for it to intersect with mental health. AI’s interactions have ranged from foreboding, as in this story about ChatGPT encouraging a 16-year old who ended up committing suicide, to promising, with research into developing AI counselors by Cedar-Sinai and a plethora of mental health-related apps available on the App Store. Which side carries more weight?

AI x Mental Health

🤔 Who’s behind the scenes?

The editors behind this week’s issue are 😛 Helen Fu, 👽 Joelle Lee, 😈 Niki Wang, ❤️‍🔥 Audrey Zhao, and 🦑 Kaitlyn Ng

✍️ Have Thoughts?

We are always looking for topics of interest to you and ways to improve our content! Let us know your thoughts/suggestions about our content via the google form below.

Feedback Form

🌱 Join the Community

Join the UXA Slack channel to get updates on upcoming events, learn about cool resources and opportunities, ask questions about anything HCI, and much more.

Join the Slack channel!

🥰 Follow UXA!

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