Designing for Serendipitous Togetherness: Multimodal Approaches to Shared Experiences across Time and Space

PhD Thesis Proposal Defence


Title: "Designing for Serendipitous Togetherness: Multimodal Approaches to 
Shared Experiences across Time and Space"

by

Mr. Zeyu HUANG


Abstract:

Human beings, as social animals, continually seek various shared experiences 
to connect and communicate with each other, especially after the COVID-19 
pandemic substantially altered our social dynamics. This thesis focuses on 
serendipitous shared experiences—unplanned and ad hoc interactions that 
offer social opportunities and create casual, poetic interpersonal 
connections. Despite its significance, designing such experiences for 
temporally or spatially separated individuals remains challenging compared 
to spontaneous co-located interactions.

To bridge this gap, I demonstrate how technological interventions can 
support serendipitous shared experiences through creative and multimodal 
interaction design. My research comprises four interconnected works 
structured around three conceptual pillars: (1) creating connections across 
temporal and spatial distributedness; (2) leveraging locations—both 
geographical and metaphorical—as anchors for social experiences; and (3) 
tailoring multimodal experiences to the unique affordances and limitations 
of each context.

In particular, two studies explored geographical locations-based designs. 
The first one focuses on scenic live streaming of a specific scenic site and 
its spatially distributed online audience. Leveraging Augmented Reality, I 
deliver immersive interactions that constitute a multi-user experience with 
local scenic and cultural contexts. The second work fosters community 
meaning-making of the campus space. To connect campus residents across time, 
a mobile application enables contribution to and exploration of geocached 
collective memory, offering locative and immersive narratives. The other two 
studies focused on metaphorical "locations" where the interactive medium 
itself brings people together. The third work foregrounds the temporally and 
physically separated viewers of online videos. Conceptualizing the online 
video as a metaphorical location where people gather, I enable viewers to 
share "goosebump feelings" during video consumption with a haptic-visual 
design. The non-intrusive affective communication successfully creates 
emotional contagion and togetherness. The final study uses hammocks at 
public spaces as unexpected location anchors for shared experience. To 
connect facility users across time, interactive bodily traces of previous 
occupants are captured and re-emerge through haptic feedback. The embodied 
experience succeeds in establishing poetic and engaging connections.

This thesis reveals a rich design space where technology transcends 
conventional face-to-face interpersonal interaction paradigms. By 
facilitating serendipitous shared experiences with meaningful resonance, 
emotional synchrony, and sensory engagement, it advances our understanding 
of how subtle yet profound human connections can be fostered across the 
boundaries of time and space.


Date:                   Tuesday, 10 June 2025

Time:                   4:00pm - 6:00pm

Venue:                  Room 3494
                        Lifts 25/26

Committee Members:      Dr. Xiaojuan Ma (Supervisor)
                        Dr. Xiaomin Ouyang (Chairperson)
                        Dr. Arpit Narechania