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Graduates
Giusti Yang
BS in Interaction Design — Interaction DesignCourse:
XD Topic Studio: Inputs
Faculty:
Yasaman Sheri
Term:
2024 Summer
Weaving Emotion - Embodied Sensing & Diverse Inputs
This research-driven project explored alternative forms of emotional input through machine learning and physical interaction. "Weaving Your Emotion Pattern" challenges conventional emotion recognition by letting users define their own emotional states through color-coded beads on a custom loom, which are then translated into generative visual patterns.
Process:
I began by questioning how machines interpret emotion and designed a system where users express feelings through tangible bead placement rather than facial recognition. After creating distinct visual languages for different emotions, I integrated a camera-based classification system using Teachable Machine, built the web interface with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and hand-constructed the physical loom structure to complete the embodied interaction experience.
Learning Outcomes:
This project deepened my understanding of machine learning as a tool for creative exploration rather than deterministic classification. I learned to design interactions that resist reductive emotional categorization, instead using ML to facilitate personal expression—transforming physical gestures into dynamic visual outputs that honor the complexity and subjectivity of human emotion.