We are pleased to have MinYoung Yoo from Simon Fraser University presenting at our SFU VINCI seminar.

MinYoung Yoo

Date: Wednesday, March 4, 2026

Time: 12:30 PM

Location: TASC1 9204, SFU Burnaby

Zoom Link: Join via Zoom

Talk Title: Beyond the Paper: A Seven-Year Journey of Co-Designing Sound-Based Reminiscence with People with Blindness

Abstract:
How do people with blindness remember, capture and share meaningful moments of life with their loved ones? What are their desire, wishes, and dreams for the future of reminiscence technology? In this talk, MinYoung reflects on a long-term research trajectory spanning from his master’s to his current PhD work, focused on designing sound-based reminiscence technologies with people with blindness.

Through a series of individual and group interviews, participatory activities, and workshops, Min explores how co-design and co-speculation facilitate sustained, collaborative inquiry toward deeper insights into participants’ lived experiences. Central to this seven-year journey is the reciprocity within the researcher-participant relationship. This engagement has deeply informed his approach to creating audio documentaries, sonic mementos, and design fiction stories that present research outcomes in ways participants, their loved ones, and their support networks can enjoy. This talk offers a window into this ongoing, evolving collaboration and advocates for a more creative, reciprocal process for design research.

Biography:
MinYoung Yoo is a PhD Candidate in the School of Interactive Arts and Technology (SIAT) at Simon Fraser University, advised by Will Odom, Ron Wakkary, and Arne Berger (Anhalt University of Applied Sciences, Germany), and is expected to graduate in Summer 2026. Min’s work sits at the intersection of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Research through Design (RtD), and Participatory Design (PD).

Min’s research explores how co-designed interactive technologies can support the lived experiences of marginalized groups while surfacing alternative perspectives often overlooked in design. Currently, his doctoral research project involves co-speculating sound-based reminiscence technologies with and for people with blindness, a work that has continued from his master’s project, working closely with some of the original participants for more than 6 years. Beyond his primary research, Min advocates and proposed the concept of “Alternative Research Outcomes (AROs)” within the HCI community, seeking ways to expand academic knowledge in “alternative forms” beyond written publication (e.g., documentary, audio, podcast, zines, exhibition, etc.) to reach broader audiences, including research participants, involved communities and the general public.

Before his PhD, Min earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Waterloo and gained extensive industry experience as a software engineer at companies including Microsoft, IBM, and SAP. This strong technical foundation enables him to bridge complex software system architecture and algorithms with creative, reciprocal design to produce high-fidelity, robust research artifacts.