Alice Haynes

I am a Digital Futures Postdoctoral Fellow working on a project called Felt Connections alongside Kia Höök and Iolanda Leite. 

My research centers around designing and creating shape-changing interfaces for meaningful body-based interactions. I am interested in how these interfaces touch the body, aiming to encourage tactile, physical interactions and bodily engagements that foster connection to ourselves and others.

Coming from a background in engineering and soft robotics, I draw from this experience to fabricate textile interfaces that can change shape and form by integrating pneumatics and shape-memory materials. Here at KTH, I am learning about and incorporating soma design methods that foreground our bodies and felt experiences into the design process for creating these interfaces. Currently, I am particularly interested in how these body-based technologies can support positive relationships with our bodies, encouraging care, acceptance and curiosity in place of control and resistance. I am exploring this through several lenses; a first-person exploration of designing for my personal experiences with scoliosis, and a collaborative exploration of bodily symmetry and asymmetry.

If you are interested to know more about my work please don't hesitate to get in touch! 

Are you a Master's student at KTH?

If you are interested in doing your Master's thesis with me, I would love to hear from you. You can find more info and project ideas here: Master's thesis ideas and examples