Research | Daeun Hwang

Daeun Hwang

Hi! I'm Daeun (Dany), a Ph.D. student bridging technical systems and human-centered design to amplify individual creativity, agency, and expression through technology and AI.

My research explores how generative AI can empower youth and everyday creators to express their unique voice. This includes fostering creative AI literacy for underserved youth through intergenerational sense-making in GenAI creation (music/vibe coding).

Grounded in a global UX background, I use mixed methods to design intuitive, supportive interactions with intelligent systems.

Currently pursuing Ph.D. in Information Science @University of Washington

Advised by Dr. Jin Ha Lee and Dr. Jason C. Yip

RECENT

Sept. 2026: Became part of a research project collaborating with OnePlanet, to foster community-led AI adoption and youth creativity. 🇵🇪
Apr. 2026: Attended CHI 2026 as 2nd author of a paper and student volunteer. 🇪🇸
Mar. 2026: Started working as Student Researcher at Google Cloud, Applied AI Team!

Featured Research

Exploring player motivation in static and dynamic narrative

NSF-Funded project

IEEE Transactions on Games 2025

CHI 2025 Workshop (Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems)

ICIDS 2024 (International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling)

AI-driven dynamic narrative systems for education
Comparative study analyzing player experience
Deriving design implications from qualitative insights

How does constructive feedback in an educational game sound to children?

International Journal of Child Computer Interaction (IJCCI)

Independent research and solo game development
3x2 between-subject experimental study with 60 pairs of children and parents
Analyzing how sound feedback impacts learners
Discovering children's emotional reactions to different feedback types

Mindfulness techniques taught through game mechanics

CHI PLAY 2024 (The Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play)

Narrative game design (PM and designer roles)
Translating mindfulness techniques into interactive game mechanics
Promoting emotional well-being through gameplay

Becoming a Healthy Player: Exploring Teen Esports Players’ Perspectives on Mental Well-Being through Participatory Design (2026)

Cho, Y., Hwang, D., Lam, A., Lee, J. H., & Yip, J. C. CHI (Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems)

#E-sports #Mental Well-being #Teens

User Preferences for Interaction Timing in Smartwatch Sleep Hygiene Games (2025)

Liang, Z., Hwang, D., Chen, S., Hoang, N. H., Khotchasing, K., Melcer, E. F.

CHI (Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems)

#Sleep hygiene game #Interaction Timing

Building Visual Novels with Social Simulation and Storylets (2024)

Johnson-Bey, S., Liao, K., Shields, S., Hwang, D., Wardrip-Fruin, N., Mateas, M., & Melcer, E.

International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling

#Dynamic Educational Narrative

Mindfulness Techniques Taught Through Game Mechanics (2024)

Hwang, D., Melcer, E. F.

CHI PLAY (The Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play)

#Game mechanics #Narrative game

Exploring engagement in Idle Game Design (2024)

Hwang, D., Melcer, E. F.

IEEE Conference on Games

#Player engagement #Design implication

The Role of Relevance in Shaping Perceptions of Sleep Hygiene Games Among University Students: Mixed Methods Study (2024)

Liang, Z., Melcer, E. F., Khotchasing, K., Chen, S., Hwang, D., Hoang, N. H.

JMIR Serious Games

#Sleep health #Watch-based game

How Does Constructive Feedback in an Educational Game Sound to Children? (2023)

Hwang, D., Kang, Y.

International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction

#Sound feedback #Emotional reaction

Understanding Human Perception of Music Plagiarism Through a Computational Approach (2024)

Hwang, D., Hwang, H.

ISMIR (Conference of the International Society for Music Information Retrieval)

(Late breaking work poster presentation)

#Human Perception #LLM-as-a-judge framework

A Music Information Retrieval Approach to Classify Sub-Genres in Role Playing Games (2024)

Hwang, D., Cai, X., E. Melcer, E. Carstendottir.

ISMIR (Conference of the International Society for Music Information Retrieval)

(Late breaking work poster presentation)

#Video game music #Feature extraction

EMO100DB: An Open Dataset of Improvised Songs with Emotion Data

Hwang, D., Park, S.

ICMPC (International Conference of Music Perception and Cognition)

#Dataset #MIR and emotion

HCI for Climate Resilience: Developing an Individual and Community Focused Framework through a Grounded Theory Approach (2025)

Hirsch, L., Hwang, D., , Johns, M., Isbister, K.

Conference on Designing for Interactive Systems

#HCI for climate resilience

Exploring the Extent of Usability for Augmented Profile Interfaces in Enhancing Conversation Experiences (2023)

Ryu, H., Bang, H., Hwang, D., Kang, Y.

Interacting with Computers

#AR #Observational study

Does Interactive Media Art Engage an Audience More Than Non-Interactive One Does? (2022)

Hwang, D., Oh, S., Jun, S.

Korean Society Design Culture Conference Proceeding

#Experimental study #Interactive media art

Meari: Interactive Smart Screen Designed to Tailor Personal Hiking Routes (2022)

Hwang, D., Choi, M., Jung, H., Baek, Y. J., Lee, H. B., Lee, Y., Ho, J., Lee, J., Jun, S.

Korean Society Design Culture Conference Proceeding

#Extensive user studies

Sbin: Smart, Interactive and IoT-Based Rotating Garbage Classifying Bin (2020)

Hwang, D., Chung, Y. J., Yoo, Y. M., Jun, S., Holoubek, T.

Korean Society Design Culture Conference Proceeding

#IoT #Product development

More about Daeun!

My research is driven by a simple but strong belief: technology should be more than just a tool; it should provide an engaging and even playful experience.

Growing up as a missionary's kid in Ecuador, I could see firsthand how small details could have a huge impact on users in terms of human-computer interaction. That insight fuels my research journey today, where I explore how AI and emerging technologies can scaffold creativity, support diverse youth, and foster meaningful human-computer interactions.

For UX focused portfolio, please visit daeunhwang.com (click to see)

Currently in Seattle, WA, USA