Research
Research interests
- Product and Service Design for Ageing and Health: Developing inclusive products and services that empower healthier living, support independent ageing, and enhance quality of life.
- Design for Healthier Community Spaces: Exploring how design can shape inclusive, supportive community spaces that foster physical, mental, and social well-being across the lifespan.
- Visual Communication, User Experience (UX) and Interaction Design: Designing user-centered visual and interactive systems that integrate communication and technology to enhance usability, accessibility, and emotional engagement.
Current research
Shan’s research focuses on product and service design for ageing and health, with an emphasis on developing inclusive solutions that promote healthier living, support independent ageing, and enhance quality of life. She also investigates how design can shape supportive and inclusive community spaces that foster physical, mental, and social well-being across the lifespan. In addition, her work in visual communication, user experience (UX), and interaction design involves creating user-centered systems that integrate communication and technology to improve usability, accessibility, and emotional engagement.
Her research is grounded in a strong interdisciplinary approach, involving collaboration across design, health sciences, social sciences, and computer science. She employs a range of qualitative and quantitative methods, including co-design and cultural probe techniques, to deeply engage with users and stakeholders. Partnerships with external organizations such as Solent NHS Trust, Southampton Mayflower Care Home, Protolyst Technologies, and Rodd Design Company have provided real-world contexts for applying and testing her research, while also opening new pathways for funding. Shan has further contributed to interdisciplinary initiatives with the Global Smart Lab at WSA, exploring how emerging technologies—such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and artificial intelligence (AI)—can enhance digital experiences for ageing populations.
Funded Projects:
- 2023-2024, £25K, IAA AHRC Business and Commercialization Fellow
- 2022-2023, Project Lead, £4.6K, ESRC Impact Funding: Design a better user experience for Protolyst. Enabled a collaborative project with Protolyst Technologies Ltd, resulting in enhanced interface designs for a knowledge management tool.
- 2022-2023, Co- Lead, £14.5K, Web Science Institute Research, Image-based Conversational Search for Users with Intellectual Disability, under User-Centred Interactive Information Retrieval and Graphic Design Theme
- 2022-2023, Co- Lead, £4K, BU Design and Engineering QR, Psychosocial inclusivity in older people’ smart supermarket shopping