Conference proceedings
Peer-reviewed papers
2026
Hamid, Azeem (2026). Listening to design through relations in place. In Proceedings of 9th Art of Research (AoR 2026: Voices), 25–27 November 2026, Aalto University, Helsinki, Finland. ISSN 2984-0724. (Forthcoming)
Hameed, Umar; McDonagh, Deanna; Hamid, Azeem (2026). The studio as affective laboratory. In Proceedings of 9th Art of Research (AoR 2026: Voices), 25–27 November 2026, Aalto University, Helsinki, Finland. ISSN 2984-0724. (Forthcoming)
Veske-Lepp, Paula; Kuusk, Kristi; Babayev, Zaur; Hamid, Azeem (2026). Robustness in Early-Stage E-Textile Prototyping: Material, Construction, and Integration Decisions in Distributed Home Deployment. In Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on the Challenges, Opportunities, Innovations and Applications in Electronic Textiles (E-Textiles 2026), 24–26 November 2026, Pilsen, Czech Republic. (Forthcoming)
Tajadura-Jiménez, Ana; Márquez Segura, Elena; Turmo Vidal, Laia; Höök, Kristina; Kuusk, Kristi; Lopes, Pedro; Slater, Mel (2026). Sustainable Body Transformation Experiences. In Proceedings of the Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems: CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Barcelona, 2026. ACM, 1–9. Link
Hamid, Azeem; Hameed, Umar; Nimkulrat, Nithikul; Kuusk, Kristi (2026). Redefining design practice as a sensory and decentred experience. In Proceedings of the Design Research Society Conference: Edinburgh 2026, Volume 2. University of Edinburgh, Scotland. Link
Hamid, Azeem; Nimkulrat, Nithikul; Kuusk, Kristi (2026). Participation through designing relations with people, materials, and place. In Proceedings of the Participatory Design Conference 2026, Volume 2. Politecno di Milano, Milan, Italy. Link
Hamid, Azeem; Varm, Taavi (2026). Hopscotch: Playful Action Research. In Proceedings of the Participatory Design Conference 2026, Volume 2. Politecno di Milano, Milan, Italy. Link
Kuusk, Kristi; Veske-Lepp, Paula; Hamid, Azeem; Babayev, Zaur (2026). Remote Grandparents: A Tangible Interactive Experience for Intergenerational Connection at a Distance. AVI ’26: Proceedings of the 2026 International Conference on Advanced Visual Interfaces: Venice, Italy, June 8–12, 2026. Venice, Italy: Association for Computing Machinery, 1–3. Link
2025
Hamid, Azeem; Hameed, Umar (2025). Beyond Boundaries: Exploring Design through Place-Based Learning. In Clemente, V., Gomes, G., Reis, M., Félix, S., Ala, S., Jones, D. (eds.), Learn X Design 2025, 22–24 September 2025, Aveiro, Portugal. Link
Kuusk, Kristi; Hamid, Azeem; Babayev, Zaur; Veske-Lepp, Paula; Hazal Oktay, Nesli (2025). Relational Design for Remote Intergenerational Sensorial Play Experiences. 11th Nordic Design Research Society (NORDES) proceedings: 11th Nordic Design Research Society (NORDES), Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet), Oslo, Norway, August 6–8, 2025. Oslo: OsloMet. Link
Albano, Annunziata; Hamid, Azeem; Malbet, Agathe (2025). Exploring Haunted Spaces of Participation through Justice. In Proceedings of the 11th Nordic Design Research Society Conference (NORDES 2025), August 6–8, 2025, Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet), Oslo, Norway. Link
Kubinyi, Eva Liisa; Sintic, Jeanne (2025). Exploring design fieldwork dilemmas in mental healthcare through Foucaultian mechanisms of power. In Morrison, A., Culén, A. & Habib, L. (eds.), Nordes 2025: Relational Design, 6–8 August, Oslo, Norway. Link
2024
Madaghiele, Vincenzo; Demir, Arife Dila (2024). Pain Creature: interdisciplinary collaboration in the design of an embodied textile instrument. In Proceedings of New Interfaces for Musical Expressions (NIME 2024). Link
Veske-Lepp, Paula; Kuusk, Kristi; Kool, Helen; Beilmann, Merje; Traumann, Ada (2024). E-textiles in the Future of Wellbeing and Care of Elderly. P/references of Design: Cumulus Conference Proceedings Budapest 2024, Vol 1: Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design Budapest, Hungary, May 15–17, 2024. Cumulus Association, Moholy-Nagy Művészeti Egyetem (MOME), 1485–1503. Link
Hung, Hsuan-Hsiu; Kuusk, Kristi (2024). Moving Awareables. Digital Bodies Conference: Proceedings: Everything and Everybody as Material: Dialogical Bodies, Borås, Sweden, 19th–20th of April 2024. Ed. Tepe, Jan. Borås: University of Borås, Faculty of Textiles, Engineering and Business, 44–45. Link
Honauer, Michaela; Uğur Yavuz, Seçil; Kuusk, Kristi (2024). TREESENSE – Sensitising Children to Nature through Embodied Play. Proceedings of the 23rd Annual ACM Interaction Design and Children Conference. ACM, 639–643. Link
Hamid, Azeem; Hameed, Umar; Kuusk, Kristi (2024). Engaging Public Spaces: Designing for a playful live community experience. In Adjunct Proceedings of the 2024 Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (NordiCHI Adjunct 2024), October 13–16, 2024, Uppsala, Sweden. ACM, New York, NY, USA. Link
Demir, Arife Dila; Núñez-Pacheco, Claudia (2024). Autosomatographical Narratives: Towards the Articulation of Felt Accounts of Pain for Somaesthetic Design. In Proceedings of Designing Interactive Systems in the ACM Digital Library (DIS’2024). Link
2023
Demir, Arife Dila; Oktay, Nesli Hazal; Kuusk, Kristi (2023). Cultivating and Eliciting Felt Experiences for Design Use: Physical Manifestations of Abstract Bodily Experiences. In Proceedings of the Design Research Society Special Interest Group: Experiential Knowledge, EKSIG 2023. Link
Oktay, Nesli Hazal; Wilde, Danielle; Kuusk, Kristi (2023). Conversations with the Body of the Other: A Three-step Dialogical Process. In Proceedings of the Nordic Design Research Society, NORDES 2023. Link
2022
Oktay, Nesli Hazal (2022). Design placebos for the impossibility of empathy in videotelephony. In Lockton, D., Lenzi, S., Hekkert, P., Oak, A., Sádaba, J., Lloyd, P. (eds.), DRS2022: Bilbao, 25 June–3 July, Bilbao, Spain. Link
2021
Zhiglova, Yulia; Kuusk, Kristi; Lamas, David; Smorgun, Ilja; Seitlinger, Paul (2021). Wearable Confidence — Concept and Prototype Design. Human-Computer-Interaction – INTERACT 2021: 18th IFIP TC 13 International Conference, Bari, Italy, August 30–September 3, 2021. Ed. Ardito, C., Lanzilotti, R., Malizia, A., Petrie, H., Piccinno, A., Desolda, G., Inkpen, K. Springer, Cham, 328–331. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science; 12936). Link
Uğur Yavuz, Seçil; Kuusk, Kristi; Honauer, Michaela (2021). Designing somatic play for digital natives through a body-centric design process. DESIGN CULTURE (OF) ARTIFICIAL, 2: Cumulus Roma 2021. Ed. Loredana Di Lucchio, Lorenzo Imbesi, Angela Giambattista, Viktor Malakuczi. Roma: Cumulus, 264–278. (Design Culture(s). Cumulus Conference Proceedings Roma 2021, Volume #2; 2). Link
2020
Honauer, Michaela; Uğur Yavuz, Seçil; Kuusk, Kristi (2020). WORM-E: An Interactive Toy Enriching Children’s Bodily and Social Play. In: DIS 2020 proceedings and companion proceedings in the ACM Digital Library. DIS 2020: ACM Conference on Designing Interactive Systems, July 6–20, 2020, Eindhoven, The Netherlands, DIS 2020 will be a virtual conference. ACM. Link
Demir, Arife Dila (2020). AURA: Altering Self-Perception Through Interactive Light Emitting Textiles. Proceedings of the 11th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction: Shaping Experiences, Shaping Society. ACM Digital Library, 1–3. Link
2019
Kuusk, Kristi; Tajadura-Jiménez, Ana; Väljamäe, Aleksander (2019). Magic Lining: Crafting Multidisciplinary Experiential Knowledge by Changing Wearer’s Body-Perception through Vibrotactile Clothing. Conference Proceedings of International Conference 2019 of the DRS Special Interest Group on Experiential Knowledge. Ed. Nithikul Nimkulrat, Kristi Kuusk, Julia Valle Noronha, Camilla Groth and Oscar Tomico. Tallinn: Estonian Academy of Arts, 186–200. Link
Journal Articles
Hamid, Azeem (2026). Listening to design through relations in place. In Proceedings of 9th Art of Research (AoR 2026: Voices), 25–27 November 2026, Aalto University, Helsinki, Finland. ISSN 2984-0724. (Forthcoming)
Hameed, U.; McDonagh, D.; Hamid, A. (2026). The studio as affective laboratory. In Proceedings of 9th Art of Research (AoR 2026: Voices), 25–27 November 2026, Aalto University, Helsinki, Finland. ISSN 2984-0724. (Forthcoming)
Valle-Noronha, Julia; Konovalov, Marta; Kuusk, Kristi (2025). Layers of Repair—On Mending, Care, and Aesthetics of Affect. Fashion Theory. Link
Kuusk, Kristi; Hung, Hsuan Hsiu (2025). Designing for Embodied Care Through Wearables: Enhancing Relational Awareness with Multi-Sensorial Textiles. APRIA Journal. Link
Oktay, Nesli Hazal (2024). Creating Intimate Places for Close by Heart but Physically Apart People through Remote Embodiments. Research in Arts and Education Journal, 2024(1), 207–217. Link
Oktay, Nesli Hazal (2023). Dissolving distances: Designing Close-to-body Experiences for Remote Settings. HUB – Journal of Research in Art, Design and Society, 1(1). Link
Demir, Arife Dila; Kuusk, Kristi; Nimkulrat, Nithikul (2022). “Squeaky/Pain: Articulating the Felt Experience of Pain for Somaesthetic Interactions”. Temes de Disseny, 2022, Num. 38, pp. 162–178. Link
Demir, Arife Dila; Nimkulrat, Nithikul; Kuusk, Kristi (2022). ‘Squeaky/Pain’: Cultivating Disturbing Experiences and Perspective Transition for Somaesthetic Interactions. Diseña, (20), Article 2. Link
Neves, Inês Rodrigues; Reyes, Claudia Diaz; Pachi, Ismini; Demir, Arife Dila; Kuusk, Kristi (2021). Creative exchange through joint responsibility: designing performances in multidisciplinary teams in the educational context. Research in Arts and Education, 1/2021. Link
Kubinyi, Eva Liisa; Naydenova, Vera; Kuusk, Kristi (2021). Children and design students practicing playful co-creation in a youth creativity lab. Research in Arts and Education, 1/2021. Link
Kuusk, Kristi; Tajadura-Jiménez, Ana; Väljamäe, Aleksander (2020). A transdisciplinary collaborative journey leading to sensorial clothing. CoDesign – International Journal of CoCreation in Design and the Arts. Link
Tajadura-Jiménez, Ana; Väljamäe, Aleksander; Kuusk, Kristi (2020). Altering One’s Body-perception Through E-Textiles and Haptic Metaphors. Frontiers in Robotics and AI. Link
Research Projects
Kuusk, Kristi (Principal Investigator); Raju, Marju; Leppik, Einike; Movko-Mägi, Alyona (Sep 1, 2026–Dec 20, 2027). Sensorial Care: The Influence of Materials and Sound on Bodily Perception. Funded by the Estonian Ministry of Culture, Kultuuriministeeriumi loovuurimuse toetus (KUM-LU). Number: KUM-LU66. Finance: 25,832 EUR. Link
Oktay, Nesli (Principal Investigator); Kuusk, Kristi; Hamid, Azeem; Kubinyi, Eva Liisa; Babayev, Zaur (Feb 1, 2025–Jan 2027). Co-creating Design(s) to Support Intimacy Between Remote Families: A Collaborative Approach to Interaction, Social, and Sensorial Design. Funded by Estonian Academy of Arts, Creative Research Grant. Number: A6033UTNHO. Finance: 40,000 EUR. Link
Kuusk, Kristi (Principal Investigator); Konovalov, Marta; Movko-Mägi, Alyona (2026–2027). Sensorial Care: The Influence of Materials on Bodily Perception and Social Experience. Funded by Estonian Academy of Arts, EKA Research Grant. Link
Kuusk, Kristi (Principal Investigator); Hamid, Azeem; Babayev, Zaur (Nov 1, 2024–Dec 31, 2025). Enhancing Intergenerational Mental Wellbeing: Embodied Play for Children and Their Remote Grandparents. Funded by the Estonian Ministry of Culture. Number: KUM-LU4. Finance: 45,000 EUR. Link
Dissertations
Oktay, Nesli Hazal (2024). Far-away Bodies: Co-creating Design(s) in and for Remote Intimacy. PhD Dissertation. Estonian Academy of Arts. Tallinn, Estonia. Link
Demir, Arife Dila (2023). Extended [Textile] Soma: Somaesthetics of Bodily Discomforts. PhD Dissertation. Estonian Academy of Arts. Tallinn, Estonia. Link
Kuusk, Kristi (2016). Crafting sustainable smart textile services. Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Link
Book Chapters / Abstracts / Other Proceedings
Ugur, Secil; Kuusk, Kristi (2025). Soft Play interattivo e sostenibilità. Camuffo, Giorgio; Videsott, Gerda. Progettare per i bambini. Dialoghi tra design ed educazione Volume 2. Italia: antiga edizioni.
Hamid, Azeem (2024). Participation in public spaces of Tallinn. In parallel session titled ‘Development of public spaces: urban, rural and institutional’ at the Heritage in the Service of Resilient Communities International Conference, October 1–2, 2024, Viljandi, Estonia. University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy. Extended Abstract. Link
Oktay, Nesli Hazal (2023). Tangible Engagements with Possible Future(s) through Design Fiction. In Proceedings of (Building) New Perspectives through Practice-led Research in Art, Design and Architecture 2022, 77–84. Link
Hamid, Azeem (2023). How the déjà vu effect influences user behaviour and experience? Bootcamp UX Collective, 07.06.2023. Link
Kuusk, Kristi; Valle Noronha, Julia; Tomico, Oscar (2022). Digital Technology Reshaping Clothing and Textile Practice Towards Sustainability. In: Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of World Textiles. Bloomsbury. (Textile Futures). Link
Leida Design Journal Publications
Kuusk, Kristi; Hamid, Azeem; Veske-Lepp, Paula; Oktay, Nesli Hazal; Babayev, Zaur (2025). Remote Grandparents: Designing Relations, Not Things. Online Design Journal Leida, 1(6). Link
Oktay, Nesli Hazal (2024). Sensorial Mapping: A design method for observing and reflecting through the lived body. Online Design Journal Leida, 1(5). Link
Kubinyi, Eva Liisa; Konovalov, Marta; Remm, Jane; Rääk, Kadri Liis (2024). A dialogue on the possibility of non-production. Online Design Journal Leida, 1(5). Link
Hung, Hsuan-Hsiu; Kuusk, Kristi (2024). Moving Awareables: Multi-Sensorial Artefacts that Care for Us. Online Design Journal Leida, 1(4). Link
Kuusk, Kristi; Oktay, Nesli Hazal; Demir, Arife Dila (2022). Sensorial Design: Feel, Move, Interact! In Design Journal Leida 1(1). Link
Workshops
Demir, Arife Dila; Park, Jooyoung; Núñez-Pacheco, Claudia; Ciolfi Felice, Marianela (2023). Designing with the Body in Unhabitual Movements using Visual and Textual Elicitation Tools. In Proceedings of the Seventeenth International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction (TEI ’23). Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). Link
Popova, Kristina; Park, Jooyoung; Demir, Arife Dila (2023). Conquering the silence, exploring the uncomfortable together: A collective exploration of discomfort as a design resource. The 10th Nordic Design Research Society (Nordes) Conference. June 12–14, Sweden. Link
Scholz, Barbro; Honauer, Michaela; Kuusk, Kristi; Veske, Paula; Ugur Yavuz, Seçil (2022). Designing wearable interactions through playful on-body explorations. In Proceedings of ETIS 2022, 3328: 5th European Tangible Interaction Studio Toulouse, France, November 7–10, 2022. Ed. Valérie Maquil. CEUR Workshop Proceedings. Link
Ugur Yavuz, Seçil; Veske-Lepp, Paula; Scholz, Barbro; Honauer, Michaela; Kuusk, Kristi (2021). Design for Playfulness with Interactive Soft Materials. In Proceedings of the Fifteenth International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction. Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). Link
Demos
Oktay, Nesli Hazal (2021). Gazing for Meaning. International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling 2021. Tallinn, Association for Research in Digital Interactive Narratives as part of STARTS.EE Exhibition 2021, Tallinn, December 2021. Link
Demir, Arife Dila; Kohava, M. (2020). Odyssey for One. STARTS.EE art + science residency. eˉlektron art, Tallinn, Estonia, December 2020.
Exhibitions
Hamid, Azeem. Exhibition (2026). Sensing and relating to design. In Riga Photography Biennale 2026, Symposium titled “Togetherness”. May 21, 2026, Riga Contemporary Art Space. Curated by Maija Rudovska, supported by State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia, Riga City Council, Riga Contemporary Art Space, Arterritory.com, Echo Gone Wrong and NOBA. Link
Kuusk, Kristi; Hamid, Azeem; Babayev, Zaur; Veske-Lepp, Paula. Presentation/Exhibition (2025). Remote Grandparents. Tallinn Design Festival, October 2025.
Kuusk, Kristi; Honauer, Michaela; Ugur Yavuz, Seçil. Exhibition (2024). WORTH II Exhibition. Project: Treesense. Milan Design Week, April 2023.
Kuusk, Kristi. ICIDS STARTS Exhibition (2022). Project: Magic Lining. TLU Estonia, 7-10-12-2021.
Kuusk, Kristi. Lapse asi. EKA tudengite disain lastele. Project: Textales, Bedtime Stories. EKA Gallery, October–November 2022.
Kuusk, Kristi. Textile Design Department Exhibition / Soft Negotiations (2022). Project: ‘Magic Lining’. Gallery Artifex, Vilnius Academy of Arts, Lithuania, April–May 2022.
Demir, Arife Dila. Textile Design Department Exhibition / Soft Negotiations (2022). Project: ‘SQUEAKY/PAIN’. Gallery Artifex, Vilnius Academy of Arts, Lithuania, April–May 2022.
Hamid, Azeem; Niinepuu, Merje; Klais, Karina. Exhibition (2022). I don’t know what to wear. Design and Be Designed: Speculations on Sustainability. Roheliina Saal, Tallinn, Estonia. Francisco Martínez (Curator), Eesti Kunstakadeemi, Environment Agency – Republic of Estonia. February 2022.
Kuusk, Kristi. Textile Design Department Exhibition / Soft Negotiations (2021). Project: ‘Magic Lining’. EKA Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia, October–November 2021.
Demir, Arife Dila. Textile Design Department Exhibition / Soft Negotiations (2021). Project: ‘SQUEAKY/PAIN’. EKA Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia, October–November 2021.
Sensorial Design Group Exhibition. Disainiöö (2021). Tallinn, Estonia, September 2021.