About
I'm fascinated by the ways in which we understand the world around us, our perceptions, the ways we communicate, and the complexity of our emotions and cognitive processes. My works aim to go beyond the limitations of the WIMP archetype (window-icon-menu-pointer) to afford richer and more inclusive interaction modalities.
I have a Ph.D. in Media and Arts Technology at Queen Mary University of London. My research explores how a more inclusive and open design approach to technology for play could benefit marginalised children, such as minimally verbal to non-verbal autistic children. The focus of design is not just on the technology but on the environment created and the experience and opportunities offered.
I have a multidisciplinary background with degrees in Fine Arts, Multimedia Arts and Design (Scenography), Interactive Design, and Media, Arts and Technology. I also organised events and played as a DJ around Italy and Europe for several years under the pseudonym Flux'n. I was part of the BBD, the Megatron Sound Systems and the Rexistenz Records (RXSTNZ) crew.
I am passionate about children, ethical design, play, inclusive design, and human-human interactions. I have been working with disabled and autistic children for many years, both in Italy and the UK. I love (interactive) art, electronic music, coffee, making things with my hands, and the smell of Mediterranean Sea coastal plants, Play-Doh, watercolours and newly cut grass. My favourite art movements are Dada and Fluxus. I also like taking pictures and artistic gymnastics.
I have a good publications record, and my work was published and presented at high-level academic international conferences such as the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing System (CHI) and journals such as the International Journal of Human-Computer Studies (IJHCS) and other middle-level international conferences such as the Interaction Design and Children (IDC), where the work won the Best Demo Award, and the New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME) where I published on music-making to scaffold social playful activities and self-regulation. I co-authored a workshop on exploring design fiction and absurd making for critical NIME design that won the Best Workshop Prize. These publications can be accessed freely from the research section of this portfolio. Finally, I have provided peer- reviews for publications submitted at CHI, TACCESS, NIME, TEI, and IDC. In 2021, I received Special Recognition for Outstanding Reviews for CHI 2021 Papers.
Press:
Arduino: A diy pop-up interactive book made with recycled materials.
Weird Planet: Weird Planet - a segment of the show Daily Planet on air on Discovery Channel Canada.
CreativeApplications: Electronic pop up piano.
Atmel: This pop-up electronic DIY book is powered by Arduino.