I design and facilitate learning experiences that help people think critically, creatively, and ethically about technology and design. Through industry mentoring, workshops, courses, and work integrated learning pathways, I translate complex ideas into accessible, embodied learning practices.

Introduction

This area of my portfolio showcases currently featured projects that demonstrate my skills and experience in developing and delivering future-focused in-person, hybrid and remote educational modules, courses, workshops, research projects. I’ve also included some mentoring and testimonial examples. Each project or testimonial communicates my commitment to excellence and holistic approaches to applied learning research, design and development.

Overview

I design transformative learning experiences that equip students and industry professionals for dynamic careers with adaptive skills within emerging applications of technologies, responsible innovation, and digital design. Selected projects demonstrate the following impacts:

• 8 years teaching at RMIT University College of Design and Social Context

• 1,200+ students taught/mentored/supervised

• GTS 4.4/5.0 - consistently above institutional averages

• 3+ courses designed from scratch as inaugural studio lead

• Flexibility of teaching and learning design

R&D Supervision & Industry Partnerships

Via my Digital Wellbeing startup - Nurobodi - I collaborate with CareerDC as an industry partner to provide structured, research-based mentoring and Work Integrated Learning (WIL) supervision for postgraduate STEM and Design Research student internship placements.

I have provided graduate and postgraduate research interns from University of Melbourne, UNSW, Monash University as well as providing Practera (WIL) students with research and development supervision across diverse disciplines including design, market research, biomedical engineering, data science, business analytics, and AI development.

This industry-academic partnership model bridges university research training with real-world R&D contexts, providing students with authentic experience in:

Research Focus Areas:

• UX applications for digital wellbeing and therapeutic contexts

• Multidisciplinary/Interdisciplinary research methods spanning design, psychology, and technology

• Affective AI methodologies and emotion recognition systems

• Paralinguistic vocal pattern analysis for emotional state mapping

• Sound-colour resonance frameworks (sonochromatic interaction design)

Supervision Framework:

Postgraduate students engage in 12 week part-time practice-based research within Nurobodi's active R&D projects, developing technical capabilities while contributing to innovation in affective computing and human-centered AI. The WIL structure ensures research outputs align with both academic requirements and industry application contexts.

This model demonstrates my commitment to creating pathways between academic training and emerging industry needs, particularly in responsible AI and digital wellbeing innovation sectors.

ACMI-RMIT Public Relations & Digital CommS Capstone (WIL)

Overview

Course Tutor & Industry Liaison Lead

Coordinated industry partnerships with major organizations including ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image) and REGEN. Managed 20-student inaugural cohort through client-based capstone projects within a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) framework, to generate company-based PR and digital communications strategic IP.

Strategic Leadership

Supervised student teams developing gamification strategies, marketing communications, and PR-related intellectual property for ACMI, including documentation and KPI development. Achieving significant industry validation—student work was presented at ACMI's Annual General Meeting.

Functioned as project manager, director, and liaison, preparing students for professional workplace dynamics through authentic client engagement and real-world deliverables.

Transformative Colour-Resonance Environments (TCRE)

RMIT Course Design | Affective Design Education | Practice-Based Research

#AffectiveDesign #DesignPsychology #ColourPsychology #AudioVisualDesign DesignByResearch #ProductionDesign #ExhibitionDesign #DigitalMediaCuration #CulturalHeritage #Innovation #ProjectManagement #3D #Gamification

Overview

TCRE is a pioneering 24-point course I designed from scratch as inaugural studio lead at RMIT University. It integrates affective design theory, colour psychology, sound design, interaction psychology and virtual exhibition curation, into a comprehensive research-led curriculum that pushes students to understand how audiovisual environments shape emotional and cognitive experience.

Students are inspired to research, prototype, and contextualize how light, colour, and sound create transformative experiences. Individual user-research pathways are integrated within broader fields of UX/interaction design as technical and creative resonance and colour theory and research.  

TCRE challenges students to:

• Understand colour and sound as spectrum languages for emotional communication

• Apply empirical research methodologies to subjective aesthetic decisions

• Design experiences that are both scientifically informed and creatively innovative

• Document and contextualize their practice-based research as scholarly work

Course Structure & Pedagogy

Research-Led Design Methodology

Students develop individual research pathways exploring:

• Colour psychology - How hue, saturation, brightness affect mood and cognition

• Sonic resonance - Psychoacoustic principles and frequency-emotion relationships

• Audiovisual integration - How sound and light interact to amplify affective impact

• Cultural semiotics - Understanding how meaning varies across mediums and contexts

Phase 1: Research & Conceptualization

• Literature review of colour theory, sound psychology, affective design

• User research and comparative analysis studies

• Development of research questions and hypotheses

• Conceptual frameworks for audiovisual-colour resonance

Phase 2: Design & Planning

• Translation of research into design specifications

• Production planning and technical documentation

• Iterative prototyping and user testing

• Refinement based on empirical and qualitative feedback

Phase 3: Production & Execution

• Creation of immersive audiovisual environments

• Application of affective design principles to real-world outputs

• Technical execution across multiple media (sound, light, interaction)

• Documentation of process and decision-making

Phase 4: Contextualisation & Exhibition

• Critical reflection on research and outcomes

• Curation of work within 3D online immersive galleries (Spatial.io)

• Professional presentation of both process and product

• Exhibition design as final assessment of research communication

Innovative Assessment Design

Publicly Accessible Virtual Galleries

Rather than traditional portfolios, students curate their work in 3D navigable exhibition spaces that serve multiple purposes:

• Exhibition of final work - Immersive presentation of audiovisual outcomes

• Process documentation - Visual research journey displayed spatially

• Skills demonstration - Shows technical mastery of 3D environment design

• Professional portfolio piece - Shareable, impressive showcase for future opportunities

This exhibition design functions as both interactive-design-assessment & portfolio artefact—gives that provides designers with real-world value from their skills development that demonstrates the value of interactive practice-based research.

Technical Competencies

• Advanced colour theory and application (HSL, RGB, HEX spectrum systems)

• Psychoacoustic principles for affective sound design

• 3D environment design and spatial storytelling

• Research documentation and academic writing

• Exhibition curation and presentation design

Conceptual Development

• Understanding affective design as research discipline

• Applying behavioural psychology to creative practice

• Systems thinking for experiential design

• Critical analysis of cultural and contextual meaning

• Ethical frameworks for persuasive design

Professional Practices

• Practice-based research methodologies

• Iterative design and user testing

• Professional documentation and presentation

• Cross-disciplinary communication

• Portfolio development and self-promotion

Student Outcomes & Impact

Transformative Learning Experiences

Student testimonials highlight the course's profound impact:

"TCRE taught me transferable skills regarding colour, sound, and the interplay between them to shape environments/emotions. It definitely helped me develop my sensitivity to colour, sound and emotions and the incorporation of these attributes within design."
— TaiShang Sun, RMIT Alumni

"I learned practical and academic skills that have profoundly shaped my approach to design, including methods in colour psychology theories, semantic colour mapping, resonance analysis, and affective design principles and processes."
— Wunhao Li, 3D Artist / Game Designer

"After TCRE, I have a completely different understanding of colour as a medium of depth, not just surface value. Furthermore, I am now more confident in my knowledge and also feel more attuned to my surroundings."
— Nimuel Nghi Duong, Digital Designer

Career Scope & Advancement

TCRE graduates have gone on to roles in:

• UX/UI design with emotional intelligence focus

• Immersive experience design (museums, exhibitions, events)

• Architectural lighting and environmental design (Physical and Virtual)

• Digital wellbeing and therapeutic applications

• Game design and interactive media

Industry & Academic Recognition

Course Innovation

• First of its kind at RMIT to fully integrate affective design research into undergraduate curriculum

• Interdisciplinary model combining psychology, design, technology, and creative practice

• Assessment innovation using 3D virtual galleries as both exhibition and portfolio

• Practice-based research focus preparing students for research-led industry roles

Key Insights & Pedagogical Innovation

Research as Creative Process

Students learn that rigorous research doesn't constrain creativity—it deepens it. Understanding the "why" behind color and sound choices makes design more intentional and impactful.

Process as Product

The emphasis on documenting and exhibiting research processes teaches students that design thinking itself is valuable, not just final outputs.

Affective Design as Core Competency

Rather than treating emotion as subjective or secondary, TCRE positions affective awareness as a professional skill that can be learned, practiced, and refined.

Digital Exhibition Literacy

Students gain experience with spatial design, virtual curation, and immersive storytelling—skills increasingly valuable in XR, gaming, and digital experience industries.

Deliverables & Student Work Examples

Student projects have explored:

• Circadian rhythm regulation through adaptive lighting systems

• Sonic environments for meditation and focus

• Color-emotion mapping for therapeutic applications

• Immersive installations exploring cultural color symbolism

• Interactive audiovisual systems responding to user movement/biometrics

Key Takeaways

• Both 12pt and 24-point courses designed from scratch as inaugural studio lead

• Research-led pedagogy integrating psychology, design, and technology

• Innovative assessment using 3D virtual gallery exhibitions

• Transformative student outcomes with consistently exceptional feedback

• Industry-relevant skills preparing graduates for emerging design roles

• Pedagogical innovation influencing curriculum development across institution

TCRE demonstrates that affective design education can be both academically rigorous and creatively liberating—equipping students with the research skills and emotional intelligence to design meaningful experiences.

Affective Identity Design for Multi-SCreen Arrays

#CourseDesign #UX #XR #Interdisciplinary #Strategy #Research #STEM #SpatialDesign #SystemsThinking #Innovation #ProjectManagement

Overview:

This project showcases my interdisciplinary capability in pioneering innovative uses of RMIT’s Virtual Experiences Laboratory (VXLab), specifically by integrating technical development of the advanced tiled display technology within the GOV Lab as an immersive distributed yet synchronised collective co-design expression. Collaborating directly with Dr. Ian Peake, Technical Manager of VXLab, I strategically extended the lab’s media capabilities for XR-enriched industry, creative and educational experiences.

This enabled unprecedented creative opportunities for students while demonstrating new technical possibilities to industry partners, including:

• System design research for complex visualisation prototypes

• Distributed, collaborative design requiring multiple synchronised views

• High-resolution immersive audiovisual rendering

• Student projects in composite empathy mapping and identity visualisation

Student UX Affective Design Mapping

Composite Empathy/Identity Testing

Audiovisual Affective Production Design Lecture

Deliverables:

Interdisciplinary Design/STEM strategic project modelling

• Interdisciplinary Design/STEM technical/creative design research and course design

• Co-Design, development and deployment of custom tools and methods for ultra-high-resolution multi-screen array integrations.

• Agile management of student learning pathways and project assets within technical resource limitations.

• Innovative integration of advanced A/V technologies into overlapping Design/STEM educational contexts.

• Enhanced immersive multimedia learning experiences above and beyond benchmark standard visual practice.

Key Insights:

This initiative highlights the effectiveness of interdisciplinary and strategic design thinking in navigating resource constraints to innovate educational technologies. It exemplifies how agile project management and effective communication among interdisciplinary teams and stakeholders can foster significant technological advancement and amplify institutional capacity for Design/STEM integrations as a way to meet evolving industry demands and foster creative education and research innovation.

The project exemplified interdisciplinary STEM/Design collaboration and agile project management within technical resource constraints.

Key outcomes:
Custom visualisation tool development | Interdisciplinary collaboration frameworks | Technical innovation in educational contexts | Industry partnership demonstration | Stakeholder management | Production Design IP Development

Agile UX CO-Design Workshop Facilitation

#UX #Agile #REA #Industry #CoDesign #DesignLead #Workshop #Facilitation #Mentoring

Introduction:

As part of an co-facilitated industry based Agile UX workshop between RMIT and REA Group, we explored how Agile methodologies and user-centred design intersect in real-world scenarios. The workshop, co-facilitated with REA’s UX practitioners, was a hands-on, high-energy session designed to simulate iterative sprint design thinking within an Agile framework, while contrasting this with traditional Waterfall approaches.

Overview:

The workshop opened with a crash-course on Agile principles, foregrounding the central question:
"What does Agile really look like — and how does it differ from Waterfall in day-to-day practice?"

With dual projections and real-time facilitation, participants were introduced to these contrasting models. Rather than treating them as abstract frameworks, the session grounded their differences through role-play and UX artefact production, inviting participants to embody Waterfall and Agile mindsets as they progressed through the design stages.

Phase 1: User Understanding & Persona Development:

To lay a strong foundation in user-centred thinking, participants began by sketching quick self-portraits based on partner interviews. While this exercise brought levity and connection, it also introduced key UX research skills:

• Empathy building

• User observation

• Communication through artefacts

These illustrations served as proto-personas, catalysing discussions around behavioural patterns, motivations, and assumptions. Participants began identifying user needs and pain points — critical to shaping meaningful product concepts.

Phase 2: Mapping Agile vs Waterfall UX Workflows:

With personas in hand, teams transitioned into visualising project journeys using both Waterfall and Agile UX models:

• Waterfall tracks emphasized linearity: research → design → development → testing → launch.

• Agile tracks prioritized iteration: sprint-based cycles where discovery, prototyping, and feedback looped continuously.

These workflows were visualised and acted out — with roles like designer, developer, and stakeholder assigned — to physically embody the pace, rigidity, and flexibility of each approach. This helped clarify how Agile UX supports emergent learning and rapid pivoting based on user feedback.

Phase 3: Paper Prototyping:

In small teams, students translated insights into low-fidelity concepts using paper interfaces. These sketches and mockups served as rapid, testable expressions of early ideas — echoing Lean UX principles:

• Test early, test often

• Design for outcomes, not outputs

Paper prototypes allowed teams to explore user flows, wireframes, and interface logic before committing to high-fidelity design or development decisions.

Phase 4: Lego-Based 3D UX Modelling:

Building on the paper prototypes, teams moved into tactile prototyping using Lego. This phase invited participants to model their UX concepts in three-dimensional space:

• Interface zones became modular blocks

• User paths were constructed as physical journeys

• Interaction flows became spatialised narratives

This playful-yet-strategic exercise challenged teams to translate abstract digital experiences into tangible, spatial metaphors — deepening their understanding of UX architecture and service touchpoints.

Through collaborative iteration, user needs were mapped physically into 3D systems — bringing together principles of affordance, accessibility, user flow, and hierarchy in unexpected ways.

Insights:

Throughout the session, students practiced not only design ideation but also Agile rituals:

• Daily stand-up style check-ins

• Retrospectives at each phase

• Collaborative role-switching between user, designer, and facilitator

The workshop reinforced that UX is not a phase, but a continuous presence within Agile teams — supporting ongoing discovery, validation, and refinement.

From playful self-portraits to robust Lego ecosystems, the session made space for creativity, critical thinking, and real-world UX agility — all while demystifying how Agile and Waterfall feel when enacted in practice.

Nurobodi/CSIRO/RMIT: AI/CX/UX Industry Benchmarks

#AI #CX #UX #Industry #Research #Strategy #Project Management

Overview:

IN this project supervised design and development of industry-focused AI ethics frameworks. Alongside seasoned RMIT senior researcher Dr. Lisa Dethridge and Dr Justine Lacey of CSIRO’s Responsible Innovation Future Science Platform, and Data61 consultants, myself and my Nurobodi team engaged in the design and development of a very different kind of AI/CX/UX service design. Of primary importance was investigating the “ethics” of AI programming in both process and product outcomes. We sought to identify key problems, barriers, and opportunities and to develop ethical solutions while demonstrating human-centered design (HCD), UX, and User Interface design methodologies to generate a low-cost, rapid prototyping of a minimum viable product (MVP).

Project Summary:

The hypothesis with Project Amber explored interdisciplinary research, design and development possibilities to design and fine-tune a base model to interact based on fine-tuned knowledge of international standards for ethics and responsible tech innovations practices. The project sought to foreground the importance of the human in the loop and mindfulness as a mechanic of research, design and development of industry CX standards for responsible and explainable AI applications.

Deliverables:

• Research designs and documentation

• Working prototype development examples

• Present methods for extrapolating foundational research insights

• Devise directives for human-AI co-reasoning based on comparisons of base model vs Amber (fine-tuned) outputs

• Synthesise recommendations for future research, design and development of strategic industry based XAI integrations

• Summarise and present research design and development documentation to RMIT/CSIRO/Data61 analysts

Key Insights:

Despite being a legacy study in GPTs, LLMs and AI in general (2022 is eons ago), this project was, and still is, an extremely innovative and timely interdisciplinary project as well as cautionary tale. As well as its research, design and development deliverables, it highlights the importance of interdisciplinary designers as responsible ‘humans in the loop’, as necessary for ongoing XAI systems integration.

The project also stands as a strong portfolio example that focuses on peak body benchmark research and industry partnerships involving high-level strategic stakeholders invested in co-design and strategic interaction frameworks for the design, development and deployment of responsible and explainable AI (XAI) integrations.

Nurobodi Qi Gong – Digital Course Design & Development

#EducationDesign #InstructionalDesign #CourseDevelopment
#CurriculumDesign #LearningExperienceDesign #DigitalLearning
#OnlineEducation #WebDevelopment #FullStackDevelopment
#FrontEndDevelopment #UXDesign #UIUX #ResponsiveDesign

Overview

Nurobodi Qi Gong – Heart of the Mountain – is a six-week online wellness course I designed and developed to blend traditional Qi Gong practice with a modern digital learning experience​. As both the instructor and technical lead, I built the front-end interface and the full-stack course infrastructure, integrating secure payment processing and an intuitive user experience. The project showcases my unique combination of educational content creation, web development expertise, and user-centered design.

Project Summary

Drawing on my 15+ years of Qi Gong practice, I designed a progressive six-week curriculum that built learners' skills incrementally. I wrote lesson notes, filmed and edited demonstration videos, and recorded audio meditations to provide a comprehensive learning experience.

On the technical side, I managed the full web design and development process. I designed the front-end to reflect Nurobodi’s calm and professional brand identity, using serene imagery and clean layouts to create a welcoming user experience. I optimized the interface for simplicity and clarity, ensuring intuitive navigation for users to sign up, log in, and access course materials.

Beyond the interface, I built the full-stack course structure — handling user registrations, course content delivery, and secure payment processing. I integrated an e-commerce system to support one-time payments, discount codes, and automated confirmation emails. I also created a members-only area where students could log in to stream weekly content and download resources.
Throughout, I focused heavily on user experience design: streamlining enrollment, clarifying calls to action, and enabling additional support options such as one-on-one coaching sessions and free consults — all seamlessly embedded into the platform.

This project allowed me to fully align content and technology, creating a smooth and engaging learning journey where the platform structure supported the educational flow at every stage.

Deliverables

• Online Course Platform: Fully responsive web platform for the six-week Heart of the Mountain course, with a public landing page and secure members-only area.

• Curriculum & Multimedia Content: Complete curriculum design including over 90 minutes of video instruction, multiple audio meditations, written theory notes, and downloadable practice materials.

• E-Commerce Integration: Secure payment setup for course enrollment, including discount code functionality and automated onboarding emails.

• User Experience & Visual Design: End-to-end UX design with an emphasis on calm, accessible navigation and mobile responsiveness, styled consistently with the Nurobodi brand.

• Support & Interaction Features: Built-in options for users to schedule 1:1 coaching sessions and consultations, offering personalized learning support beyond the self-paced content.

Key Insights

• Holistic Ownership Improves Quality: Owning both the content and technical development allowed me to ensure a seamless integration between the course material and the platform design. Every element of the experience reinforced the educational goals.

• User Experience is Critical for Online Learning: By prioritizing intuitive navigation and clear structure, I made it easy for learners to stay engaged over six weeks — significantly improving course completion and satisfaction.

• Multimedia Enhances Learning Outcomes: Offering video, audio, and written materials helped support different learning styles, increasing retention and accessibility across a diverse student base.

• Technical and Creative Skills Combined Deliver Stronger Results: The ability to handle design, development, and educational strategy meant I could quickly adapt the platform based on feedback and ensure the entire experience — from marketing to learning — felt cohesive and professional.

Testimonials

Below are some testimonials from alumni and students I have tutored, lectured and mentored.

I’m Available For

Curriculum Design & Development
Course design from scratch, module development, assessment frameworks, and learning experience architecture for emerging technology programs.

Guest Lectures & Workshops
Specializing in affective design, responsible AI, immersive technologies, UX/CX, and practice-based research methodologies.

Pedagogical Consultation
Course audits, learning outcome alignment, industry partnership development, and educational technology integration.

Research Supervision
Postgraduate and undergraduate research mentorship in digital design, emerging technologies, and interdisciplinary innovation.

Professional Development
Educator training in contemporary pedagogical approaches, blended learning, and industry-academic collaboration.