A small lab, based at Ritsumeikan University's Osaka Ibaraki Campus. Our teaching and research are generally in the fields of interaction design (IxD) and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), computer science, aesthetics, and related fields. Aside from IxD/HCI, we are interested in design more broadly (graphic design, product design, spatial design, architecture, etc.), and a lot of art too!

Currently teaching:

• DESN1001 Introduction to Communication Design
• Research Seminar (Design)

Latest news

2024

• Prof Haimes is looking for a teaching assistant (TA) to help with the tutorial sessions of Introduction to Communication Design in the Spring semester (April-July). Candidate found!
• Prof Haimes will be coordinating the Foundations in Research Skills 1 course in Spring semester at GLA.

2023

• The BUGGED project steering committe held its annual meeting online/in Vaasa, Finland on December 4th.
• Prof Haimes is teaching two new courses in autumn semester: CIS2002 Computational Musicology and DESN2001 Human Factors in Interaction Design! CIS2002 will cover simple techniques in Music Information Retrieval (MIR) and a bit of digital signal processing, while DESN2001 will be an intro to IxD and HCI.
• Prof Haimes reviewed an article for the International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction (IJHCI).    
• Prof Haimes is on the Program Committee for IMDES (International Conference of Innovation in Media and Visual Design) in Malaysia.
• Dr Ville Vakkuri from Vaasa University in Finland will be based in the lab throughout April!
• Prof Haimes and Prof Rasit are teaching a new course from AY2023 in Computational Methods for Social Sciences.
• Prof Haimes reviewed a chapter for a new book on Humane Autonomous Technology (coming in 2024).

2022

• Prof Haimes is on the steering committee for the The Emotional Experience of Privacy and Ethics in Everyday Pervasive Systems (BUGGED) project, led by Associate Professor Rebekah Rousi.
• Prof Haimes has a new article in Contemporary Aesthetics journal on Machizukuri (neighbourhood making) in Japan: https://contempaesthetics.org/2022/11/10/machizukuri-neighborhood-making-collective-world-making-in-traditional-japanese-neighborhoods/. Special thanks to Professor Yuriko Saito for her comments and support for this work.
• Prof Haimes will be part of a panel of experts discussing ethical issues in AI, hosted hybrid (on campus and online) by Vaasa University in Finland, Wednesday May 25th, 8PM-9PM (JST): https://sites.uwasa.fi/vmeenvironment/en/ai-ethics-panel-discussion/.
• Prof Haimes' research seminar is being run for the first time in the spring semester of AY2022.

Faculty

• Associate Professor Paul Haimes

Visiting researchers

• Associate Professor Rebekah Rousi, Vaasa University, Finland (Visiting 2025—tentative!)
• Dr Ville Vakkuri, Vaasa University, Finland (Visited April 2023)

Collaborators

• Associate Professor Huseyin Rasit, Ritsumeikan University, Japan
• Associate Professor Powell Marquez, Ritsumeikan University, Japan
• Associate Professor Tetsuaki Baba, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Japan
• Associate Professor Stuart Medley, Edith Cowan University, Australia

We can accept applications from visiting researchers and postdoctoral researchers, and are open to collaborators in Japan, Australia, and elsewhere. We are unable to accept postgraduate students at this time, unless you wish to only do a short-term stay as part of your PhD or Masters elsewhere (and are able to provide your own funding).

Student alumni (undergrad thesis students)

• Jun Hao (Aaron) Chan
• Chenyan Hua
• Fei Huang
• Isako Tsukiyama
• Wei-Ting (Tiffany) Weng
• Nazuna Yokoyama
• Meiting Zeng
• Qianqian Zhang

More coming soon!

Themes

• Japanese design aesthetics
• Interface design for hazard mapping
• Philosophy of design
• Ethics in design and AI
• Interactive art
• New Interfaces for Musical Expresssion (NIME)

Recent projects

• Collaborating with colleagues in Finland on The Emotional Experience of Privacy and Ethics in Everyday Pervasive Systems (BUGGED) project. This project is funded by the Academy of Finland.
• Studies in Japanese aesthetics on themes such as machizukuri, wabi-sabi, shibusa, and kawaii, particularly as they relate to design. This project is partially funded by multiple Kakenhi grants from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

Recent articles

• Haimes, P. (2022). Machizukuri (Neighborhood Making): Collective World-Making in Traditional Japanese Neighborhoods. Contemporary Aesthetics , 20 . https://contempaesthetics.org/2022/11/10/machizukuri-neighborhood-making-collective-world-making-in-traditional-japanese-neighborhoods/
• Haimes, P. (2021). Beyond Beauty: Towards a Deeper Understanding of Aesthetics in HCI. CHI EA '21 . https://doi.org/10.1145/3411763.3450381
• Medley, S., Zaman, B., & Haimes, P. (2020). The Role of Cuteness Aesthetics in Interaction. In R. Rousi, J. Leikas, & P. Saariluoma (Eds.), Emotions in Technology Design: From Experience to Ethics (pp. 125-138). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53483-7_8

See more on Google Scholar.

Email

haimes[at]fc.ritsumei.ac.jp

Office hours

Fridays 3pm-4pm (Current students only; others by appointment)

Visit

Room AC5305
Ritsumeikan University
Osaka Ibaraki Campus
2-150 Iwakuracho, Ibaraki
Osaka, Japan 567-8570