Hello 👋! My name is Xiaofan Ma (马霄凡), and I am a Master’s student in Interaction Design at Sun Yat-sen University, based in the School of Journalism and Communication.
My academic journey bridges Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Communication Studies, enabling me to investigate how AI technologies can empower human understanding, expression, and collaboration in complex real-world settings.
My current research focuses on AI-mediated communication in interdisciplinary teams, where I explore how AI Agent can reduce cognitive barriers, enhance mutual understanding, and foster alignment through persuasive strategies and knowledge boundary negotiation. I draw from theories in HCI, communication, and social cognition to design systems that amplify human capabilities and support smoother collaboration across disciplines.
Beyond collaborative AI, I am broadly interested in designing human-centered AI systems that support:
- 🎨 cultural exploration and creative expression
- 📊 multimodal storytelling and data visualization
- 👵 inclusive interaction for older adults
- ❤️ AI-driven narrative games for self-reflection and future thinking
Through my work, I strive to build empathetic, adaptive, and empowering AI systems—technologies that help people understand the world, collaborate meaningfully, and reflect more deeply on themselves 🌏.
🔥 News
- 2025.04: 🎉🎉 Our paper “More Than Beautiful: Exploring Design Features, Practical Perspectives, and Implications of Artistic Data Visualization” got IEEE PacificVIS 2025 Conference Track Best Paper Award 🏆! Thanks to my collaborators!
- 2024.11: 👩💻👩💻 I started a research internship at the Tsinghua University Future Laboratory, working at the Research Center for Aging User Experience and Service System Design under the supervision of Prof. Jeung Jihong.
📝 Publications
- Xingyu Lan, Yifan Wang, Lingyu Peng, Xiaofan Ma
- This study provides the first systematic characterization of artistic data visualization through 220 data artworks and 12 interviews with artists.
VisAug: Speech-rich Video Navigation System Based on AI-Generated Visual Augmentations
- Baoquan Zhao, Xiaofan Ma, Qianshi Pang, Ruomei Wang, Fan Zhou, Shujin Lin*
- This paper presents an AI-powered interface that enhances speech-rich video navigation via semantic keyword-based visual augmentations.
Layered Exploration and Experience of Chinese Ethnic Costume from a Cultural Gene Perspective
- Xiaofan Ma, Lirong Yan, Weiping Zeng, Weijia Zhao, Huiyue Wu*
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Submitted to Zhuangshi (《装饰》 ，Journal of Design)
- We present a layered cultural gene model and design an AI-enhanced system, Huashang Aesthetic, to support progressive cultural exploration and engagement with Chinese ethnic costume.
📖 Educations
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Sept 2024 – Jun 2026 (expected)
Sun Yat-sen University, Master of Arts in Journalism and Communication (Interaction Design) -
Sept 2020 – Jun 2024
Shanghai International Studies University, Bachelor of Arts in New Media and Online Journalism
▪ GPA: 3.88/4.0 (Top 1 of 25 students) -
Sept 2021 – Mar 2023
Fudan University, Minor in Finance
💻 Internships
- 2024.11 – 2025.05 (now), Research Center for Aging User Experience and Service System Design, advised by Jeung Jihong, Tsinghua University.
- Conducted user research and system evaluation on digital participation mechanism among older adults in online communities.
- Designed and deployed an AI agent for older adults' group chats, integrated into messaging platforms for real-time conversational support.
- Investigated cross-cultural differences in older adults’ perceptions and emotional responses to VR-based experiences.
✨ Honors and Awards
- May 2025 Gold Winner 2025 MUSE Design Award
- Dec 2024 Silver Winner 2024 LONDON DESIGN AWARDS
- Jun 2024 Top 1% Shanghai Outstanding Graduate
- Dec 2022 Top 1% National Scholarship for Undergraduate Students
- 2021 – 2024 First Prize SISU Outstanding Student Scholarship