Xiran (Margaret) Lin
林 曦冉
"See-ran” Pronouns: she/they
I am an HCI researcher with dual backgrounds in computer science and design, a pioneering practitioner passionate about creating intelligent products, and a designer who continuously pursues excellence in user experiences. Currently, I am pursuing an M.S. in Technology Innovation at the University of Washington. With the DUB community's rich resources, I work closely with David W. McDonald, Linda Wagner, John Raiti, and the team members of The User Empowerment Lab. Prior to this, I gained over 6 years of experience in design and hold a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Industrial Design.
My research in HCI focuses on Health, Behavior, Ubiquitous Computing, and Accessibility. It combines computation and human activities to foster healthy behaviors through ubiquitous sensing, calm technology, and computational systems. My academic pursuits span across HCI, CSCW, Human-AI Interaction, and Cognitive Science, all aimed at fostering positive behavior changes and enhancing health outcomes through designing innovative technological tools.
Research
Using Screenshot Data to Examine the Phone Use People Regret (CHI2025 Accepted)
Longjie Guo, Yue Fu, Xiran Lin, Xuhai "Orson" Xu, Yung-Ju Chang, Alexis Hiniker
Keyword：Screenshots, Regret, Digital well-being, Multimodal Large Language Model
Smartphone users often regret aspects of their phone use, but pinpointing specific ways in which the design of an interface contributes to regrettable use can be challenging due to the complexity of app features and user intentions. We explored how interface design contributes to user regret through a one-week study with 17 Android users, employing passive screenshot collection, multimodal AI analysis, experience sampling, surveys, and interviews. Our findings reveal that regret varies with user intention, particularly in unplanned and social media use, offering insights for designers and policymakers to improve user experience and autonomy.
Optimizing Bipolar Healthcare: Leveraging Verbal and Sensor Data for Enhanced Mental Health Monitoring (Work in Progress)
Xiran Lin, Yuan Zhang, Pei-Syuan Chou, Ashwin Nishad, Garrett Millaway (T-Mobile), John Raiti
Keyword：Healthcare, Mental Health, Mood Tracking, Multimodal Large Language Model
To research and develop a mental health tracking platform and wearable device that collects passive verbal input data for bipolar patients and their healthcare providers. This system aims to assist in the treatment of mental health conditions requiring self-assessment by providing a more consistent and longitudinal record of symptoms and experiences between provider care appointments, ultimately enabling better care outcomes.
From Complex to Comprehensible: Assessing LLM Effectiveness in Simplifying Wikipedia Health Articles (Work in Progress)
Xiran Lin, Lei Cai, David W. McDonald
Keyword：Health Information, Accessibility, Simple English Wikipedia, Health-related Articles
Utilized LLMs to improve the coverage and accessibility of complex health information on Simple Wikipedia, helping editors translate expert-level content into more accessible language for non-native English speakers. Developed a system for translating standard health articles into Simple English and evaluated the effectiveness of the simplified content through interviews, surveys, and readability metrics.
Clinical Device for Recovery Monitoring in Total Knee Arthroplasty (Work in Progress)
Xiran Lin*, Shunxi Wu*, Yuyang Qi*, John Raiti, Yuntao Wang
Keyword：Healthcare, Rehabilitation Exercise Recognition, Machine Learning, Design Tools
Based on the challenges of postoperative recovery in Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA), proposed a clinicianbased design platform that utilized motion tracking technology and machine learning algorithms with IMU sensors to standardize and enhance the efficiency and usability of TKA recovery practices. This initiative aimed to reduce reliance on clinicians' intuition by providing a more data-driven approach to patient care.
How Did My Academic Interests Develop?
Explore what I do as a designer for more interesting projects!
Also check out my video about paper debate!