Spring 2026
Designing for AI-Enhanced Self-Management
Instructors: Joice Tang, Jennifer Turns
This DRG explores autobiographical design as a method of self-understanding, using Research through Design (RtD) and AI-assisted rapid prototyping (vibecoding) as its core practices. Participants will design, build, and live with personalized AI-enhanced self-management tools across three iterative design cycles over a 10-week quarter, treating both the design process and the experience of living with each design as data about themselves.
The group draws on Prof. Jennifer Turns' ongoing interests on autobiographical design in higher education, which reframes the central question from "how might AI support learning?" to "how might I support myself in doing x?" – centering student agency rather than prescriptive guidance. Vibecoding (AI-assisted coding requiring no prior programming expertise) makes rapid prototyping accessible and keeps the focus on design thinking and self-reflection rather than technical execution. Participants will document their process with intentionality, share emerging insights in weekly sessions, and produce a final portfolio, contributing to participants’ own self-understanding and to a growing body of knowledge about how RtD can surface insights about AI's role in personal productivity and academic life.
This DRG sits at the intersection of RtD, personal informatics, and AI-enhanced self-management, with potential to generate publishable insights about how participants developed agentic, personalized relationships with AI tools.
Enrollment information
- Meeting time: Meeting time will be determined based on student availability.
- Credits: 1 credit – ~3 hrs/week commitment
- Who should apply: This DRG will be available by invitation only.
- This DRG does meet HCDE's PhD research requirement.