This report outlines a project conducted in collaboration with the Communications Department of Region Sörmland. The aim of this study is to investigate whether internationally recruited employees would benefit from the opportunity to chat with staff who have previously undergone the same process. In this report, individuals who have already completed the process are referred to as ambassadors. For clarity, this work has focused on the perspectives of potential employees. The perspectives of the ambassadors themselves have not been the focus of this study. To investigate this, methods such as environmental analysis, interviews, and user testing were employed. These methods provided valuable information regarding deficiencies and the needs of the target audience. The participants in this study include three individuals who work with international recruitments within Region Sörmland and at Folkhögskolan. Additionally, there are nine students who are currently enrolled in or have completed the KLIV (Qualified Licensure Professions Introduction in Healthcare) program. The data collection resulted in a prototype created using Figma. The prototype was then evaluated through user testing and subsequently underwent an iteration. The results of this study show that it is very interesting and valuable for the target audience to be able to connect with someone who has undergone the same process. There is a need for ambassadors that the target audience can contact. During the project, "contact cards" have been designed for the ambassadors, which show their name, job title, and the hospital in Region Sörmland where they work. Additionally, there is a picture and brief information about the person and the languages they speak. The features identified as valuable for the chat forum are the ability to send images/videos and attach documents. However, the design and features of the chat forum need to be iterated and tested with more members of the target group to ensure its effectiveness and user-friendliness. This study is a bachelor thesis in the field of Information design with focus on interaction design.

The purpose of this project is to improve parents experience in the NICU through design, technology, communication and storytelling. A series of shadowing appointments were conducted to gain empathy and a greater understanding of the environment the design would be in. Next 15 user interviews were conducted. The qualitative data was then analyzed and a needs analysis for the application was determined by identifying patterns in the qualitative data. The design then went through three phases of design, testing and iterating, before the final prototype was complete. This study found that design, technology and storytelling could improve communication and the experience of parents in the NICU. / Master of Fine Arts

Rituals have played crucial roles in cultural, societal, and individual lives, preserving cultural memories, shaping social structures, and imbuing life with meaning. While this remains true today, rituals have evolved and people increasingly appropriate interactive technologies, even if they are not specifically designed for rituals, and irrespective of whether Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) research focuses on it. However, despite rituals’ importance for people and their increasing overlap with interactive technologies, rituals and related design issues are only vaguely researched in HCI. To address these gaps and outline this emerging research area in HCI, this thesis transfers ritual theories to HCI, structures previous work applying a newly-developed classification scheme of four ritual dimensions (ritual complexity, variability, actor(s), and origin), and condenses findings from five publications that investigated real-world cases of rituals with interactive technologies, and intentionally designed interactive technologies for rituals. This thesis presents empirical evidence for the real-world existence and relevance of rituals with interactive technologies. People of all ages use various interactive technologies for diverse rituals: Young adults invent new rituals around their smartphones to feel more grown up (P1), couples simultaneously delete their dating apps to symbolise the start of a relationship (P4), and older adults use streaming platforms to participate in worship services (P2, P3). Analysing such real-world examples, this thesis develops a second classification scheme of three roles interactive technologies take in rituals: the role of facilitators simplifying ritual tasks, enablers inviting extraordinary ritual experiences, or social actors being emotionally valued and thus taking centre stage in rituals (P1). Interactive technologies were rarely intentionally designed for use in rituals, especially as enabler or social actor, and sometimes changed rituals in undesirable ways. Therefore, this thesis delves into intentionally designing enabler and social actor technologies for rituals following a research through design approach, both in terms of the design process (P3) and outcomes (P4, P5). Three specific cases were chosen to cover the broad spectrum of rituals, from less (P4, P5) to more complex (P2, P3), prescribed (P2, P3) to newly invented (P4, P5), social (P2, P3, P4) to individual (P5) and religious (P2, P3, P5) to secular (P4). As a result, this thesis demonstrates how specific design methods, such as provotyping, can suit the unique challenges of designing interactive technologies for rituals and presents the novel provotype God-I-Box (P3). In addition, this thesis presents a novel enabler technology, El Corazón (P4), and a novel social actor technology, the Blessing Companion (P5), both intentionally designed for rituals. Reflecting on these design cases, this thesis proposes two unique experiential qualities that can inspire the future design of interactive technologies for rituals: effort of use and uncontrollability. Overall, this thesis makes empirical, artefact, methodological, and theoretical contributions that lay the foundations for ritual research in HCI. Furthermore, it provides concrete tools for analysing and designing rituals with interactive technologies, including two classification schemes and two experiential qualities, contributing to academic understanding and practical application in HCI. / Rituale spielen seit jeher eine bedeutende Rolle im menschlichen Leben. Sie tragen dazu bei kulturelle Erinnerungen zu bewahren, soziale Strukturen zu prägen und dem individuellen Dasein Sinn zu verleihen. Auch in der heutigen Zeit sind Rituale relevant, haben sich jedoch weiterentwickelt und integrieren zunehmend interaktive Technologien, auch wenn diese nicht explizit für Rituale gestaltet wurden. Trotz ihrer Bedeutung und des wachsenden Einflusses interaktiver Technologien auf Rituale bleiben Rituale und damit verbundene Designfragen innerhalb der HCI weitgehend unerforscht. Um diese Forschungslücken zu adressieren und Ritualforschung in der HCI strukturiert aufzuarbeiten, überträgt diese Arbeit Ritualtheorien in die HCI und entwickelt ein neues Klassifizierungsschema bestehend aus vier Ritualdimensionen: rituelle Komplexität, Variabilität, Akteur(e) und Ursprung. Darüber hinaus trägt diese Arbeit die Erkenntnisse aus fünf Publikationen zusammen, in denen realweltliche Rituale mit interaktiven Technologien und die bewusste Gestaltung interaktiver Technologien für Rituale erforscht wurden. Um die Existenz und Relevanz von Ritualen mit interaktiven Technologien zu untermauern, dokumentiert diese Arbeit zunächst realweltliche Beispiele. Dabei wird deutlich, dass Menschen aller Altersgruppen eine Vielzahl interaktiver Technologien für unterschiedlichste Rituale einsetzen: Junge Erwachsene erfinden neue Rituale rund um ihre Smartphones um sich erwachsener zu fühlen (P1), Paare löschen ihre Dating-Apps gleichzeitig um den Beginn einer Beziehung zu symbolisieren (P4) und ältere Erwachsene nutzen Streaming-Plattformen um an Gottesdiensten teilzunehmen (P2, P3). Eine Analyse solcher Beispiele zeigt, dass interaktive Technologien dabei drei unterschiedliche Rollen in Ritualen einnehmen: Facilitator vereinfachen Rituale, Enabler, ermöglichen außergewöhnliche Ritualerfahrungen, und Social Actor, werden emotional wertgeschätzt und stehen deshalb selbst im Mittelpunkt von Ritualen (P1). Interaktive Technologien wurden jedoch selten bewusst für den Einsatz in Ritualen gestaltet, insbesondere nicht als Enabler oder Social Actor, und verändern Rituale so auch in unerwünschter Weise. Deshalb beschäftigt sich ein zweiter Teil dieser Arbeit mit der bewussten Gestaltung von interaktiven Technologien für Rituale, sowohl im Hinblick auf den Gestaltungsprozess (P3) als auch auf die Ergebnisse (P4, P5). Dabei deckt die Arbeit durch die bewusste Wahl einzelner Beispiele ein breites Spektrum von Ritualen ab, von einfach (P4, P5) bis komplex (P2, P3), vorgeschrieben (P2, P3) bis neu erfunden (P4, P5), sozial (P2, P3, P4) bis individuell (P5) und religiös (P2, P3, P5) bis säkular (P4). Im Ergebnis demonstriert diese Arbeit, wie spezifische Designmethoden wie das Provotyping den besonderen Herausforderungen der Gestaltung von interaktiven Technologien für Rituale gerecht werden können und präsentiert den neuen God-I-Box Provotyp (P3). Darüber hinaus werden zwei neue Artefakte präsentiert, El Corazón (Enabler, P4) und Blessing Companion (Social Actor, P5), die beide bewusst für Rituale gestaltet wurden. Basierend auf diesen Designbeispielen entwickelt die Arbeit zudem zwei neue Erfahrungsqualitäten, die die zukünftige Gestaltung interaktiver Technologien für Rituale inspirieren können: Effort of use, ein Gefühl von Aufwand, and uncontrollability, ein Gefühl von Unverfügbarkeit. Insgesamt leistet diese Arbeit empirische, artefaktbezogene, methodologische und theoretische Beiträge und schafft so Grundlagen für die systematische Erforschung von Ritualen in der HCI. Darüber hinaus liefert sie konkrete Werkzeuge für die Analyse und Gestaltung von Ritualen mit interaktiven Technologien, darunter zwei Klassifizierungsschemata sowie zwei Erfahrungsqualitäten, die sowohl zum akademischen Verständnis als auch zur praktischen Anwendung in der HCI beitragen.

Hydroponics is a method of cultivating plants without the use of soil. Soil acts as a growth medium which gives plants stability, provides nutrients and allows roots to be kept wet without drowning. In hydroponics the soil’s functions are replaced by synthesized methods. Stability comes from a substrate (i.e. LECA, rockwool perlite).The 16 essential nutrients are solved in water which are distributed to plants’ roots by different techniques. To generate photosynthesis natural light is replaced by artificial light, especially red light in the proximity of 660 nm. Hydroponics has been used as a cultivation method for at least 2000 years. During the 20th century industrial applications became common since plastics allowed for complex systems engineering. The method also makes it possible to grow the same amount of crops with approximately 10% water usage and 25% of the area compared to conventional cultivation. During the past few years systems for home use has emerged but the product genre is still in its cradle. This master thesis covers a new conceptual design of a hydroponic home system. The project was carried out at Omecon AB in Stockholm as a consulting design project. Omecon AB is an engineering consultant agency within mostly mechanical construction looking to widen the competence base. Using a design process based on Human-Centered Design the project involved the stakeholders users, extreme users, Omecon AB, plant experts, electronics engineering and service as well as plastics design engineering. Additional/supplemental economical–, ecological– and social sustainability aspects has been considered during all phases of the process. By using the Human-Centered Design process the problem range is expanded from its initial state which results in a more complete end result. Common methodology altered with some unorthodox twists has been utilized throughout the project. The final result is a conceptual hydroponic system for home environment which is designed as an interior design product as well as a high-performance cultivation system. By using natural materials such as wood and steel the users expands its life span and thus mitigates the negative environmental impact. Another aspect which prolongs the products life span is the modular usage which lets users vary and choose their preferred settings. All manufactured materials included in the final concept were flow resources and the parts were engineered to be easily separable for future replacement and recycling. A new type of pot was invented along with a new way of adjusting the height-wise position of lamps. The aeroponic technique, which was applied to this concept, is generally considered to generate the largest plants and thus comprises higher performance compared to other home systems. The use of substrate was also eliminated which decreases continous material consumption within hydroponics. / Hydroponik är en metod för att odla växter utan jord. Jord i odling agerar som ett växtmedium som ger plantor stabilitet, tillför näringsämnen och tillåter rötter att vara i väta utan att dränka dem. I hydroponik ersätts jordens funktioner med syntetiska metoder. Stabilitet ges av ett substrat (t.ex. LECA-kulor, stenull eller perlit). De 16 essentiella näringsämnena löses i vatten och distribueras till plantors rötter med hjälp av olika tekniker. For att skapa fotosyntes ersätts naturligt ljus med artificiellt ljus. Speciellt rött ljus i närheten av 660 nm. Hydroponik har använts som odlingsmetod i åtminstånde 2000 år. Under 1900-talet blev industiella applikationer vanliga eftersom plast möjliggjorde tillverkling av komplexa system. Metoden tillåter även att odla samma mängd grödor med 10% av vattenmängden och 25% av ytan jämfört med konventionell odling. Under de senaste åren har system avsedda för användning hemma blivit vanligare men produktgenren är fortfarande ung. Det här examensarbetet täcker en ny konceptuell design av ett hydroponiskt system för hemmabruk. Projektet utfördes på Omecon AB i Stockholm som ett konsultarbete inom design. Omecon AB är en konsultfirma som mestadels är verksamma inom mekanikkonstruktion men de vill vidga sin kompetens. Genom användning av en designprocess som har baserats på Human-Centered Design har projektet involverat intressenterna användare, extrema användare, Omecon AB, växtexperter, en elektronikingenjör samt plastkonstruktion. Vidare har aspekter inom ekonomisk–, ekologisk– och social hållbarhet beaktats genom alla faser av processen. Via användning av Human-Centered Design-processen har problemrummet expanderats från den initiala utgångspunkten vilket resulterar i ett mer komplett slutresultat. Vanlig metodik varvat med okonventionella anpassningar har använts genom projektet. Slutresultatet består av ett konceptuellt hydroponiskt system för hemmabruk som är designat som en inredningsprodukt samt ett odlingssystem med hög prestanda. Genom användning av naturliga material som trä och stål förlänger användarna produktens livslängd och på så sätt förmildras den negativa klimatpåverkan. En annan aspekt som förlänger produktens livslängd är moduläriteten som låter användare variera och välja deras föredragna inställningar. Alla tillverkade material inkluderade i slutkonceptet var flödesresurser och delarna konstruerades så att de går lätt att separera för framtida ersättning och återvinning. En ny typ av kruka uppfanns tillsammans med ett nytt sätt att justera höjden av lamporna. Den aeroponiska tekniken, som används is konceptet, är allmänt ansedd att generera de största plantorna och innefattar därför högre prestanda jämfört med andra hydroponiska hemmasystem. Användning av substrat eliminerades också vilket minskar kontinuerlig materialkonsumption inom hydroponik.

Studentantalet på Luleå Tekniska Universitet I Piteå har gått från hela 900 till 300 de senaste ca 12 åren. En trend som både Piteå kommun och LTU vill motarbeta, samtidigt som Piteå kommun vill öka antalet inflyttande till platsen. På uppdrag av det kommunala företaget Piteå Science Park så var därför målet med detta examensarbeteatt ta fram en lösning som både ökar intresset för de musikutbildningar som erbjuds på LTU i Piteå och Framnäs Folkhögskola samt uppmuntrar de studerande till att vilja bo kvar i staden efter avklarade studier. Examensarbetet ingår i utbildningen Teknisk design högskoleingenjör vid Luleå Tekniska Universitet. I projektet användes IDEOs Human-Centered design-process bestående av de tre faser inspiration, ideation och implementation. I varje fas användes ett antal metoder för att, på ett metodiskt och produktivt vis, utveckla ett koncept som uppfyllde de krav och önskemål som satts av uppdragsgivaren och målgruppen. Här genomfördes bland annat, en mängd intervjuer med både användare och experter, olika workshops för att ta fram och vidareutveckla idéer, insamling av inspiration med hjälp av metoden benchmarking och slutligen prototypande av konceptet. Under intervjuerna med användarna kom en hel del intressanta behov och önskemål fram, till exempel att de tyckte att det måste finnas fler och prisvärda aktiviteter i Piteå och att de inte besöker centrum oftare än 1 gång per vecka i snitt. Arbetet resulterade i slutkonceptet Pitepuls som är en eventhemsida där alla Piteås evenemang är samlade under ett och samma tak. Sidan innehåller event kopplade till kultur, sport, religion, och friluftsaktiviteter och skall vara tillgänglig för både studerande, fastboende och turister. Projektet genererade ett koncept som har potential att lyfta fram Piteå som eventstad och därmed öka dess attraktivitet, både bland unga vuxna men också bland fastboende och turister, samt att det därmed hjälper Framnäs och LTU Piteå att sticka ut bland mängden folkhögskolor och musikhögskolor.

Today, 27 out of 1000 individuals suffer from neck pain, affecting both individuals and society (Kazeminasab et al., 2022). These problems are most prevalent in the Scandinavian countries, with Sweden being one of the countries experiencing the greatest increase (Safiri et al., 2020). Non-invasive treatments for neck pain, such as low-level laser therapy, yoga, massage, aquatic therapy, and acupuncture, are already available in the market and have shown positive results (Kazeminasab et al., 2022). In this project, a handheld product with low-level laser therapy has been developed to reduce neck pain. The goal was to create a high-quality, safe, and reliable product that was aesthetically pleasing and could cover a premium market for home-use products. This thesis is produced at Luleå University of Technology in the spring semester of 2023 as a part of the Industrial Design Civil Engineering program. The project was conducted in collaboration with Ozoneair, a local company based in Luleå that specializes in producing air purifiers. The design process drew inspiration from IDEO's human-centered approach (2015) and incorporated various design methodologies to comprehend user requirements and develop a dependable product. The process encompassed three distinct phases, namely inspiration, ideation, and implementation, all of which centered around the target users. During the inspiration phase, user information was collected through contextual investigations, observations, interviews with experts, focus groups, and user testing of existing products in order to compile a comprehensive needs analysis. In the ideation phase, multiple concepts were generated and refined through iterative cycles of user testing, ultimately leading to the selection of a final concept. The chosen concept was realized in the implementation phase by creating of a digital prototype using Blender as a program, followed by the development of a full-scale physical prototype. The result is a clean and sleek product with a distinctive aesthetic that sets it apart in the market, diverging from the conventional sterile appearance often associated with medical devices. / Idag lider 27 av 1000 individer av nacksmärtor, vilket påverkar både individer och samhället i stort (Kazeminasab et al., 2022). Dessa problem är vanligast i de skandinaviska länderna, där Sverige är ett av de länder som upplever störst ökning (Safiri et al., 2020). Icke-invasiva behandlingar för nacksmärtor, såsom lågnivå laserterapi, yoga, massage, vattenterapi och akupunktur, finns redan på marknaden och har visat positiva resultat (Kazeminasab et al., 2022). I detta projekt har en handhållen produkt med low level laser thearpy utvecklats för att minska nacksmärtor. Målet var att skapa en högkvalitativ, säker och pålitlig produkt som är estetiskt tilltalande och som kan täcka en marknad för premiumprodukter för hemmabruk.  Detta examensarbete är framtaget vid Luleå tekniska universitet vårterminen 2023, som en del av civilingenjörsprogrammet Teknisk design. Projektet genomfördes i samarbete med Ozoneair, ett Luleåbaserat företag specialiserat på luftrenare. Designprocessen inspirerades av IDEOs (2015) människocentrerade process och inkluderade flera designmetoder för att förstå användarnas behov och skapa en pålitlig produkt. Processen bestod av tre faser: inspiration, idé och implementering, som alla fokuserade på potentiella användare. Inspirationsfasen gick ut på att samla information om användare genom kontextuella undersökningar, observationer, expertintervjuer, fokusgrupper och användartester av befintliga produkter, för att sedan sammanställa en behovsanalys. I idéfasen skapades och itererades olika koncept utifrån mindre användartester, vilket ledde fram till valet av ett slutgiltigt koncept. I implementeringsfasen väcktes konceptet till liv genom en digital prototyp i programmet Blender och en fullskalig fysisk prototyp. Slutprodukten är minimalistisk och avskalad, med ett unikt utseende som sticker ut på marknaden och utmärker sig från det klassiska sterila uttryck som medicintekniska produkter förknippas med.

Play is acknowledged as a fundamental need and right of the human experience. However, across the human lifespan is not always valued. Research on play has traditionally been on children, and while some attention is now being paid to older adults, there is little scholarship regarding play in adulthood. This exploratory study examined how early adulthood (25-40 years old) play, the influence playing has on creativity and career performance, and implications for future research on play. The study was completed utilizing traditional and non-traditional research methods with the intent to incorporate the participants' voice and perspectives into a human-centered research design. The end results of this study, demonstrated that early adults engage in a number of play experiences that shape their development and learning as well as influence their creativity and work performance. The use of human-centered research provided participants with the opportunity to individualize data collection, analyze results, and have a voice in the final product.

From fleeting interactions to long affairs, our relationships with things are diverse and complex. Like people, designed objects and environments are close companions in our lives. The way we understand and engage with artifacts is parallel to the way we interpret and interact with each other. A constant source of comfort and delight, frustration and anxiety, their personalities inform our everyday dialogues and experiences. Designed artifacts assume engaging and pleasurable personalities when they transcend materials, challenge perceptions, and garner active, reflective interactions. Through the investigation of familiar materials such as concrete, crayons, paper, sequins, and thread in unfamiliar formats and contexts, I am creating objects that are playful in construction and interaction. By imbuing objects with friendly and intriguing personalities, everyday interactions and experiences with these objects are elevated, as users invest in pleasurable forays and relationships.

This thesis is the final assignment for a bachelor degree in Industrial Design Engineering via Luleå University of Technology. The project comprises 15hp and has been carried out in collaboration with MECON AB in Luleå, which works with construction, among other things. This report contains the development process of a touch guard for the power rails that runs along a traverse path. The task of the touch guard is to protect the staff at SSAB from risks that may arise if something falls on the power rails. Objects such as a wrench could create short circuits and be pushed off by the current in the electrical rails with high speed causing a hazard. The work is based on IDEO- the field guide to human-centered design, which is a human-centered process with three phases. In this case, the installer is the user. It is the installer who is affected by how easily mounted the touch guard is. Therefore, in order to design a user-friendly touch protection, an understanding of the user and its needs is required. By collecting information using interviews, observations, study visits and a literature study, a design specification could be created. This was then the basis for the remaining work that led to a bracket and three versions of the protection plates. Together with the users and the stakeholders, a final concept was chosen that fulfills the design specification. The report presents the process and its steps leading to a final concept. Later, the results are discussed and how well the work fulfilled the purpose and goals, and whether the work answered the research questions. / Detta examensarbete är utförts som den avslutande uppgiften för programmet högskoleingenjör Teknisk Design på Luleå Tekniska Universitet. Examensarbetet omfattar 15 högskolepoäng och har utförts i samarbete med MECON AB i Luleå som arbetar med bland annat konstruktion. Rapporten behandlar utvecklingen av ett beröringsskydd för en elskena som löper längs en traversbana. Beröringsskyddets uppgift är att skydda personalen på SSAB från risker som kan uppstå om någonting faller ned på elskenorna. Föremål som till exempel en skiftnyckel skulle kunna skapa kortslutning och skjutas iväg av strömmen i elskenorna. Arbetet utgår från IDEO-the field guide to human-centered design, som är en användarcentrerad process med tre faser. I detta arbete är det montören som är användaren. Det är montören som är berörd av hur lättmonterat beröringsskyddet är. För att kunna utforma ett användarvänligt beröringsskydd krävs därför en förståelse för användaren och dess behov. Genom att samla in information med hjälp av intervjuer, observationer, studiebesök och en litteraturstudie kunde en designspecifikation skapas. Denna låg då till grund till resterande arbete som ledde till ett fäste och tre stycken skyddsplåtar. Tillsammans med användarna och intressenterna valdes ett slutgiltigt koncept som uppfyller designspecifikationen. Rapporten redovisar processen och dess moment som leder till ett slutligt koncept. Senare diskuteras resultatet och hur väl arbetet uppfyllde syfte och mål, samt om arbetet besvarade frågeställningen.

<div>This study introduced a design-inspired approach to unpack problems of professional formation</div><div>of engineers: 1) the gap between what students learn in universities and what they practice upon</div><div>graduation; 2) the perception that engineering is solely technical, math, and theory oriented; and</div><div>3) the lack of diversity and inclusion (incorporation of difference in perspectives, values, and</div><div>ways of thinking and being engineers) in many engineering programs. The current project</div><div>investigated the discursive practices and institutional processes that contributed to or inhibited</div><div>innovative and inclusive professional formation within an undergraduate engineering setting.</div><div>Specifically, this project showed how Grounded Practical Theory (GPT), Communication as</div><div>Design (CaD), and Human-Centered Design (HCD) offer alternative pathways to conceptualize</div><div>the processes of professional formation.</div><div><br></div><div><div>The context for this study involved the professional formation of engineers at a School of</div><div>Biomedical Engineering (BME) at a large, Midwestern university. Participants for this study</div><div>included undergraduate students and faculty, staff, and administration (FSA). Semi-structured</div><div>interview data was collected and explored participants’ descriptions, accounts, and experiences</div><div>related to professional engineering formation in BME. Data collection included 33 total</div><div>interviews including 15 FSA and 18 student interviews. The study involved an empirical</div><div>examination of discursive practices that invoked, reproduced, and maintained discourses of</div><div>professional engineering at the BME school.</div></div><div><br></div><div><div>Based on insights gained from the empirical examination of discursive practices, a GPT</div><div>framework was applied to examine conflicts in professional formation, strategies participants</div><div>used to overcome these challenges, and the underlying rationale for these strategies. Specifically, the goal of gaining a broad knowledge base—incorporating expertise across various engineering</div><div>and science disciplines—often can come at the expense of realizing specific application and</div><div>technical know-how. For many participants, both goals were critical for becoming a professional</div><div>biomedical engineer but often times blocked a discourse of professional formation that was</div><div>innovative and inclusive. Participants revealed that a standard lecture curriculum influenced this</div><div>tension, in many cases for the worse. However, findings suggested that strategies for overcoming</div><div>these conflicts were by integrating lecture curricula with more active learning formats (e.g.,</div><div>undergraduate research, lab participation). Moreover, findings showed how standard lecture</div><div>communication designs shaped and maintained a discourse community more likely to emphasize</div><div>understanding engineering as a science and also gaining a broad knowledge base often times at</div><div>the expense of realizing specific application and technical know-how.</div></div><div><br></div><div><div>This study’s analysis offers several theoretical contributions. First, GPT pointed to the deeply</div><div>integrated relationship between the ontological and epistemological foundations of biomedical</div><div>engineering professional formation. That is, becoming a biomedical engineer meant having</div><div>knowledge of several sets of disciplinary expertise while also understanding when and how to</div><div>enact this knowledge in practice. Second, professional formation designs for communication</div><div>(e.g., lecture designs, active learning designs) presupposed something about the recurrent</div><div>practices held within the school and how these recurrent practices constituted professional</div><div>ontology and epistemology in ways that were both enabling and problematic, Third, and from a</div><div>HCD perspective, exploring designs for communication brought to life the ways participants,</div><div>through interactivity, actively designed discourses of professional formation in an attempt to</div><div>achieve and meet their epistemological and ontological goals.</div></div>