HCI & Design researcher
“…like little children we must maintain our joy in the midst of a dark and evil world…”
I am an Assistant Professor at the Division of Industrial Design at National University of Singapore, where I direct the Joyful Experiences in Design and Interaction (JEDI) Lab. My primary research fields are Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW).
I study and design sociotechnical systems for reflection, well-being, and care in everyday life. I primarily engage in design research and empirical studies to understand how technologies can enhance well-being, support flourishing, foster the cultivation of joy, and drive social innovation. Drawing on sociotechnical and critical approaches, my research seeks to understand people and phenomena, and to challenge and create new possibilities.
My research has been published in top HCI venues, including CHI, CSCW, DIS, and GROUP and has been recognized with best paper and honorable mention awards. My work has also been supported by the Meta Fellowship, where I was selected as an emerging scholar.
I completed my Ph.D. in the Department of Information Science at University of Colorado Boulder where advised by Stephen Voida and have worked in design research at Meta and business development at LG Electronics.
🪪 Contact
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8 Architecture Drive SDE4 #05-02, Singapore 117356
Recent News
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Feb 2026: I am excited to share that I was recently awarded a CATOS Grant for a new project on youth digital well-being and AI safety in Singapore.
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May 2025: I will serve as an Associate Chair (AC) on the Learning, Education, and Families subcommittee for ACM CHI 2026.
Travel
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CHI 2026, April 13 - 17, 2026
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CSCW 2025, October 18-22, 2025
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CSCW 2024 (online), November 9 2024
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Seoul Korea, May 31 - June 5 2024
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CHI 2024, Honolulu US, May 11-17 2024
Research
My research focuses on the practice and concept of "reflection," which I define as the meaning-making process that occurs through a conversation between an individual and their experiences, an object, or a situation. Being human in the world is precarious, as we navigate pervasive anxiety and uncertainty stemming from contemporary issues like climate change, economic inequality, and mental health challenges. My research program aims to leverage technology's potential to enable individuals and communities to pursue meaningful and sustainable lives through reflective practices. I am particularly interested in exploring the interplay between humans, technology, and place in the context of reflection.
At the moment, my work focuses on three ongoing directions:
(1) Daoist perspectives on reflection: Revisiting reflection through Daoism to envision technologies that cultivate well-being (e.g., rest) and foster everyday meaning-making
(2) Futures of work and care infrastructures: Examining how flexible and remote workers with caregiving responsibilities coordinate work and care in family settings, and what emerging AI tools mean for work–care boundaries and the working conditions of care workers.
(3) Youth-centered responsible AI: Designing participatory and reflective approaches that support youth mental health and critical reflection in interactions with AI.
Selected Publication
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Aaron Pengyu Zhu, Kristina Mah, Janghee Cho “Toward Pluralizing Reflection in HCI Through Daoism” Proceeding of the 2026 CHI conference on human factors in computing systems 2026 (CHI ’26, in press) PDF
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Tse Pei Ng, Daniel Campos Muñiz, Yiyang He, Aw Ker Wey, Jung-Joo Lee, Janghee Cho “It’s Messy...But I Feel Balanced”: Unpacking Flexible Worker’s Rhythm-Making Practices Using Asset-Based Approach Proceeding of the 2026 CHI conference on human factors in computing systems 2026 (CHI ’26, in press). PDF
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Janghee Cho, Tian Xu, Abigail Zimmermann-Niefield, and Stephen Voida “Reflection in Theory and Reflection in Practice: An Exploration of the Gaps in Reflection Support among Personal Informatics Apps” Proceedings of the 2022 CHI conference on human factors in computing systems 2022. CHI 2022 Best Paper Honorable Mention (among the top 5% of all submissions) PDF, ACM DL
CHI 2022 Best Paper Honorable Mention (among the top 5% of all submissions) PDF, ACM DL•
Janghee Cho, Samuel Beck, and Stephen Voida “Topophilia, Placemaking, and Boundary Work: Exploring the Psycho-Social Impact of the COVID-19 Work-From-Home Experience” Proceedings of the 2022 ACM Conference on Supporting Groupwork GROUP 2022/2023 Best Paper Award (among the top 1% of all submissions) PDF, ACM DL
GROUP 2022/2023 Best Paper Award (among the top 1% of all submissions) PDF, ACM DL Teaching
National University of Singapore •
ID5357 Interdisciplinary Ways of Knowing, 2026/2025 Spring
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ID4106 Design Thesis Project 2025/2024 Fall, 2025/2026 Spring
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ID5951 Emerging Topics in Design, 2025/2024 Fall
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Design Studio: Reflective Design, 2024 Fall
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Design Studio: Technology and Futures of Work, 2024 Spring
University of Colorado Boulder•
INFO 1101 Computation and Society, 2023 Summer
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INFO 4700 Senior Capstone, 2023 Spring