Sofra – 2026 #1

Zeynep Erol – Sofra – 2026 #1

Sofra is a culturally adaptive conversational agent that supports dietary behaviour change by understanding how people relate to food. Developed within the EU SWITCH project, it builds a personal food culture from photos, mind maps, and voice notes that users provide to represent their everyday practices, motivations, and heritage. This profile shapes the agent's tone and suggestions, moving guidance from generic to grounded in each person's context. Developed through three user studies, the project shows how cultural resonance makes dietary support more relevant, respectful, and engaging. Combining interaction design and AI prompt engineering, Sofra challenges universal approaches to health technology and advocates for systems that adapt to, rather than flatten, cultural differences.

Diploma project (2026)

Students
Zeynep Erol
Sofra_ECAL_ErolZeynep_2_compressed.jpeg

Projets similaires

Côme Brocas – MountResilience

MAS Design Research for Digital Innovation (EPFL+ECAL Lab)

Côme Brocas – MountResilience

by Côme Brocas

How can we facilitate dialogue, engagement, and decision-making in response to the challenges of water management and climate change in mountain regions? This replicable demonstrator from the European project MountResilience is the result of participatory and interdisciplinary research conducted in the heart of the Valais Alps. The web application brings together experts and the general public around three interconnected sections: relative indicators provide a shared overview of the situation in real time, participatory field observations foster engagement, and a catalog raises awareness of local solutions. The evaluative study of the tool identified several factors influencing engagement in the design of climate change adaptation solutions.

Sofia Lelis – Èvokâ II

MAS Design Research for Digital Innovation (EPFL+ECAL Lab)

Sofia Lelis – Èvokâ II

by Sofia Lelis

Èvokâ II is an interactive installation that invites visitors to the Cantonal and University Library of Fribourg to enter into dialogue with the archives. Through an AI-based conversational interface, a presence living within the collections gathers memories connected to the canton and, in return, reveals fragments, stories and traces of Fribourg's heritage. This design research project explores how digital archives can become more accessible and resonant, questioning what connects us to a collective identity: places, emotions, stories and lived memories. Developed with the Swiss Data Science Center and supported by the Swiss National Library, Èvokâ II transforms archival consultation into an intimate experience, between personal memory and shared history.

Andrea Pronzati – Praeludium

MAS Design Research for Digital Innovation (EPFL+ECAL Lab)

Andrea Pronzati – Praeludium

by Andrea Pronzati

Praeludium constitutes a reinterpretation of the classical music listening experience. Utilizing digital innovations and immersive spatial audio technology, Praeludium aims to heighten engagement, especially among younger audiences. It transforms conventional performances into multi-sensory encounters by integrating audio-reactive visuals and dynamic lighting, thereby animating classical compositions. By crafting an immersive ambiance, Praeludium serves as a bridge between traditional and contemporary audiences, encouraging them to engage with classical music in novel and stimulating ways.

Danpeng Cai – ANT

MAS Design Research for Digital Innovation (EPFL+ECAL Lab)

Danpeng Cai – ANT

by Danpeng Cai

ANT (Advancing neurofeedback in tinnitus) is a multidisciplinary research project focused on improving neurofeedback therapy for tinnitus. The design research part looked to establish a systematic process for the development of visual stimuli in this context. Through a series of iterative studies, this work aimed to optimize neurofeedback protocols, challenge traditional notions and oversights in the field, and develop comprehensive design guidelines. The project, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), integrates insights in design (EPFL+ECAL Lab), cognitive psychology (Bern University of Applied Sciences and University of Fribourg), and clinical neuroscience (University and University Hospital Zurich), paving the way for future advances in neurofeedback therapy.

Lucie Houel – Things That Talk

MAS Design Research for Digital Innovation (EPFL+ECAL Lab)

Lucie Houel – Things That Talk

by Lucie Houel

Museum exhibitions traditionally present a multitude of objects grouped by theme or typology. While each of them is accompanied by a brief description of their origins, exhibitions rarely delve into the narratives surrounding each work. Things That Talk is a research project initiated by the LHST, which focuses on the exhibition of a single object and its multiple associated narratives. The final exhibition showcases a digital fresco that combines archival images and original content, which visitors can explore and animate using interactive spotlights. These interactions reveal hidden connections between the narratives and contemporary issues, allowing visitors to generate their own understanding of the themes addressed and to engage in a critical reflection on history.

Related courses