About

I am a research assistant at the Persuasive Computing Lab, Dalhousie University. My research interests lie in the area of Human-Computer Interaction, Persuasive Technology and Games. I get intrigued by the various paradigms of user behaviour and I like to ponder upon them. During my free time, I love playing guitar, Video Games, and I hang out with my friends at the slice shop!

Perma-Run is a persuasive mobile game to improve user awareness towards secure smartphone behaviour. I planned and conducted research at strategic points to make informed decisions. I was also responsible for designing and developing the game for my Master's thesis.

TreeCare is a persuasive gamified step tracker (Android App) that aims to curb Sedentary Behaviour and motivate users to stay active & healthy. I designed the app along with a Ph.D. student & developed the android app. I also assisted the student with the planning & execution of evaluative research.

FoodyBuddy is a gamified restaurant menu app to motivate healthy eating behaviour. Along with another team member, I planned and conducted iterative research to inform our design decisions of the persuasive app.

As part of the HCI course at Dalhousie University, our team of 5 was tasked to analyze existing smartphone calendar applications for design improvements. We started with explorative research followed by competitive analysis. Later we conducted a usability study on two apps (Within-Study design), surveyed and conducted contextual interviews with the users to gain insights. We analyzed the data and designed paper prototypes according to the results of data analysis. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we switched to remote research in the middle of the project.

I designed a Persuasive Game to motivate healthy oral behaviour according to the Persuasive System Design framework. I brainstormed and reviewed other works to come up with a novel and interesting design. This was part of a research-based design assignment that I thought would be portfolio-worthy.

Research Interests

I am an avid HCI researcher and, my interests lie in the area of Persuasive Games. I believe that every decision made has an impact on the user. I prefer the mixed-methods approach because this allows me to back up the Quantitative results with Qualitative data.

Research Methods

  • Interview

    What other way to get insights from the user than a contextual interview. Sometimes I like to dive deep into the specifics for contextual purposes.

  • Usability Studies

    I conduct usability studies to make sure the design is usable as intended and to generate actionable insights for making informed design decisions.

  • Surveys

    I prefer using validated scales for measuring behavioural constructs and, I use open ended questions to collect user feedback.

  • Thematic Analysis

    I was excited to learn about thematic analysis during my HCI coursework. I love how one can uncover patterns from user feedback by coding and forming themes.

  • Experimental Research

    As a researcher, hypothesizing and conducting experiments is an essential skill. During my time at dalhousie university, I have conducted and participated in various experimental research studies.

  • Writing

    I have published and presented at various international conferences along with other researchers. Reading various research works intrigues me and motivates me to keep pushing forward.

Epilogue

"Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open"
- Albus Dumbledore