Nice to meet you! I am Novia.

I am a sixth year Informatics PhD candidate at University of California Irvine, advised by Dr. Madhu Reddy . I am an interdisciplinary HCI researcher studying and designing technologies to support people's wellbeing and mental health, aiming to identify an appropriate balance between reliance on technology and preserve or enhance existing interpersonal connections. I take a user-centric approach in my research to create engaging, culturally-informed, and evidence-based digital mental health technologies. To elicit information about people's current practices related to their mental health management and conceptualization of digital mental health, I use qualitative and design methods, such as interviews and participatory design. Currently, I am exploring the potential of using commercially available and general-purpose artificial intelligence (GenAI) to support people's mental health. My thesis focuses on Chinese immigrant parents' perspectives and attitudes toward using AI chatbots to learn and practice conversing with their children about mental health.

Leveraging my background and experience in psychology and product design, I have collaborated and worked closely with scholars from clinical psychology, software development,implementation science, and public health. I also design interventions using voice assistants and mobile applications for different populations, including college students and older adults. I actively contribute to both HCI and mental health communities, and I have published in CHI, CSCW, DIS, and ISRII.

I'm a researcher.

I hold an MS from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in Information Science, specializing in UX Research/Design, and a BS from San Jose State University in Psychology. Here are some highlights.

Understanding and Evaluating Cultural Relevance of Digital Mental Health Tools

Working with the Asian American adolescent and young adult populations, we conduct focus groups, digital ethnographic research, and participatory design workshops to identify design requirements for creating culturally relevant digital mental health tools.

Read selected publications: CHI 2025, more publications under review

Designing Voice-Activated Mental Health Services for Older Adults and Caregivers

The process includes need-elicitation, participatory design sessions, prototype and software development, and clinical trials. This research is a part of Northwestern University's Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies (CBITs) and funded by NIMH.

Read selected publications: DIS 2024, more publications under review

Understanding software developers' mental wellbeing and role of technologies

We conducted interviews with software developers to understand their experiences and perspectives of factors affecting their wellbeing at work. Self Determination Theory was used as a lens to evaluate impact of work processes and tools.

Read selected publications: CHI 2025, CHI 2023

I'm also a UX designer.

I follow the design thinking process where I first identify user needs, then iterate design solutions. Through my start-up and internship experiences, I have experience collaborating with product managers and developers to gather requirements for creating high fidelity, interactive, and launch-ready prototypes using Figma.

NowPow: PowRx, NowRx, CommRx, FindRx

Researched and designed referral webapps for care providers, case managers, and patients. Referrals focus on social needs.

TechSmith: Hotkeys and Favorites

Designed new functionalities for a video editing desktop application, Camtasia, including hotkeys and favorites.

Bariatric Surgery Decision Aid

Researched and designed a decision aid with educational materials on post-surgery lifestyle changes for bariatric patients.

Beyond Academia

After switching my career trajectories several times, I realized that one way for me to make a difference in the world is to improve healthcare for people while doing something that I love: researching, teaching, and designing! Outside of research and UX design, I love doodling, crocheting, and baking.

Fun fact, I have a streak of 2,400+ days of learning Japanese on Duolingo and recently started learning Italian. I also have an adorable dog named Biscoff who always reminds me to sleep at a reasonable time to maintain my physical and emotional health!