Shuhao Ma
HCI and Design Researcher
I tell the story of design and labor by drawing on gig work as a critical site of inquiry. Through studies of worker-centered opportunities (DIS 2023), politics of design (DIS 2024), and speculative design (CHI 2025), my doctoral dissertation shows how design both shapes labor conditions and is shaped by existing labor dynamics. It introduces labor design as a critical lens for rethinking designer responsibility and for imagining more equitable labor futures in an AI-driven, automated society (CHI 2025), while critically reflecting on how designers engage with workers (CHI 2026).
My research vision centers on advancing design methods and empowering designers to engage with social justice and sustainability challenges. I work and collaborate primarily across Europe, China, and the United States, with publications at leading conferences such as CHI, DIS, CSCW, and IASDR. Before pursuing my PhD, I worked as a service and interaction designer, holding a master's degree in design from Tongji University. I keep a keen interest in sustainability and have previously engaged in projects related to sustainability and digital social innovation, collaborating with Prof. Francesca Valsecchi (Tongji Ecology and Cultures Innovation Lab).