•   When: Wednesday, April 09, 2025 from 03:00 PM to 04:00 PM
•   Speakers: Prof. Zhicong Lu
•   Location: Nguyen Engineering Building, Room 4201
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Abstract:

The proliferation of video-sharing and livestreaming platforms such as YouTube and Twitch has catalyzed the growth of online creative communities, promoting cultural expression and preservation. In this talk, I will present my group’s research on these vibrant online creative communities, uncovering the innovative ways in which grassroots content creators captivate audiences, safeguard intangible cultural heritage, and reshape cultural production through livestreaming and short videos. I will highlight the complex dynamics, creative labor, and challenges content creators face. I will also showcase the design and implementation of interactive tools and systems to empower them, such as StreamSketch, which fosters multi-modal interactions between creative livestreamers and their audiences, and Metamorpheus, a metaphorical visual storytelling tool. The insights derived from understanding and supporting these online creative communities offer a roadmap for the future design of immersive media and creativity support tools. 

Bio:

Prof. Zhicong Lu is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Computer Science, George Mason University, specializing in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), social computing, and Computer-mediated Communication. Dr. Lu’s work centers on understanding and addressing user needs in diverse contexts in online creative communities by employing qualitative and quantitative methods, design methods, and interactive system development. Dr. Lu has published extensively in premier HCI and social computing conferences such as ACM CHI, CSCW, DIS, and CHI Play, earning a Best Paper Award at CHI 2019 and three Best Paper Honorable Mentions at CHI 2021, CHI 2023, and CHI 2024. His achievements include the Rising Star Award from the International Chinese Association of Computer-Human Interaction. He was also elected as the Chair of the Asia SIGCHI Committee, which is dedicated to activating HCI research and practices in Asia.