MA in Interaction Design releases open-access publication exploring voice-based healthcare interfaces and ethical AI design.
Publication Date: January 2026
Maind Master SUPSI is pleased to announce the release of "Intimate Agents: Multimodal Experience Design in Products," a new publication documenting the outcomes of the Multimodal Experience Design in Products course within the Master of Arts in Interaction Design program.The course, led by Dr. Serena Cangiano and Alice Mela, positioned a social challenge as a design territory, asking:
How can voice assistants and multimodal interfaces help people make sense of their health data?
How can UX patterns increase transparency and trust in conversational healthcare experiences?
Can voice assistants develop health literacy while respecting user autonomy?
The publication features articles from leading practitioners and researchers:
Massimo Botta (SUPSI) introduces multimodality as both a pedagogical and epistemological paradigm for interaction design education.
Melanie Bossert (Google DeepMind Gemini) examines the evolution from conversational interfaces to Generative User Interfaces, outlining a designer's agenda for the future.
Laura Ferrarello (EPFL) presents frameworks for designing holistic solutions that foster ethical innovation.
Matteo Loglio (oio studio) introduces the concept of Large Language Objects (LLOs)—products with language models as their core interaction engine.
Matteo Subet and Luca Draisci document Dewab, an open-source JavaScript library for prototyping voice-based interactions.
Eight student projects demonstrate practical applications of multimodal design principles across healthcare contexts:
| Project | Focus | Team |
|TALI| Teen emotional literacy and intimacy education | Agustoni, Ghercavii, La Rocca |
|GLIDE | Endometriosis self-advocacy | Ferrari, Turano, Raheel |
|BLOOM | Sex education for Romanian parents | Baumhofer, Goncharova, Niculae, Rodrigues Ristic |
|REMI | Early-stage dementia support | Cacciola, Seefluth, Chen |
|NEBULO | Child-centered asthma care | De Martino, Mameo, Salvatore, Spallino |
|BLISS | Cystitis prevention for athletes | Beghetto, Guariglia |
|LUNA CARE| UTI prevention and antibiotic stewardship | Kastrytsa, Kavaliauskaite, Gennuso |
|ZIZI| Sexual health education through gaming | Alabadi, Hug, Méndez |
Publication Details
Title:Intimate Agents: Multimodal Experience Design in Products
Editors: Serena Cangiano, Alice Mela
Graphic Design:Alice Mioni
Publisher: SUPSI, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland
Publication Date: January 2025
License: CC BY SA 4.0
ISBN (Digital): 978_88_7595_124_5
ISBN (Print):978_88-7595_118_4
DOI:https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18186387