Dr Xiao Li is a designer, educator, and researcher whose work spans interaction design practice and academic research. Her research lies at the intersection of human–computer interaction, human factors, and usability engineering, with particular interests in user performance, affective computing, human–agent trust in automotive human–machine interfaces, and cross-cultural design research. Her work explores how intelligent interactive systems can be designed to support more effective, trustworthy, and emotionally responsive user experiences. She is also interested in how design interventions can be validated across cultural contexts, particularly in relation to users’ emotional responses. Dr Li is a Lecturer in Industrial Design at Hubei Institute of Fine Arts and a part-time Master’s supervisor at the City University of Macau.
Dr Li’s research focuses on interaction design, human–computer interaction, and human factors. Her recent work explores trust in intelligent systems, automotive human–machine interfaces, and cross-cultural design. Her research draws on empirical and quantitative approaches, as well as usability evaluation and multimodal methods. Her funded projects have covered areas such as intelligent robot perception and interaction design, design interventions for adolescent emotional wellbeing, virtual reality-based spatial interaction design, and automotive HMI design. Her work has been published in international journals including International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, Displays, Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, and ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information.
Research interests:
- Human–agent trust in intelligent and safety-critical interactive systems, particularly in automotive human–machine interfaces.
- User performance, affective response, and multimodal evaluation in human–computer interaction and human factors research.
- Cross-cultural design research, particularly the validation of design interventions and users’ emotional responses across cultural contexts.
Dr Li has teaching experience across undergraduate and postgraduate design education. At Hubei Institute of Fine Arts, she has delivered core modules including Interaction Design and Service Design, while also contributing to curriculum development within her department. She has supervised Master’s students at the City University of Macau, supporting postgraduate research and dissertation development. At Loughborough University, she contributes to teaching through lectures and academic activities related to design research and the Multimodal Biometric Lab.
Dr Li is actively involved in academic service, peer review, and international research exchange. She has served as a reviewer for journals across human–computer interaction, ergonomics, psychology, and design-related fields, and has contributed to international conference reviewing. Her broader professional interests include interdisciplinary collaboration between design and technology, mentoring students in research and competition projects, and the use of empirical and quantitative approaches in design research and practice. She is interested in building international collaborations around design research.
Selected academic and professional activities
- Editorial Board Member, Studies in Media and Communication
- Reviewer for journals including Ergonomics, Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Information Systems Frontiers, Journal of Robotic Surgery, Online Information Review, JoVE, Frontiers in Psychology, Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, Scientific Reports, Sustainability, and Behavioral Sciences
- Juror, Future Art & Design Award UK 2025
- Session Chair, AHFE 2021
- Conference Reviewer for Cumulus 2023 and IASDR 2025