Bruno Giesteira

Abstract
This integrative literature review synthesizes insights from multiple disciplines to address the challenges and opportunities in designing digital communication interfaces for persons with Locked-In Syndrome (LIS). The paper highlights the importance of a multidisciplinary approach that includes ethical co-design, visual design principles, and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). It emphasizes how important it is to have user-friendly, visually appealing, and accessible interfaces to help persons with LIS to communicate more effectively. Important technologies are evaluated for their potential to improve communication, including Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR & VR), Eye Tracking, and Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI). To guarantee that the emerging technologies are both efficient and considerate of user demands, the review emphasizes the significance of ethical considerations and patient-centered design. This study intends to direct future design-based action research in constructing functional digital communication systems, using head-mounted Extended Reality (XR) technologies, by combining the various research findings from the review.

Abstract
Informal caregiving for People Living with Dementia (PLD) presents multifaceted challenges encompassing emotional, practical, and societal dimensions. This study explores the experiences of informal caregivers in Portugal and investigates the potential role of technology, particularly mHealth solutions, in addressing their needs. A mixed-methods approach incorporating questionnaire surveys and semi-structured interviews gathered insights regarding participants' caregiving experiences and technology usage. Findings reveal prevalent emotional challenges, practical limitations, and societal stigmas caregivers face, underscoring the need for enhanced support systems. Moreover, the study identifies deficiencies in mobile apps designed for caregivers and highlights the potential of Emotional Design (ED) principles to address these shortcomings. Future research should focus on validation, longitudinal studies, and co-design approaches to develop targeted interventions that support informal caregivers of PLD in Portugal and beyond. This study deepens understanding of informal caregiving and highlights the need to integrate emotional considerations into mHealth solutions to enhance caregiver wellbeing and dementia care outcomes. © 2025 The Author(s).

Abstract
Within the context applied to Virtual Reality research, the present work focuses on a literature review within the emerging field of Transformative Experience Design. The review focuses on studies that have adopted a strongly empirical, phenomenological and qualitative approach to the creation and evaluation of transformative experiences in VR, with the purpose of finding out not only how these are being created, but also which are the main factors that enable a transformative dimension in this type of experiences. The results present a number of possible stimuli regarding the most prominent dimensions of awe and the sublime found in the literature: perceptual vastness and need for accommodation. These results are then systematized and discussed, and further possibilities are then suggested within this context. © 2025. Published by AHFE Open Access. All rights reserved.

Abstract
Building on the work carried out in the context of both the master's thesis and the EUGLOH Tromso Idea Camp 2024, this paper proposes to explore somatic relationships that could help to develop a grammar of practical applicability that specifies which properties pertain to each the three dimensions of Emotional Design presented by Donald Norman. Thus, a proto-ontology affecting some of these factors is presented. The validity of this proposal was methodologically tested mainly through the use of Cultural Probes, along with other methodological tools, which were used to collect emotionally relevant artifacts owned by the participants. This data was submitted through both Content Analysis and Artifact Analysis in order to determine which properties of the artifacts made them meaningful to the users. Different preliminary data related to the three dimensions of Emotional Design emerged: in the first visceral dimension, elements of a perceptual-sensory nature; in the behavioral dimension, some preliminary factors relating to the prevalence of both feedback and image schemas stood out; lastly, the reflective aspect proved to be the one where the most properties were determined, mainly related to symbolic properties.

Abstract
This research aims to leverage digital drawing as a non-verbal language to transcend the communication barriers faced by individuals with partial to complete locked-in syndrome (LIS). It will explore the possibility of using the human body as an interface, through assistive technology, in accordance with its limitation in functionality, to facilitate social reconnection and emotional expression through drawing. This approach is grounded in the understanding that creative expression and communication are fundamental human needs and can significantly impact the well-being and quality of life of individuals with severe motor impairments. This paper will focus on the development of the drawing activities. These activities will run under a mixed reality set that can be tailored by caregivers or therapists to the end-user's needs and preferences, ensuring functionality and user satisfaction through an accessible, enriching, and emotionally rewarding experience. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.