Vinh Thanh Nguyen

CITIES Research Fellow Affiliation: NYU Abu Dhabi
Education: BA New York University Abu Dhabi

Research Areas: Human-Computer Interaction; Ubiquitous Computing; Quantified Self; Air Quality Interfaces


Vince Nguyen is a creative technologist with interdisciplinary experience in interactive interfaces, including the web, IoT devices, and tangible interaction systems. In a time when technology is often associated with dissociation, his works weave narratives with self-intimacy in new modes of interaction to appeal to the users with the personified aspect of technology. In his research, he leverages his background in Interactive Media, Computer Science, and Natural Science to dissect technical knowledge and deliver a persuasive learning experiences for the public using interactive storytelling techniques at the intersection of arts and science. Vince is currently a Research Fellow at the Center for Interacting Urban Networks (CITIES), developing and assessing an Apple Watch - portable air quality monitor interface system.

Current Research

Vince is currently designing and developing an Apple Watch application that can be interfaced with a DIY portable air quality monitor. He hopes to leverage the rising popularity of the Apple Watch as a personal healthcare device to explore its possibilities and examine its effectiveness in promoting air pollution awareness and behavior change among users. By transforming raw measurements into exploratory visualizations, the Apple Watch interface is designed to encourage users to take actions to lower their exposure to air pollution through a knowledge-is-empowering approach.