Specialty
GRAPHIC & IMMERSIVE DESIGN
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Young Ae Kim is a professor, researcher, and award-winning designer whose work explores the intersection of AI, emotional design, and human-centered creativity in design education. She holds a B.F.A. in Industrial Design from Sookmyung Women’s University in Seoul, an M.F.A. in Graphic Design from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), and a Ph.D. in UX/UI Design of Human Factor Psychology from the University of South Dakota. Her professional collaborations include Samsung, LG, Hyundai, Nike, New Balance, Aldi, Baskin Robbins, and Citi Bank. Her current research investigates AI-driven creativity, emotional design, immersive media, and data visualization as pathways to enhance learning, empathy, and innovation.
PRIMARY TEACHING AREAS
+ User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) Design Research
+ Immersive Experience Design - Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality
+ Data Visualization & Interactive Design
+ Design Methods & Research
+ Emotional Design
ADDITIONAL AREAS
+ Sustainable Package Design
+ Brand Strategy and Campaign
Young Ae Kim’s research explores the intersection of design, artificial intelligence (AI), and human experience, integrating creative practice with emerging technologies to advance human-centered innovation. Her work investigates how design thinking, emotional intelligence, and data visualization can shape adaptive, meaningful, and immersive digital interactions. She focuses on how AI augments creativity through generative design, intelligent interfaces, and machine-assisted visual systems that expand the designer’s role as both creator and curator. Her research also examines UX/UI design, exploring usability, accessibility, and cognitive engagement in AI-enhanced environments. In the area of emotional and affective design, she studies how sensory, aesthetic, and behavioral factors evoke empathy and emotional resonance in both human and AI-mediated experiences. Her ongoing work in immersive design uses virtual, augmented, and mixed reality (VR/AR/MR) technologies to create interactive learning environments that blend data, motion, and perception. Additionally, Kim’s research in data visualization and interactive systems translates complex information into dynamic, intelligent visual narratives that foster understanding and discovery. Across all her projects, she applies human factors psychology, AI-driven tools, and sustainable design strategies to build interdisciplinary bridges between design, science, and technology—advancing both design education and creative research in the age of AI.
