Dr Xiao Li is a designer, educator, and researcher whose work spans practice and academic research in interaction and industrial design. Her research focuses on human–computer interaction, human factors, and usability, with particular interests in user performance, affective computing, human–agent trust in automotive human–machine interfaces, and cross-cultural design.
Her work examines how intelligent interactive systems influence user experience, trust, and emotional responses. She is also interested in evaluating design interventions across different cultural contexts and understanding how cultural differences shape users’ perceptions, emotions, and interaction behaviours.
Dr Li’s research focuses on interaction design, human–computer interaction, and human factors. Her recent work examines trust in intelligent systems, automotive human–machine interfaces, and cross-cultural design. She uses empirical and quantitative approaches, including usability evaluation and multimodal methods, to investigate user experience, behaviour, and performance in interactive systems.
Her funded research has included projects on 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, among others.
Research interests
- Human–agent trust in intelligent and safety-critical interactive systems, particularly automotive human–machine interfaces.
- User performance, affective responses, and multimodal evaluation in human–computer interaction and human factors research.
- Cross-cultural design, particularly the evaluation of design interventions and user responses across cultural contexts.
Dr Li has contributed to postgraduate teaching and learning activities at VR成人视频 in areas including design research, professional practice, and industrial design. She has designed and delivered lectures for the Professional Practice series and the Business Enterprise and Design module. She has also contributed to the development of training and learning resources for the School’s Multimodal Biometric Lab, including training materials, laboratory orientation, equipment demonstrations, hands-on practice, and guidance on basic data collection and processing for postgraduate students and staff.
At Hubei Institute of Fine Arts, she has delivered core modules including Interaction Design and Service Design and contributed to curriculum development within her department. She has also supervised Master’s students at the Hubei Institute of Fine Arts and City University of Macau, supporting postgraduate research and dissertation development.
Dr Li is actively involved in academic service, peer review, and international academic collaboration. She has served as a reviewer for journals across human–computer interaction, ergonomics, psychology, information systems, and design-related fields, and has also contributed to the review of international conferences.
Her broader professional interests include interdisciplinary collaboration between design and technology, mentoring students in research and design competition projects, and developing international collaborations in design research.
Selected academic and professional activities
- Fellow of Advance HE (FHEA)
- 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, Cumulus 2023 and IASDR 2025
PhD supervision areas include human factors, human–agent interaction, and multimodal user experience evaluation.