Yue Fan designs calm AI for real attention

technology that – Designer Yue Fan argues that the next leap in human-computer interaction shouldn’t be louder interfaces—it should be systems that understand attention, reduce cognitive load, and support people in high-pressure moments without constant interruption. Her URSA c

When the task in front of you is unforgiving, the last thing you need is a screen demanding your focus. Yue Fan starts from that discomfort—where complexity meets limited attention—and designs technology that doesn’t constantly reach for the user’s eyes.

The pace of industry change is undeniable. Artificial intelligence, wearable devices, and spatial computing technologies are accelerating their implementation, pushing human-computer interaction toward ubiquitous, integrated experiences. Traditional interaction paradigms are being disrupted as digital technology moves beyond device interfaces and into human perception. everyday behavior. and daily life scenarios. For Fan. the question inside all of that momentum is clear: how can design make technology better understand people. support wellbeing. and integrate naturally across devices and environments?.

Working at the intersection of merging technologies and human-centered experience design. Fan currently works on digital health and wearable experiences at Samsung. Her cross-device experiences are built to make complex information more intuitive for users worldwide. Her broader practice spans AI, spatial computing, and multimodal interaction.

That philosophy is embodied in her URSA concept design project, which has been recognized with multiple international awards, including the Muse Design Award, the New York Product Design Award, and the Indigo Design Award, for its innovative design philosophy and practical value.

At the 2026 Indigo Design Awards, URSA received a Gold Winner distinction. It was also selected as a finalist for “Digital Design of the Year” alongside internationally recognized projects including the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra website and the Oura Ring app. The Digital Design category included 55 winning projects in total, but only five advanced to the final shortlist. Other finalists came from globally recognized design organizations including Cheil, The Barbarian Group, and Instrument. URSA was the only finalist focused on future human-computer interaction.

URSA isn’t framed as a futuristic fantasy about interaction in distant space. It starts with a more immediate tension: how intelligent systems should support people in high-pressure environments without constantly interrupting them.

Its approach centers on a hands-free interaction model, an adaptive guidance system, and non-intrusive information design. Together. they target a bigger challenge facing future intelligent systems—how technology can help people perform complex tasks more safely and efficiently in demanding environments.

Those principles extend beyond space exploration into healthcare. emergency response. industrial maintenance. and digital health. where users may need to process large amounts of information while attention and mobility are limited. In those contexts, reducing cognitive burden and minimizing unnecessary distractions become core to human-AI collaboration.

Fan’s view pushes beyond screens and layouts. She expects human-computer interaction to shift away from simply operating interfaces toward understanding people—their cognition, behavior, and how attention shifts in real-world environments.

That belief is tied to how she trained and what she kept noticing. Before entering user experience and emerging technologies, Yue Fan studied landscape architecture. She later pursued design at the University of California, Berkeley, where her work focused on human-computer interaction and emerging technologies. Instead of treating interfaces as purely visual layouts and information structures. she grew increasingly interested in how information exists within human environments—and how technology relates to human behavior. perception. and attention.

“Many digital systems are still designed around constantly competing for people’s attention. even though human attention is fundamentally limited. ” Yue Fan explains. “Effective interaction is not simply about making systems more powerful. It’s about understanding what people actually need in different situations.”.

That line of thinking becomes the foundation for URSA’s design question. In high-pressure environments such as space exploration. astronauts must manage navigation. environmental hazards. procedural tasks. and team communication at the same time. even as human attention remains limited. Under those conditions, more complex interfaces don’t automatically improve performance; in many cases, they add cognitive strain.

URSA aims to respond by exploring how critical information can appear at the right moment while minimizing unnecessary interruptions. Unlike traditional interfaces that continuously compete for user attention. URSA explores a contextual interaction model in which systems dynamically adapt how information is presented based on user tasks and environmental conditions.

Its spatial guidance system, multimodal interaction approach, and AI-driven contextual awareness are not presented as isolated features. They are part of a broader interaction design approach focused on reducing unnecessary cognitive load while allowing users to stay engaged with the real environment around them.

If digital technology is moving from tool to companion, Fan’s work insists it should move with restraint—built to offer meaningful support while respecting cognition, attention, and the rhythms of everyday life.

Yue Fan URSA concept human-computer interaction digital health wearable experiences spatial computing multimodal interaction AI-driven contextual awareness Samsung Indigo Design Awards Muse Design Award New York Product Design Award Oura Ring app Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra website adaptive guidance system