Jung-hye ShinDepartment Chair and Professor of Design Studies | Faculty Director of the Design Thinking Program | Interior Architecture Program Coordinator

I believe in the power of design to improve lives and enhance well-being. My research explores how our homes and communities — especially for older adults and individuals with limited functional abilities — can foster health, independence, and meaningful connections. By listening to personal experiences, observing daily practices, and analyzing environments from the home to the urban scale, I work to translate these insights into policy and design guidelines that genuinely reflect people’s needs.

In teaching, I emphasize foundational design skills, the integration of research into building design, and the role of design as a vital part of general education. Design has a crucial role in addressing the most pressing 21st-century challenges — such as climate change, sustainability, and social inequality — while making a lasting, positive impact on people’s lives.

Selected Publications

Shin, J., Her-Xiong, Y., Tredinnick, R., & Ponto., K. (2021). Toward Understanding Everyday Lives of older adults: A Methodological Exploration. The Gerontologist, 61(8), 1241-1253. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnab045

Shin, J., Dennis, S., & Mohammed, H. (2021). Mental health outcome measures in environmental design research: A critical review. Heath Environments Research & Design Journal, 14(3), 331-357. https://doi.org/10.1177/1937586721999787

Ma, Y., Zou, G., Shin, J., Kang, Y., Gao, S., Siu, K., & Zhang, S. (2021). Locating community-based comprehensive old-age service facilities using GIS and the Nested Ecological Model of Aging in Place: A case study of Harbin, China. Journal of Urban Planning and Development, 147(2). https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)UP.1943-5444.0000678

Kang, H., Shin, J., & Ponto, K. (2020). How 3D virtual reality store can shape consumer purchase decisions: The role of informativeness and playfulness. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 49(1), 70-85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2019.07.002

Shin, J. (2018). Listen to the Elders: Design guidelines for affordable multi‐family housing for the elderly based on their experiences. Journal of Housing for the Elderly, 32(2), 211-240. https://doi.org/10.1080/02763893.2018.1431585

For a full list of publications, see Shin’s CV.