Jessie Mindel

"I build computational environments that let us connect with each other’s inner experiences. Many of the most intimate parts of ourselves, like the ways we process difficult moments and form our identities and values, are hard to access and share, but can be crucial assets in helping people better understand each other and themselves, especially at a time of division. In recent work, I've designed activities for trading and retracing inner experiences to support perspective-taking, AI-assisted world-building games for supporting emotionally vulnerable conversations, actuated textiles for physically mending sociocultural tensions, and wayfinding applications for reflecting on meaningful memories within one's creative work.

Prior to starting doctoral study, I completed an S.M. in Media Arts and Sciences at the MIT Media Lab and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science with an emphasis on New Media and Design Innovation at UC Berkeley, and worked as a software engineering intern at Meta and a human-centered product design consultant at Berkeley Innovation (in collaboration with Ford, Steelcase, SITELAB Urban Studio, and EHDD). Across these experiences, I've built my background in HCI, robotics, digital fabrication, audio, and product, spatial, and installation design."