Biography

Deniz Ural is an award-winning designer, researcher, and speaker ded­i­cated to cre­at­ing inno­v­a­tive, respon­sive, and holis­tic expe­ri­ences that help people heal. Growing up as a dancer, she devel­oped a deep under­stand­ing of move­ment and pres­ence, which later influ­enced her first tech project—choreographing a robot dance for a children’s exhi­bi­tion. She stud­ied indus­trial design and spent five years in the design indus­try in var­i­ous roles, includ­ing fore­sight designer for the future of spa­tial com­put­ing, UX/UI designer, and free­lancer. Now pur­su­ing a master’s at SIAT, SFU, she researches tech­no­log­i­cally medi­ated and sen­sory expe­ri­ences that foster heal­ing and deeper human connection.

Projects

Sensorium

This mixed-methods study investigates how real versus sham visual biofeedback influences subjective and physiological relaxation, self-connection, body awareness, flow, and self-transcendence within Sensorium 1.5 — an individual, immersive installation combining body-scan meditation, ambient sound, and HRV-responsive LED lighting. Fifty participants will experience both real and sham feedback in...

By deniz ural & bernhard riecke Read more

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BRieFLY - A meditative VR experience


Breathe, connect, and watch fireflies respond to your touch and breath BRieFLY is an exploratory VR prototype combining mindful breathing with playful interaction. This 6-minute meditative experience immerses users in a mixed reality environment where shimmering fireflies dynamically respond to their movements, as illustrated in the video below. The session begins with a 3-minute narrated b...

By deniz ural, rayne inkster, bernhard riecke & john desnoyers stewart Read more

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Publications