Dr Danyun Liu

Dr. Danyun Liu is a design researcher and educator specializing in digital heritage, knowledge visualization, and inclusive user experience design. She serves as Treasurer of the International Committee of Historical Sciences – International Commission for Computational Technologies and History (ICCTH), editorial board member and reviewer of the International Journal of Cartography, and reviewer for IASDR 2025.

Her research bridges interactive visualization, digital humanities, and participatory design, with a longstanding focus on cultural heritage. She has contributed to international initiatives such as Engineering Historical Memory (EHM), which gained global recognition through the GLAMi Awards (2021), endorsement by the Italian National Commission for UNESCO (2022), and the Medieval Academy of America Publication Prize (2024). Her broader achievements include the Asia Digital Art Awards Japan (2013, 2016, 2024) and the China Creative Challenges Contest (2022, 2024).

She has published extensively in international journals and conferences, and presented her work at leading academic and professional forums worldwide. In recent years, Dr. Liu has expanded her research to address societal challenges of aging, exploring how inclusive and participatory design can promote digital literacy, well-being, and intergenerational engagement among the young-old population (55–74).

Dr. Liu has over 18 years of teaching experience across undergraduate and postgraduate levels in design, media, and interdisciplinary studies. Her pedagogy integrates design thinking, cultural heritage, digital media, and interactive technologies, encouraging students to apply creativity and critical inquiry to address complex social and cultural challenges.

• User Research and User Experience Design
• Service Design and Inclusive Design
• Information Visualisation and Data-Driven Storytelling
• Interaction Design & User Interface Design
• Game Art Design & Animation
• Design Thinking & Interdisciplinary Design Fundamentals
• Final Year Project Supervision (BA/MA)

Dr. Liu’s research centers on design for digital heritage and aging societies, bridging digital media, cultural heritage, and community innovation. She integrates methods from digital humanities, information visualization, and service design to create inclusive, technology-enabled solutions that enhance cultural engagement and promote digital well-being among older adults.

• Digital media and interaction design
• Information visualization and digital humanities for cultural heritage
• Participatory and service design for communities and aging societies

Dr. Liu employs a diverse set of interdisciplinary methodologies that combine design research, digital tools, and human-centered practices. She integrates mixed-methods approaches to explore both technological innovation and social applications.

• User-centered and participatory design
• Co-design workshops and ecosystem mapping
• Information visualization and knowledge graph construction
• AR/VR prototyping and immersive design
• Mixed methods: qualitative interviews, surveys, and statistical analysis

• Engineering Historical Memory (EHM, ongoing) – International collaboration on historical maps; endorsed by UNESCO; awarded Medieval Academy of America Prize (2024) and GLAMi Award (2021).
• Maritime Silk Road GIS and Visualization (2016–2020, MOE & GD) – Digital humanities research on historical maps and GIS visualization.
• Impacts of Sea Level Change on Trading Ports and Routes (2022–2025, MOE AcRF Tier 1) – Computational-history approaches to sea-lanes and climate impact.
• Afro-Eurasian Port Cities Digital Interface (2020–2023, MOE AcRF Tier 1) – Interactive platform for cross-cultural travel narratives.
• Data Consolidation for Interactive Global Histories (2017–2020, MOE AcRF Tier 1) – Data-driven simulations of global history.
• Digital Literacy and Well-being for the Young-Old / Aging with Dignity (2023–ongoing, NUS) –  Research on digital inclusion and aging.
• Interactive Narrative in Museums (MOE HSS) – VR/AR narrative frameworks for cultural exhibitions.
• 24 Solar Terms AR Application and Animation (2017, GD S&T) – AR-based cultural storytelling and science popularisation.
• Guangzhou International Lighting Festival (2015–2017) – Public interactive installations with over one million visitors annually.
• Maps as Knowledge Aggregators (2016, Microsoft Azure for Research) – Linking Renaissance maps with modern Bing Maps.

Selected Publications 

• Liu, D., & Nanetti, A. (2025). Innovating digital history: Interactive visualisation and new narratives. In Proceedings of the International Symposium on Electronic/Emerging Art (ISEA 2025) (pp. 501–509). Art Center Nabi, Institute for Culture and Arts, Seoul National University.
• Zhou, X., Liu, D., Pan, Z., Li, M., & Xia, M. (2025). Interactive gamification of tea culture: A pet-raising approach for digital heritage. In C. Stephanidis (Ed.), HCI International 2025 – Proceedings (LNCS, Vol. 15824). Springer.
• Liu, D., Vu, K., & Nanetti, A. (2022). Information visualisation tools to explore Fra Mauro’s world map (1460 CE). In Proceedings of the 16th ICA Conference on Digital Approaches to Cartographic Heritage.
• Liu, D., Xue, Y., Cheong, S. A., Vu, K., & Nanetti, A. (2021). Information visualisation for digital history: Participatory solutions for reviewing best practices. e-Perimetron, 16(3), 115–127.
• Liu, D., & Jiun, C. Y. (2016). Historical cultural art heritage come alive: Interactive design in Taiwan Palace Museum as a case study. 2016 22nd International Conference on Virtual Systems & Multimedia (VSMM) (pp. 1–8). IEEE.
• Liu, D., Yongquan, Y., Chaodan, W., & Zhongpeng, Z. (2016). The GDUT Maritime Silk Road project (2014–2015) as a case study for VSMM in museum settings in China. 2016 22nd International Conference on Virtual Systems & Multimedia (VSMM) (pp. 1–9). IEEE.
• Liu, D. (2023). Chinese Zodiac and 12 Constellations Artworks. Modern Publishing.
• Liu, D. (2022). Interactive design experience in museums and libraries settings. Xueyuan Press.
• Liu, D. (2021). The user experience of historical world maps in web-based systems: A selection of fifteenth-century world maps of Afro-Eurasia as a showcase (Doctoral dissertation, Nanyang Technological University). NTU Digital Repository.

Dr. Liu supervises interdisciplinary design research spanning cultural heritage and visualization, participatory and service design, museum and immersive experience design, game and animation for cultural engagement, and inclusive design for aging.

• Cultural heritage and visualization
• Participatory and service design
• Museum and immersive experience design
• Game, animation, and interactive media for cultural engagement
• Inclusive design and aging

Dr. Liu contributes to international academia, professional associations, and industry through editorial, leadership, and consultancy roles.

• Treasurer, International Commission for Computational Technologies in History (ICCTH), under the International Committee of Historical Sciences
• Editorial Board Member, International Journal of Cartography
• Associate Chair, Guangzhou Popular Science Association
• Design and Cultural Consultant, Equinox Showcase Singapore

Dr. Liu’s portfolio bridges academic research and real-world practice across digital heritage, design innovation, aging, and community engagement.

• Engineering Historical Memory (EHM) – Internationally awarded platform for digital heritage visualization
• Aging with Dignity – NUS-led research on digital literacy and well-being for the young-old in Singapore
• Nurturing Nestling – AI-powered emotional support and educational platform for families
• Public Installations – Connecting Hearts, Courier Station, Magic Board at Guangzhou International Light Festival (2015–2017), engaging over one million visitors annually

Dr. Liu actively engages the public through community-based research, large-scale cultural events, and industry collaborations. Her initiatives have reached millions worldwide and fostered cultural exchange, digital inclusion, and cross-sector innovation.

• Aging with Dignity – Designing a community-based ecosystem (Nurturing Socio-Digital Engagement for the Young-Old), advancing digital literacy and well-being through comparative research across Asia, Europe, North America, and Australia
• Guangzhou International Light Festival – Interactive installations engaging over one million visitors (2015–2017)
• National Museum of Singapore Children’s Season – Participatory workshops for families and children
• Industry Collaborations – Joint projects with DBS, HONOR, Singtel, and Memory Lane integrating design research and technological innovation

In addition to interdisciplinary academic research, Dr. Liu also supervises arts-based digital projects that connect cultural heritage, digital innovation, and social engagement through creative practice.

• Arts-based digital heritage projects
• AR/VR installations and immersive media
• Interactive design for community and cultural engagement

Dr. Liu’s work has been widely recognized with prestigious international and national awards for excellence in digital heritage, interactive design, and education. She has also supervised students who received major international design prizes.

• Medieval Academy of America Digital Humanities Prize (2024) – International recognition in digital humanities research
• Asia Digital Art Awards, Japan (2024, 2016, 2013, 2011) – Multiple international prizes for digital and interactive artworks
• China Creative Challenges Contest (2024, 2022) – First Prize and Third Prizes for design innovation
• GLAMi Award (2021) – Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums Innovation Awards (USA)
• Falling Walls Finalist (2021) – Selected among global science breakthroughs (Berlin, Germany)
• Guangzhou International Lighting Festival Awards (2017, 2016, 2015) – Honors for large-scale public interactive art installations
• 15th Central South Star Award Design Art Competition (2013) – National recognition in design art
• Teaching Excellence Awards (multiple years) – Recognition for outstanding teaching performance
• Supervised students who won multiple international design awards in digital media and interactive design competitions