Envisioning a flourishing world
through situated media.

Questions

Information → Materials → Relationships

01

Situated Information

How can information become more considered?

02

Material Communication

How can materials communicate?

03

Relational Media

How can media connect?

Selected Works

A sea-green DUST device showing the day's climate news on its e-ink screen, standing before a stack of translucent, grey, black and yellow case shells
Feb 2026 · AI IoT

DUST

An #AIforHumanity pocket news device. Advanced summarisation techniques remove trigger words and biases, ending sensational news.

Milan Design Week 2026 · Isola Design Profile · As seen on Dezeen · Design Intelligence Awards Nomination
A study grid of translucent biomaterial specimens cast from food waste, flecked with coffee, herbs and eggshell
Feb 2026 · User–material interaction

MILES

Material journey. Biomaterials cast from a household’s own food waste and displayed as a conversation piece.

RCA Natural Matters Lab · Hangar Gallery · Exhibition Road Spring Show · DRS Textile Intersections 2026
The finale meal under the tree canopy — a long table set with food, dried flowers and wine as residents gather in evening light
Jul 2026

Reading Design

An investigation into crafting human–environment delight.

London Design Festival 2026, Buckinghamshire, UK

Research & Publications

Material Attunement in Minimal Media: Designing Tactility for Information Engagement Full Paper published in the 2026 Proceedings of the Design Society, Cambridge University Press May 2026
Design for Flourishing Positive computing technologies with Professor Rafael Calvo at the Wellbeing Technologies Lab, Imperial College London & National University of Singapore Feb 2026 —
More-Than-Human-Centred Design & Design for Meaningfulness Led expert panel at IASDR 2025: Design Next, Taipei, Taiwan with MIT, NUS & Virginia Tech; guidance from Don Norman Dec 2025
Wine, Where? Investigative journalistic project working with wine makers and sellers across the world’s most expressive regions 2024 — 2025
W*NK WONK Health information you can eat — multisensory confectionery, Imperial Chemical Kitchen; commissioned for branded events Jun 2026 —
Textile as Ecological Index: Casting Domestic Food Waste Full Paper accepted for 2026 Design Research Society Digital Library, London, UK Forthcoming publication
Designing Context-Aware Generative Installations: A Modular Framework for Adaptive Public Space Demo Paper accepted for 2026 Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction (PACMHCI), Wales, UK Forthcoming publication

Recognition

Internet Society Fellow Representing and keynote speaking on behalf of Internet Society UK for internet safety, Brussels, Belgium Jun 2026 —
Reading Design Residency Nomination London Design Festival 2026, Buckinghamshire, UK · Grymsdyke Farm Publication Jul 2026
Full Scholarship in Media Technologies MSc & MA Innovation Design Engineering, Imperial College London × Royal College of Art Aug 2025
24+ Awards Across writing, photography, film and software To date

About

Portrait of Valerie Chua, smiling, in a white organza garment with a floral print

Valerie Chua Yan Tong is an artist and research scholar in media design and engineering. She is currently based at Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art.

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