I am a doctoral researcher at the INTERACT Research Group at the University of Oulu. I graduated from the University of Oulu with a Master’s degree in Software Engineering and Information Systems in 2025, specializing in Human-Centered Design and User Experience, as well as Persuasive Design and Gamification. As part of my Master’s thesis scholarship in Information Processing Sciences, I worked on climate change communication games.
I began my PhD studies in 2026. My research explores feedback and adaptive feedback modalities, as well as micro-interactions, in serious games focused on sustainability engagement. I am particularly interested in how thoughtfully designed feedback and user-centered design can shape user experience, and how games can be used as an effective tool to communicate climate change and sustainability while encouraging meaningful, long-term engagement.
Publications
Peer Reviewed Articles (#1)
- Wanigarathne, A. & Rajanen, D. (2025, in press) Serious games for climate change engagement: A user-centered design approach. In Int’l Conf. on Computer-Human Interaction Research and Applications CHIRA’25. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland. pdf
Master's Thesis