About

Nandhini Giri is an Assistant Professor of Human Computer Interaction & Entertainment Graphics at the Department of Computer Graphics Technology, Purdue University. She completed her PhD in Media Arts and Sciences from Indiana University Bloomington, with minors in Human Computer Interaction Design and Cognitive Science. She has over 15 years of professional experience in the fields of computer graphics, interactive entertainment, and information systems, encompassing roles in research, education, interactive media development, creative team management, production management, and software product maintenance. Her research and teaching interests include expertise development in the entertainment industry, empirically driven iterative design in game development, animation research and globalization practices, player experience research for video games, game design education and competency development, and mixed reality experience design. Giri has contributed to the field through various publications and presentations, focusing on child-centric character design, design expertise in gaming, systems approaches to game design, and virtual character design processes. Her industry engagement includes work on several animated films and entertainment projects, and she manages the Experience Realities Lab at Purdue. Her work emphasizes human-centered experience design within entertainment and interactive media.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Knowledge management
• Multimedia
• Psychology
• Sociology
• Political Science
• Engineering
• Architectural engineering
• Process management
• Management science
• Human–computer interaction

Selected publications

• Perceptions of AI in Animation Production

  Lecture notes in computer science · 2025-01-01

  book-chapter
  PublisherDOI

• Education Disrupted

  2025-07-07 · 1 citations

  article1st authorCorresponding

  The computer graphics and interactive techniques industry is at the leading edge of technology and is constantly challenged by rapid advancements in technology, market shifts, and disruptive innovations. This shifting technological landscape, characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity, at times requires educators and academic programs to adapt quickly and rethink their approaches to educational practices. This panel brings educators and industry practitioners together to identify emerging trends that disrupt education while opening new opportunities for innovation and industry collaboration. Panelists will highlight relevant pedagogical and curricular approaches and discuss how industry perspectives shape academic training to prepare learners for the evolving workforce better.

  PublisherDOI

• Using Immersive Virtual Environments for Intercultural Learning Experiences

  2025-01-16

  article1st authorCorresponding

  This case study paper presents results from a pilot study to test the use of immersive virtual environments as a pre-departure training module in study abroad programs for intercultural learning experiences. Insights from the pilot study are used in developing a scenario-based immersive pre-departure training module for further testing and refinement. Study abroad programs introduce students to novel cultural experiences that lead to enriched learning experiences, friendships, and a lifetime of memories. Our study presents insights on the current student experiences in these programs and how immersive technologies can enhance their experiences through prior virtual cultural exposure and interactions. For the pilot study, six students from a computer graphics technology program who had previously enrolled in study abroad programs were recruited. Participants were guided through an exploratory tour of popular locations in Google earth VR. Once participants got comfortable using the VR headset and controller, they were asked to explore their prior study abroad destination and share their experiences in those foreign destinations. The VR session lasted for roughly 20 minutes followed by filling out a post-session questionnaire. The insights gained through this pilot study show that 1. Participants appreciated the visual immersion of the VR experience. However, participants preferred real-life experiences over virtual ones. They did see the VR module as preparation for real-world cultural exploration. 2. There was a lack of cultural interaction in the VR space. Participants valued experiences that help them better understand differences in the way of life and values of people, more than just viewing eye-catching monuments. These insights informed the design of a scenario-based immersive pre-departure training module in VR for students to explore virtual scenarios and encounters with cultural ambassadors in the foreign destination.

  PublisherDOI

• Design Expertise in Entertainment Computing Practices

  Lecture notes in computer science · 2025-01-01

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Artificial Intelligence-Based Vision Assistance System for Blind Students Using Smart Glasses

  International Research Journal on Advanced Engineering Hub (IRJAEH) · 2025-05-21

  articleOpen access

  Blind students are at a revolutionary disadvantage in self-reading access to exam content presented in the form of print, necessitating mandatory human scribes. This is challenged on their privacy, autonomy, and neutrality because students have to listen to questions, be read out to them and respond to the questions and write them down. To rectify these issues, the current study suggests an AI-based smart glasses system tailor-made to aid visually impaired students in exam situations. The system incorporates leading-edge image processing, Optical Character Recognition (OCR), Text-to-Speech (TTS), and Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) support in real time. The intelligent glasses are provided with a high-definition camera in order to capture printed as well as handwritten content, which is performed by OCR software based on deep learning. The extracted content is further made into speaking words with the support of TTS so that students can listen to their test items. Voice recognition software is also integrated into the system so that the students can speak out their responses, which are digitally transcribed and stored. But another important contribution of this research has been the creation of an optimized image pre-processing pipeline for obtaining maximum accuracy in text recognition under various conditions like low light, handwritten texts, and mathematical equations. By employing the convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and the recurrent neural networks (RNNs) in conjunction with the OCR and the ASR tasks, the system is very accurate regardless of font and language. The solution has been stringently tested on live data sets with more than 90% speech-to-text transcription and text recognition accuracy. This research shows the promise of AI-powered assistive technology in increasing learning accessibility, providing visually impaired learners more autonomy, inclusion, and access equity in learning environments

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Future of Entertainment Technology Design

  2025-01-14

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding

  This chapter discusses course pedagogy, lecture notes, and class observations of experimenting with futurology and facilitating classroom discussions on the future of entertainment technology design. Emerging entertainment technologies are redefining the notion of immersive storytelling and interaction design by enabling media consumers to take a more active role in designing personalized content that is meaningful to their lived experiences. This shifting landscape in the entertainment technology space necessitates a future-oriented design pedagogy in course curriculum, classroom learning experiences, and research mentoring. The chapter documents the authors' experiences of applying futuristic design methodologies like fictional narratives and speculative design in existing pedagogical curricula, through case studies in classroom and research settings. The case studies describe ways to challenge students to think about their own entertainment media professional practice grounded in a future where digital entertainment is intertwined with social, cultural, environmental, and political factors. The chapter concludes by discussing the challenges and opportunities in exploring futuristic research topics and the lessons learned through these classroom activities and research mentoring experiences.

  PublisherDOI

• Case Study: Applying Design Methods to Capture Cultural Narratives in Animated Content

  Lecture notes in computer science · 2024-12-18 · 1 citations

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• A Review of Cultural Impact on Children’s Play Perception and Digital Games

  Lecture notes in computer science · 2024-12-14

  review1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Design Maturity Frameworks and Enjoyable Design Processes

  AHFE international · 2024-01-01

  article1st authorCorresponding

  Maturity frameworks provide a structure for assessing key performance metrics of an organization and provide guidelines for assessment and growth in various areas of an organization.Design maturity frameworks focus more on a human-centered approach in assessing the human motivational factors that create enjoyable and sustainable workplace practices. Identifying factors that improve or inhibit the productivity of processes can help individuals and organizations design better workplace experiences. This presentation will introduce audience to the theoretical foundations of design maturity frameworks and suggest ways to build a human-centered model that is built around enjoyable and sustainable design processes, customized for individual and organizational growth. Participants will learn • Concepts of maturity frameworks and stages of design expertise • Identify issues with existing design processes at an individual and/or organizational level • Discuss practical solutions and develop a customized maturity framework for enjoyable and sustainable workplace experiencesThe session aims at identifying human factors that motivate individuals and organizations in developing design processes that generate enjoyable and sustainable workplace experiences. The content of the session will benefit novice to experienced professionals and managers to rethink their own professional practices in terms of design expertise development and motivational processes at workplace.Session Structure: • This session will include both presentations and practical work • The presentations introduce concepts of design maturity and expertise development in professional practices • Presentations will be followed by individual exercises and group discussions to identify motivational factors and productivity inhibiting factors at workplaceTarget Audience: The session is designed for novice to experienced professionals in the academic and professional fields who are interested in learning more about design maturity frameworks and guidelines to apply these structures in their professional practices. The presentation provides guidelines to adopt design practices and human-centered processes at individual and organizational levels. Target audience roles include: Designers, Managers, Developers, Researchers, Educators

  PublisherDOI

• Prototyping Futuristic Experiences in the Metaverse Platform

  2024-10-21 · 1 citations

  article1st authorCorresponding

  This paper presents pedagogical experiences of introducing XR concepts to students in the STEM field to collaboratively design meaningful and futuristic use-cases for the metaverse platform. The paper documents pedagogical experiences of running two iterations of prototyping XR applications in a industry-sponsored metaverse platform. The paper provides insights gained through the course work and student feedback.

  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Erik Stolterman

  4 shared

• Nicoletta Adamo‐Villani

  Purdue University System

  3 shared

• Derek Larson

  Purdue University West Lafayette

  2 shared

• Mingzhu Wei

  Purdue University West Lafayette

  1 shared

• Ajay P. Malshe

  1 shared

• Yingjie Chen

  1 shared

• Erik Bergqvist

  1 shared

• A. Mehrez

  Purdue University West Lafayette

  1 shared

Education

• Media Arts and Sciences, The Media School

  Indiana University

  2021

• Master of Science in Digital Arts & Sciences, Department of Computer & Information Science & Engineering

  University of Florida

  2008

• Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science, Department of Computer Science & Engineering

  Anna University

  2005

Awards & honors

• Polytechnic research awards - February 2025