Designer · Researcher

Hi, I'm Shuoning Shi.
You can call me Stone.

I design at the intersection of assistive technology, inclusive robotics, and human–computer interaction — bridging the physical and the digital.

View work ONO Design Studio ↗
Shuoning Shi

About

I'm the founder of ONO Design Studio and a PhD student in Informatics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

As a designer and researcher, I focus on assistive technology, inclusive robotics, and human-computer interaction. My work bridges physical and digital design, with a deep commitment to human-centered thinking and real-world impact.

Experience

Selected Work

AEGIS ergonomic shoulder-training bench

Product Design · Award-winning

AEGIS

The first ergonomic stationary bench designed specifically for shoulder training.

Free-weight training offers comprehensive benefits but carries real risk — especially for the shoulder. AEGIS sets the seat and backrest at 15° and 105° for optimal posture, adding lumbar and headrest support that follows the natural curve of the spine. Three adjustable mechanisms — headrest, lumbar cushion, and seat position — can all be tuned while seated, so users of any body type can find a safe, comfortable form in real time.

Feb 2023 – Oct 2024 · 20 wks Product Development Research & Testing
62%willing to try AEGIS
84%felt more confident lifting

Red Dot Winner 2025 · IDA Design Awards 2024 · NY Product Design Silver · IDEA

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AquilaInsight augmented-reality surgical interface

UI/UX · Augmented Reality

AquilaInsight

An AR interface that makes breast-cancer surgery more precise and safe.

Built on research from the Biosensor Lab at UIUC, AquilaInsight projects real-time imaging through AR glasses. Near-infrared cameras display tumor position and boundaries for precise resection, then locate sentinel lymph nodes via fluorescent staining. A dedicated simulation mode lets medical students rehearse the same procedures with the imaging used in real operations — designed around the distinct needs of surgeons and students.

Jan – May 2024 · 15 wks UI/UX Design Biosensor Lab @ UIUC

IDA Design Awards · IDEA

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Naginata intelligent home grooming device

Product Design · Smart Device

Naginata

An intelligent home grooming device that makes haircuts effortless at home.

Cutting hair at home saves time and money, but consistency is hard. Naginata pairs a mobile app that 3D-scans the head and previews hairstyles with a modular handheld device — interchangeable sideburn, nose-hair, beard, and smart-clipper modules. A depth camera and infrared fill light guide precise blade positioning, while a parametric rubber grip supports a secondary back-of-head hold for hard-to-reach areas.

Aug – Oct 2024 · 8 wks Product Development Individual Project

IDEA Gold Winner

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Motorola Razr+ website redesign

UI/UX · Web Redesign

Motorola Razr+

A website redesign case study for the Razr+ × Pantone edition.

A one-week redesign sprint reimagining the Razr+ product page. The new flow streamlines a cluttered, repetitive spec layout — folding steps and showing only selectable items to keep attention on the purchase. A dynamic Pantone gallery uses video, stills, GIFs, and interactive visuals to create an immersive showcase, while scroll-, click-, and hover-based interactions add playful depth to browsing features.

Feb 2024 · 1 wk UI/UX Design Design Research
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Research

  1. Shi, S., Sethi, S., & Sethi, S. (2024). Human-centered design in optimizing fitness benches. 15th International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics, Nice, France.

    DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1005398 ↗

  2. Araujo de Aguiar, C., Shi, S., Harry, O., & Chan Ying, M. (2024). Grasp the future: Supporting grip strength assistance with GripAid. 17th Conference on Pervasive Technologies Related to Assistive Environments, Crete, Greece.

    DOI: 10.1145/3652037.3652066 ↗

  3. Chen, Y., Ganesan, V., Inanlu, M. J., Qiu, H., Singh, B. P., Shi, S., Fu, W., & Miljkovic, N. (2024). Experimental studies of saturated pool boiling heat transfer and critical heat flux on scalable etched copper surfaces. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer.

    DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.5036794 ↗

Let's build something inclusive.

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