???global.info.a_carregar???
Professor Vanessa Cesário is an esteemed expert in Digital Media and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), with a solid background in communication and culture, holding a Ph.D. in Digital Media (Communication Sciences and Technologies). She excels in blending theoretical foundations with practical skills in her teaching, preparing students for the ever-evolving communication landscape. Her research, primarily focused on HCI within cultural heritage contexts, leverages participatory communication and design to preserve and promote heritage through digital media. As a member of the Interactive Technologies Institute (ITI/LARSyS), she collaborates on international projects and contributes significantly to the advancement of her fields. With recognized contributions to Communication, HCI, and Cultural Heritage, Professor Cesário encourages students to create meaningful narratives using digital tools. In 2021, her Ph.D. thesis was awarded "Cum Laude" by the University of Porto. In 2024, she received the "Excellent Teaching Award" from Instituto Superior Técnico of the University of Lisbon. In 2025, she was featured in the book "Mulheres na Ciência", an initiative by Ciência Viva that celebrates the contributions of women to scientific advancement in Portugal.
Read full resume ↓
Identification

Personal identification

Full name
Vanessa Quintal Cesário

Citation names

  • Cesário, Vanessa

Author identifiers

Ciência ID
2117-1F65-4AB2
ORCID iD
0000-0002-0938-9476
Google Scholar ID
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=sZqlGTwAAAAJ&hl=en

Email addresses

  • vanessa.cesario@tecnico.ulisboa.pt (Professional)
  • vanessa.cesario@staff.uma.pt (Professional)
  • vcesario@outlook.com (Personal)

Telephones

Mobile phone
  • 967972390 (Personal)

Addresses

  • Universidade da Madeira, Campus da Penteada, Gabinete 1.101, 9000-039, Funchal, Madeira, Portugal (Professional)

Websites

Knowledge fields

  • Social Sciences - Media and Communications
  • Humanities - Arts - Folklore Studies
  • Engineering and Technology - Other Engineering and Technologies

Languages

Language Speaking Reading Writing Listening Peer-review
Portuguese (Mother tongue)
English Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2)
Education
Degree Classification
2020/06 - 2023/12
Concluded
 Human-Computer Interaction and Cultural Heritage (Pós-doutoramento)
Interactive Technologies Institute (ITI/LARSyS), Portugal
2015/09/25 - 2020/05/20
Concluded
 Digital Media (Sciences and Communication Technologies) (Doutoramento)
Major in Tecnologia
Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Engenharia, Portugal
"Enhancing Museum Experiences for Teenagers Through Gamification and Storytelling Frameworks" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
 Cum Laude Distinction
2012/10 - 2015/03
Concluded
 Cultural Management (Mestrado)
Universidade da Madeira, Portugal
"Ler, ver e ouvir - Estudo sobre narrativas infanto-juvenis em suporte impresso e em suporte digital (e-book e áudio-livro)" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
 17 (Honors)
2009/10 - 2012/06
Concluded
 Communication, Culture and Organizations (Licenciatura)
Universidade da Madeira, Portugal
 16
Affiliation

Science

Category
Host institution 		Employer
2024/01 - Current Principal Investigator (Research) Interactive Technologies Institute (ITI/LARSyS), Portugal
2020 - 2024/12/31 Researcher (Research) Interactive Technologies Institute (ITI/LARSyS), Portugal
2023/09/01 - 2024/01 Postdoc (Research) Associação do Instituto Superior Técnico para a Investigação e Desenvolvimento, Portugal
2020/08/01 - 2023/08/31 Postdoc (Research) Agência Regional para o Desenvolvimento da Investigação Tecnologia e Inovação, Portugal
Interactive Technologies Institute (ITI/LARSyS), Portugal
2015/09/25 - 2020/07/31 Researcher (Research) Agência Regional para o Desenvolvimento da Investigação Tecnologia e Inovação, Portugal
Madeira Interactive Technologies Institute, Portugal

Teaching in Higher Education

Category
Host institution 		Employer
2024/01 - Current Assistant Professor (University Teacher) Universidade da Madeira, Portugal
2023/09/01 - 2025/05/31 Invited Assistant Professor (University Teacher) Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Engenharia, Portugal
2021/03/01 - 2023/02/28 Invited Assistant Professor (University Teacher) Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
2017 - 2018 Invited Assistant (University Teacher) Universidade da Madeira, Portugal
Projects

Grant

Designation Funders
2021/04 - 2023/08 Programas de Doutoramento e Bolsas de Pós-doutoramento
M1420-09-5369-FSE-000002
Post-doc Fellow
Agência Regional para o Desenvolvimento da Investigação Tecnologia e Inovação, Portugal
Ongoing
2020/06 - 2021/03 MEMEX - Memories and Experiences for Inclusive Digital Storytelling
Horizon 2020 n. 870743
Post-doc Fellow
Agência Regional para o Desenvolvimento da Investigação Tecnologia e Inovação, Portugal
Concluded
2019/10 - 2020/02 MITIExcell - Excelência Internacional de IDT&I nas TIC
M1420-01-0145-FEDER-000002
Research Fellow
Agência Regional para o Desenvolvimento da Investigação Tecnologia e Inovação, Portugal
Concluded
2015/09 - 2019/08 Programas de Doutoramento e Bolsas de Pós-Doutoramento
M1420-09-5369-FSE-000001
PhD Student Fellow
Agência Regional para o Desenvolvimento da Investigação Tecnologia e Inovação, Portugal
Concluded

Contract

Designation Funders
2023/09/01 - Current eGamesLab
C645022399-00000057
Supervisor
Agência para a Competitividade e Inovação IP
Ongoing
2021/01/01 - 2025/12/31 LARSyS - Laboratory of Robotics and Engineering Systems
LA/P/0083/2020
10.54499/LA/P/0083/2020
Associação do Instituto Superior Técnico para a Investigação e Desenvolvimento, Portugal

Laboratório de Robótica e Sistemas de Engenharia, Portugal
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Ongoing
2020/01/01 - 2023/12/31 Laboratory of Robotics and Engineering Systems
UIDP/50009/2020
10.54499/UIDP/50009/2020
Associação do Instituto Superior Técnico para a Investigação e Desenvolvimento, Portugal

Laboratório de Robótica e Sistemas de Engenharia, Portugal

Universidade de Lisboa Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal

Agência Regional para o Desenvolvimento da Investigação Tecnologia e Inovação, Portugal
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Concluded
2019/01/01 - 2019/12/31 Laboratório de Robótica e Sistemas de Engenharia
UID/EEA/50009/2019
Agência Regional para o Desenvolvimento da Investigação Tecnologia e Inovação, Portugal

Associação do Instituto Superior Técnico para a Investigação e Desenvolvimento, Portugal

Universidade de Lisboa Centro de Ciência e Tecnologia do Ambiente e do Mar, Portugal
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Concluded
Outputs

Publications

Book chapter
  1. Vanessa Cesário; Pedro Campos. "Ethics in Artificial Intelligence: Ensuring Integrity in Research and Media". 2026.
    10.1007/978-3-031-97257-7_11
  2. Anna Jiskrová; Andrés Isaza-Giraldo; Pedro Campos; Vanessa Cesário. "EN-JOIN: Exploring Inclusive Visuals for a Game to Give Perspective on Energy Communities". 2026.
    10.1007/978-3-031-97257-7_13
  3. Mariana Fernandes; Pedro Campos; Vanessa Cesário. "Hearing Heritage: Conveying and Preserving Cultural Expressions". 2025.
    10.1007/978-3-031-77566-6_43
  4. Catarina Santos Faria; Vanessa Cesário; Pedro Filipe Campos; Muhammad Satar; Teresa Alvadia. "Assessing Stress Reduction of Relaxation Gaming: Investigating the Interrelation of Gamification, Advertising Intrusion and Stress Responses in Master’s Students". 2024.
    10.1007/978-3-031-61963-2_42
  5. Sousa, Duarte L.; Cesário, Vanessa; Campos, Pedro F.. "Enabling Genuine Connections in a Digital Learning Environment for Students Through Information Communication Technologies". In Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, 563-575. Springer Nature Switzerland, 2023.
    Published • 10.1007/978-3-031-28993-4_40
  6. Vanessa Cesário; Mariana Ribeiro; António Coelho. "Exploring the Intersection of Storytelling, Localisation, and Immersion in Video Games – A Case Study of the Witcher III: Wild Hunt". 2023.
    10.1007/978-3-031-35989-7_69
  7. Cesário, Vanessa; Acedo, Albert; Nunes, Nuno; Nisi, Valentina. "Promoting Social Inclusion Around Cultural Heritage Through Collaborative Digital Storytelling". In Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, 248-260. Springer International Publishing, 2022.
    Published • 10.1007/978-3-030-95531-1_17
  8. Cesário, Vanessa; Acedo, Albert; Nunes, Nuno; Nisi, Valentina. "People-Place Interactions: From Pictures and Stories to Places and Sense of Place". In [ ] With Design: Reinventing Design Modes, 920-939. Springer Nature Singapore, 2022.
    Published • 10.1007/978-981-19-4472-7_60
  9. Cesário, Vanessa; Nisi, Valentina. "Collecting Qualitative Data During COVID-19". In Human-Computer Interaction – INTERACT 2021, 377-381. Springer International Publishing, 2021.
    Published • 10.1007/978-3-030-85607-6_41
  10. Cesário, Vanessa; Olim, Sandra; Nisi, Valentina. "A Natural History Museum Experience: Memories of Carvalhal’s Palace – Turning Point". In Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 339-343. Springer International Publishing, 2020.
    Published • 10.1007/978-3-030-62516-0_31
  11. Nisi, Valentina; Cesário, Vanessa; Nunes, Nuno. "Augmented Reality Museum’s Gaming for Digital Natives: Haunted Encounters in the Carvalhal’s Palace". In Entertainment Computing and Serious Games, 28-41. Springer International Publishing, 2019.
    Published • 10.1007/978-3-030-34644-7_3
  12. Cesário, Vanessa; Coelho, António; Nisi, Valentina. "Word Association: Engagement of Teenagers in a Co-design Process". In Human-Computer Interaction – INTERACT 2019, 693-697. Springer International Publishing, 2019.
    Published • 10.1007/978-3-030-29390-1_65
  13. Cesário, Vanessa; Trindade, Rui; Olim, Sandra; Nisi, Valentina. "Memories of Carvalhal’s Palace: Haunted Encounters, a Museum Experience to Engage Teenagers". In Human-Computer Interaction – INTERACT 2019, 554-557. Springer International Publishing, 2019.
    Published • 10.1007/978-3-030-29390-1_36
  14. Cesário, Vanessa; Coelho, António; Nisi, Valentina. "Co-designing Gaming Experiences for Museums with Teenagers". In Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, 38-47. Springer International Publishing, 2019.
    Published • 10.1007/978-3-030-06134-0_5
  15. Radeta, Marko; Cesário, Vanessa; Matos, Sónia; Nisi, Valentina. "Gaming Versus Storytelling: Understanding Children’s Interactive Experiences in a Museum Setting". In Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 163-178. Springer International Publishing, 2017.
    Published • 10.1007/978-3-319-71027-3_14
  16. Cesário, Vanessa; Radeta, Marko; Coelho, António; Nisi, Valentina. "Shifting from the Children to the Teens’ Usability: Adapting a Gamified Experience of a Museum Tour". In Human-Computer Interaction – INTERACT 2017, 464-468. Springer International Publishing, 2017.
    Published • 10.1007/978-3-319-68059-0_52
  17. Cesário, Vanessa; Coelho, António; Nisi, Valentina. "Enhancing Museums’ Experiences Through Games and Stories for Young Audiences". In Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 351-354. Springer International Publishing, 2017.
    Published • 10.1007/978-3-319-71027-3_41
  18. Cesário, Vanessa; Matos, Sónia; Radeta, Marko; Nisi, Valentina. "Designing Interactive Technologies for Interpretive Exhibitions: Enabling Teen Participation Through User-Driven Innovation". In Human-Computer Interaction - INTERACT 2017, 232-241. Springer International Publishing, 2017.
    Published • 10.1007/978-3-319-67744-6_16
  19. Cesário, Vanessa; Nisi, Valentina; Coelho, António. "ClueKing: Allowing Parents to Customize an Informal Learning Environment for Children". In Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, 23-30. Springer International Publishing, 2016.
    Published • 10.1007/978-3-319-51055-2_4
Conference abstract
  1. Cesário, Vanessa. "Guidelines for Combining Storytelling and Gamification". Paper presented in CHI Conference Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA ’19), 2019.
    Published • 10.1145/3290607.3308462
Conference paper
  1. Maria Van Zeller; Vanessa Cesário. "Haka’a’Museum: Designing for a Sustainable Ocean". 2025.
    10.1145/3715668.3734168
  2. Luiz Sachser; Andrés Isaza-Giraldo; Anna Jiskrová; Vanessa Cesário; Pedro F. Campos; Lucas Pereira; Paulo Bala. "En-join: Speculative LLM Play for Energy Community Engagement and Sustainability Awareness". 2025.
    10.1145/3715668.3735600
  3. Vanessa Cesário. "Fostering social inclusion: empathic approaches for migrant-centred design". 2023.
    10.21606/iasdr.2023.122
  4. Nisi, Valentina; Bala, Paulo; Bostock, Hollie; Cesário, Vanessa; Nunes, Nuno Jardim. "Before gentrification, we claim for habitation: Eliciting Values and Assets through Cultural Heritage Storytelling". Paper presented in Designing Interactive Systems (DIS), 2023.
    Published • 10.1145/3563657.3596124
  5. Bala, Paulo; Sanches, Pedro; Cesário, Vanessa; Leão, Sarah; Rodrigues, Catarina; Nunes, Nuno Jardim; Nisi, Valentina. "Towards Critical Heritage in the wild: Analysing Discomfort through Collaborative Autoethnography". Paper presented in CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI ’23), 2023.
    Published • 10.1145/3544548.3581274
  6. Cesário, Vanessa; Nisi, Valentina. "A co-design method for museums to engage migrant communities with cultural heritage". Paper presented in Design Research Society (DRS ‘22), 2022.
    Published • 10.21606/drs.2022.523
  7. Nisi, Valentina; Bostock, Hollie; Cesário, Vanessa; Acedo, Albert; Nunes, Nuno. "Impalpable Narratives: How to capture intangible cultural heritage of migrant communities". Paper presented in International Conference on Communities & Technologies (C&T ’21), 2021.
    Published • 10.1145/3461564.3461575
  8. Cesário, Vanessa; Petrelli, Daniela; Nisi, Valentina. "Teenage Visitor Experience: Classification of Behavioral Dynamics in Museums". Paper presented in CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI ’20), 2020.
    Published • 10.1145/3313831.3376334
  9. Cesário, Vanessa; Coelho, António; Nisi, Valentina. ""This Is Nice but That Is Childish": Teenagers Evaluate Museum-Based Digital Experiences Developed by Cultural Heritage Professionals". Paper presented in CHI Conference Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Fun and Games and Gamification (CHIPLAY EA ’19), 2019.
    Published • 10.1145/3341215.3354643
  10. Cesário, Vanessa. "Analysing Texts and Drawings: The Teenage Perspective on Enjoyable Museum Experiences". Paper presented in British Human-Computer Interaction Conference (BHCI ’18), 2018.
    Published • 10.14236/ewic/hci2018.215
  11. Cesário, Vanessa; Coelho, António; Nisi, Valentina. "Cultural Heritage Professionals Developing Digital Experiences Targeted at Teenagers in Museum Settings: Lessons Learned". Paper presented in British Human-Computer Interaction Conference (BHCI ’18), 2018.
    Published • 10.14236/ewic/hci2018.58
  12. Cesário, Vanessa; Coelho, António; Nisi, Valentina. "Design Patterns to Enhance Teens’ Museum Experiences". Paper presented in British Human-Computer Interaction Conference (BHCI ’18), 2018.
    Published • 10.14236/ewic/hci2018.160
  13. "Design Patterns to Enhance Teens’ Museum Experiences". 2018.
    10.14236/ewic/HCI2018.160
  14. "Analysing Texts and Drawings: The Teenage Perspective on Enjoyable Museum Experiences". 2018.
    10.14236/ewic/HCI2018.216
  15. "Cultural Heritage Professionals Developing Digital Experiences Targeted at Teenagers in Museum Settings: Lessons Learned". 2018.
    10.14236/ewic/HCI2018.58
  16. Cesário, Vanessa; Coelho, António; Nisi, Valentina. "Teenagers as Experience Seekers Regarding Interactive Museums Tours". Paper presented in 1st International Conference on Design & Digital Communication (DIGICOM ’17), 2017.
    Published
  17. Cesário, Vanessa; Coelho, António; Nisi, Valentina. "An Unlikely Seamless Combination - Future Curators Designing Museum Experiences Towards the Desires of Actual Teenagers". Paper presented in 1st International Conference on Design & Digital Communication (DIGICOM ’17), 2017.
    Published
  18. Nóbrega, Filipa; Gomes, Eduardo; Vasanth, Harry; Ferreira, Henrique; Cesário, Vanessa; Caetano, Paulino; Mendez, Paulo; De Pontes, Jéssica; Spicci, Gian. "Designing Multi-Gateway Interactions In A Multi-Player Strategy Game". Paper presented in CHI Conference Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA'17), 2017.
    Published • 10.1145/3027063.3048411
  19. Cesário, Vanessa; Radeta, Marko; Matos, Sónia; Nisi, Valentina. "The Ocean Game: Assessing Children’s Engagement and Learning in a Museum Setting Using a Treasure-Hunt Game". Paper presented in CHI Conference Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Fun and Games and Gamification (CHIPLAY EA ’17), 2017.
    Published • 10.1145/3130859.3131435
  20. Cesário, Vanessa; Coelho, A.; Nisi, V.. "Audio guides and human tour guides: Measuring children's engagement & learning at a museum setting". Paper presented in Biannual Conference of the Italian SIGCHI Chapter (CHITALY ’17), 2017.
    Published
  21. Cesário, Vanessa; Rodrigues, Joel; Li, Helen; Wu, Iris; Nisi, Valentina. "Crescendo: Routine Learning App for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders". Paper presented in International Conference on Interaction Design and Children (IDC ’16), 2016.
    Published • 10.1145/2930674.2935997
  22. Cesário, Vanessa; Freitas, Paulo; Pimentel, Diana; Nisi, Valentina. "Children's Books: Paper VS Digital, What do They Prefer?". Paper presented in International Conference on Interaction Design and Children (IDC ’16), 2016.
    Published • 10.1145/2930674.2936004
Journal article
  1. Vanessa Cesário; Pedro Campos. "Bridging Cultural Gaps: Insights from Communication in Migrant-Inclusive Cultural Initiatives". Societies (2025): https://doi.org/10.3390/soc15040083.
    10.3390/soc15040083
  2. Vanessa Cesário; Pedro Campos. "The Integrated Museum Engagement Model (IMEM): Bridging Participatory Design, Immersive Storytelling, and Digital Representation for Enhanced Museum Experiences". The International Journal of the Inclusive Museum (2024): https://doi.org/10.18848/1835-2014/CGP/v17i01/63-81.
    10.18848/1835-2014/CGP/v17i01/63-81
  3. Vanessa Cesário; Mariana Ribeiro; António Coelho. "Design Recommendations for Improving Immersion in Role-Playing Video Games. A Focus on Storytelling and Localisation". Interaction Design and Architecture(s) (2023): http://dx.doi.org/10.55612/s-5002-058-009.
    10.55612/s-5002-058-009
  4. Nisi, Valentina; Bala, Paulo; Cesário, Vanessa; James, Stuart; Del Bue, Alessio; Nunes, Nuno Jardim. ""Connected to the people": Social Inclusion & Cohesion in Action through a Cultural Heritage Digital Tool". Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction 7 CSCW2 (2023): 1-37. http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/3610168.
    10.1145/3610168
  5. Vanessa Cesário; Valentina Nisi. "Lessons Learned on Engaging Teenage Visitors in Museums with Story-Based and Game-Based Strategies". Journal on Computing and Cultural Heritage (2023): https://doi.org/10.1145/3575867.
    Published • 10.1145/3575867
  6. Vanessa Cesário; João Freitas; Pedro Campos. "Empowering cultural heritage professionals: designing interactive exhibitions with authoring tools". Museum Management and Curatorship (2023): https://doi.org/10.1080/09647775.2023.2209896.
    10.1080/09647775.2023.2209896
  7. Vanessa Cesário. "Empowering cultural heritage professionals: designing interactive exhibitions with authoring tools". Journal on Computing and Cultural Heritage (2023):
    Accepted
  8. Vanessa Cesário. "Vintage Meets Modern: A Retro-Inspired Audio Guestbook for Event Communication". EUSSET (2023): https://dl.eusset.eu/handle/20.500.12015/4700.
    10.48340/CT2023-8666
  9. Vanessa Cesário; Valentina Nisi. "Designing with teenagers: A teenage perspective on enhancing mobile museum experiences". International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction (2022): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcci.2022.100454.
    Published • 10.1016/j.ijcci.2022.100454
  10. Vanessa Cesário; Valentina Nisi. "Designing mobile museum experiences for teenagers". Museum Management and Curatorship (2022): https://doi.org/10.1080/09647775.2022.2111329.
    Published • 10.1080/09647775.2022.2111329
  11. Duarte Luis Sousa; Pedro Filipe Campos; Vanessa Cesário. "Design Implications for Interactive and Analogue Technologies supporting Distance Education: A Longitudinal Mixed-Method Study during the Pandemic". Interaction Design and Architecture(s) (2022): https://doi.org/10.55612/s-5002-052-001.
    Published • 10.55612/s-5002-052-001
Thesis / Dissertation
  1. Cesário, Vanessa. "Enhancing museum experiences for teenagers through gamification and storytelling frameworks". PhD, Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Engenharia, 2020. https://hdl.handle.net/10216/127648.
  2. Cesário, Vanessa Quintal. "Ler, ver e ouvir: estudos sobre narrativas infanto-juvenis em suporte impresso e em suporte digital (e-book e áudio-livro)". Master, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10400.13/832.
Activities

Oral presentation

Presentation title Event name
Host (Event location)
2022/07 A co-design method for museums to engage migrant communities with cultural heritage Conference Design Research Society
(Bilbao, Spain)
2021/12 People-Place Interactions: From Pictures and Stories to Places and Sense of Place Conference International Association of Societies of Design Research
(Hung Hom, Hong Kong SAR China)
2021/12 Promoting Social Inclusion Around Cultural Heritage Through Collaborative Digital Storytelling Conference Arts & Tecnhologies, Interactivity & Game Creation
(Karlsruhe, Germany)
2021/09 Collecting Qualitative Data During COVID-19 Conference INTERACT
(Bari, Italy)
2020/11 Memories of Carvalhal's Palace: Turning Point Conference Interactive Digital Storytelling
(Bournemouth, United Kingdom)
2020/04 Teenage Visitor Experience: classification of behavioral dynamics in museums Conference CHI: Human Computer Interaction
(Honolulu, United States)
2019/10 "This is Nice but that is Childish" : Teenagers evaluate museum-based digital experiences developed by cultural heritage professionals Conference CHIPLAY
(Barcelona, Spain)
2019/09 Word Association: engagement of teenagers in a co-design process Conference INTERACT
(Paphos, Cyprus)
2019/09 Memories of Carvalhal's Palace: Haunted Encounters, a museum experience to engage teenagers Conference INTERACT
(Paphos, Cyprus)
2019/05 Guidelines for Combining Storytelling and Gamification: which features would teenagers desire to have a more enjoyable museum experience? Conference CHI: Human Computer Interaction
(Glasgow, United Kingdom)
2018/10 Co-designing gaming experiences for museums with teenagers Conference Arts & Tecnhologies, Interactivity & Game Creation
(Braga, Portugal)
2018/07 Analysing texts and drawings: the teenager perspective on enjoyable museum experiences Conference British HC
(Belfast, Ireland)
2018/07 Design patterns to enhance teens' museum experiences Conference British HCI
(Belfast, Ireland)
2018/07 Cultural Heritage Professionals developing digital experiences targeted at teenagers in museums settings: lessons learned Conference British HCI
(Belfast, Ireland)
2017/10 Teenagers as Experience Seekers Regarding Interactive Museum Tours Conference Design & Digital Communication
(Barcelos, Portugal)
2017/10 An unlikely seameless combination: future curators designing museum experiences towards the desires of teenagers Conference Design & Digital Communication
(Barcelos, Portugal)
2017/10 The Ocean Game: assessing children's engagement and learning in a museum setting using a treasure-hunt game Conference CHIPLAY
(Amesterdão, Netherlands)
2017/09 Audio Guides and Human Tour Guides: measuring children's engagement & learning at a museum setting Conference CHI Italy
(Cagliari, Italy)
2017/07 Shifting from the children to the teens usability: adapting a gamified experience of a museum tour Conference INTERACT
(Mumbai, India)
2017/07 Designing interactive technologies for interpretive exhibition: enabling teen participation through user-driven innovation Conference INTERACT
(Mumbai, India)
2016/06 Clueking: Allowing parents to customize an informal learning environment for children Conference Serious Games, Interaction and Simulation
(Porto, Portugal)
2016/06 Children's Books: Paper VS Digital: what do they prefer? Conference Interaction Design and Children
(Manchester, United Kingdom)
2016/06 Crescendo: routine learning app for children with autism spectrum disorders Conference Interaction Design and Children
(Manchester, United Kingdom)

Supervision

Thesis Title
Role 		Degree Subject (Type)
Institution / Organization
2021 - 2023 The Augmented Student: using EEG real time data to explore positive reinforcement in learning tasks
Co-supervisor
 Engenharia Informática (Master)
Universidade da Madeira, Portugal
2021 - 2023 The art of storytelling: its importance in video game immersion when paired with localization
Supervisor
 Multimédia (Master)
Universidade do Porto, Portugal
2021 - 2022 Enabling User-friendly Systems for Museum Curators
Supervisor
 Engenharia Informática (Master)
Universidade da Madeira, Portugal
2021 - 2022 The Use of Interactive Communication Technologies for Collaborative E-mentoring
Co-supervisor
 Design de Media Interativos (Master)
Universidade da Madeira, Portugal
2021 - 2022 Walking Digital Tours
Supervisor
 Multimédia (Master)
Universidade do Porto, Portugal
2017 - 2018 Enhancing the Visitor Experience in Museums with Augmented Reality
Supervisor
 Multimédia (Master)
Universidade do Porto, Portugal
2017 - 2017 Criação de narrativa complexa para museu de história natural
Co-supervisor
Madeira Interactive Technologies Institute, Portugal
2016 - 2016 Bolseiro de investigação – Gamificação em espaços do património cultural
Supervisor
Madeira Interactive Technologies Institute, Portugal

Event organisation

Event name
Type of event (Role) 		Institution / Organization
2025/05 - 2025/05 Colóquio Internacional: A luta regional contra a desinformação na era da globalização e da pós-verdade (Universidade da Madeira, Portugal) (2025/05 - 2025/05)
Congress (Member of the Organising Committee)
2025/03 - 2025/03 Congresso de Perspetivas Multidisciplinares sobre Género e Inclusão (Universidade da Madeira, Portugal) (2025/03 - 2025/03)
Congress (Member of the Organising Committee)
 Universidade da Madeira, Portugal
2024/02 - 2024/02 Mega Level Up – eGames, PRR Project (Câmara Municipal do Funchal, Portugal) (2024/02 - 2024/02)
Conference (Co-organisor)
 Interactive Technologies Institute (ITI/LARSyS), Portugal
2021 - 2023 Monthly event: Organization and invitation of relevant speakers for scientific lectures in the area of HCI (Funchal e Lisboa, Portugal) (2021 - 2023)
Seminar (Co-organisor)
 Interactive Technologies Institute (ITI/LARSyS), Portugal
2019 - 2021 ReBOOT Festival, Doctoral Symposium in Arts and Design (Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal) (2019 - 2021)
Festival (Member of the Organising Committee)
 UT Austin | Portugal, Portugal
2018 - 2018 Volunteer at the international conference "Interaction, Design and Children" (Norwegian University, Noruega) (2018 - 2018)
Conference (Co-organisor)
 Høgskolen i Sør-Trøndelag, Norway
2018 - 2018 Annual doctoral symposium of the Madeira Interactive Technologies Institute (Funchal, Portugal) (2018 - 2018)
Symposium
 Madeira Interactive Technologies Institute, Portugal
2017/11 - 2017/11 Student Volunteer Chair at the "International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling" (Funchal, Portugal) (2017/11 - 2017/11)
Conference
 Interactive Technologies Institute (ITI/LARSyS), Portugal

Event participation

Activity description
Type of event 		Event name
Institution / Organization
2025 - 2025 Invited speaker: Technology and Communication in Migrant-Inclusive Cultural Initiatives
Congress
 Peripheries in Times of Crisis
Universidade da Madeira, Portugal
2025 - 2025 Invited speaker: Designing Empathic Communication to Unite Diverse Communities
Congress
 Perspetivas Multidisciplinares sobre Género e Inclusão
Universidade da Madeira, Portugal
2025 - 2025 Invited speaker: O futuro da criação humana – entre a IA e a criatividade [The Future of Human Creation – Between AI and Creativity]
Seminar
 XII Encontro Literário de Leitura em voz Alta – Ler com Amor
Associação Contigo Teatro, Portugal
2025 - 2025 Invited speaker: Para Além das Quatro Paredes: Comunicação, Clareza e Coragem [Beyond the Four Walls: Communication, Clarity, and Courage]
Seminar
 Girls in ICT 2025
Governo Regional da Madeira, Portugal
2025 - 2025 Invited speaker: O Poder da Comunicação Digital [The Power of Digital Communication]
Seminar
 Projeto Cria & Colabora
Escola Secundária Jaime Moniz, Portugal
2025 - 2025 Invited speaker: Empathic communication for co-creating meaningful experiences
Congress
 Food & Beverage - Cultural Heritage - Sustainable tourism
Centro de Investigação Desenvolvimento e Inovação em Turismo Polo Madeira, Portugal
2025 - 2025 Invited speaker: Bridging Cultural Gaps: Insights From Communication In Migrant Inclusive Cultural Initiatives
Conference
 The Inclusive Museum Conference
Universidad de Zaragoza Biblioteca de la Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain
2024 - 2024 Invited speaker: Advertising - emphasising brand value
Seminar
 Erasmus students
Universidade da Madeira, Portugal
2024 - 2024 Invited speaker: A Ética na Investigação e o Papel da Inteligência Artificial nos Media e Democracia [Ethics in Research and the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Media and Democracy]
Congress
 IV Jornadas de Ciências da Comunicação da FLUC
Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal
2024 - 2024 Invited speaker: The Integrated Museum Engagement Model (IMEM)
Conference
 The Inclusive Museum Conference
2024 - 2024 Invited speaker: A formação no ensino superior, o serviço comunitário e o voluntariado – sim ou não? [Higher Education Training, Community Service and Volunteering – Yes or No?]
Seminar
 UMa Ação Voluntária II
Universidade da Madeira, Portugal
2024 - 2024 Invited speaker: Quando a Comunicação Reprograma a Inovação - A Jornada do Herói [When Communication Reprograms Innovation: The Hero's Journey]
Seminar
 MadIT: Madeira Innovation Talks
Ordem dos Engenheiros, Portugal
2023 - 2023 Invited speaker: "Memories of Carvalhal's Palace" - research directions
Meeting
 LogaCulture Project
2022/07 - 2022/07 Invited speaker: Ferramentas digitais open source aplicadas ao Património Cultural [Open source digital tools applied to Cultural Heritage]
Congress
 H.E.L.P. Project (Heritage education new web formats and free licenses opportunities for dissemination, co-creation and open data)
ICOM-Portugal, Portugal
2021/06 - 2021/06 Invited speaker: Aumento da experiência museológica dos adolescentes através de estratégias de narrativas e jogos [Increasing the museum experience of teenagers through narrative and game strategies]
Congress
 Simpósio em Diálogos Digitais, DigitalLab
Universidade Federal de Goiás, Brazil
2021/04 - 2021/04 Invited speaker: Collaborative Digital Storytelling: a method for museums to engage migrant communities around cultural heritage topics
Conference
 Conferência Arts, Museums and Digital Cultures
2021/02 - 2021/02 Invited speaker: MEMories and EXperiences for inclusive digital storytelling
Meeting
 Culture Labs
2019/10 - 2019/10 Invited speaker: Enhancing museum experiences through games and stories for teenagers
Festival
 Reboot Festival
2019/02 - 2019/02 Prototype demonstration: Two interactive mobile applications, Memories of Carvalhal's Palace: Turning Point (interactive narrative), Haunted Encounters (game)
Meeting
 UMa Open Day (30 years commemoration)
Universidade da Madeira, Portugal
2019/01 - 2019/01 Invited speaker: Memories of Carvalhal's Palace
Meeting
 Grupo de investigação Sense&Tell
Interactive Technologies Institute (ITI/LARSyS), Portugal
2019/01 - 2019/01 Prototype demonstration: Two interactive mobile applications, Memories of Carvalhal's Palace: Turning Point (interactive narrative), Haunted Encounters (game)
Meeting
 Visita do Gabinete de Ciência e Inovação da Embaixada do UK em Portugal
Madeira Interactive Technologies Institute, Portugal
2018/10 - 2018/10 Invited speaker: Enhancing museum experiences through games and stories for teenagers
Seminar
 Seminário Doutoral, Madeira Interactive Technologies Institute
2018/09 - 2018/09 Invited speaker: Enhancing museum experiences through games and stories for teenagers
Symposium
 Simpósio Doutoral, UT Austin | Portugal Digital Media Program
UT Austin | Portugal, Portugal
2018/09 - 2018/09 Prototype demonstration: Two interactive mobile applications, Memories of Carvalhal's Palace: Turning Point (interactive narrative), Haunted Encounters (game)
Congress
 Cidade do Empreendedor
2018/09 - 2018/09 Prototype demonstration: Two interactive mobile applications, Memories of Carvalhal's Palace: Turning Point (interactive narrative), Haunted Encounters (game)
Congress
 Ciência no Mercado
2018/06 - 2018/06 Invited speaker: Enhancing museum experiences through games and stories for teenagers
Symposium
 Conferência Interaction Design and Children
Handelshøyskolen BI - Campus Trondheim, Norway
2018/06 - 2018/06 Invited speaker: Enhancing museum experiences through games and stories for teenagers
Meeting
 LARSyS Annual Meeting
2017/06 - 2017/06 Invited speaker: Research in HCI and Cultural Heritage
Seminar
Madeira Interactive Technologies Institute, Portugal
2016/10 - 2016/10 Invited speaker: MueStory - discovering museums through games and stories
Symposium
UT Austin | Portugal, Portugal
2016/09 - 2016/09 Invited speaker: MueStory - discovering museums through games and stories
Meeting
The University of Texas at Austin Center for Media Engagement, United States
2016/06 - 2016/06 Invited speaker: Clueking, a learning environment for children and their guardians
Meeting
Coventry Lanchester Polytechnic, United Kingdom

Jury of academic degree

Topic
Role 		Candidate name (Type of degree)
Institution / Organization
2022/07 Designing a long-covid support app from the user’s point of view: understanding what patients need after recovering from Covid-19
(Thesis) Main arguer
 Matheus Ribeiro Cavalcante (Master)
Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal
2022/07 Aplicações multimédia gamificadas para fitness e bem-estar de alunos universitários
(Thesis) Main arguer
 Inês Machado Ribeiro da Silva Ferraz (Master)
Universidade do Porto, Portugal
2021 Digital Nudging: a human component automation tool
(Thesis) Main arguer
 Fernando Jacob Teixeira Martins (Master)
Universidade da Madeira, Portugal
2021 Ludificação do processo de acolhimento de novos colaboradores
(Thesis) Main arguer
 Carlos Eduardo Brites dos Santos (Master)
Universidade do Porto, Portugal
2021 Leitura Imersiva: Impacto do som e estímulos hápticos da resposta emocional do leitor
(Thesis) Main arguer
 Ruth Lara do Palanque Lopes Caiado de Carvalho (Master)
Universidade do Porto, Portugal

Ad Hoc journal article review

Journal title (ISSN) Publisher
2025 - Current Heritage Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
2025 - Current New Design Ideas Jomard Publishing
2024 - 2024 Metaverse DergiPark Akademik
2024 - 2024 Heliyon Cell Press
2023 - 2024 IJIM: International Journal of the Inclusive Museum Common Ground Research Networks
2022 - 2024 JHCI: International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction Taylor & Francis
2023 - 2023 C&S: Children and Society Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd
2021 - 2022 JOCCH: Journal of Computing and Cultural Heritage ACM Association for Computing Machinery
2021 - 2021 IT: Information and Culture University of Texas Press
2020 - 2020 MMC: Museum Management and Curatorship Taylor & Francis

Association member

Society Organization name Role
2021 - Current Human Development and Capability Association Member of the following thematic groups: Children, Technology, Participatory Methods, European Network
2020 - Current Interactive Technologies Institute (ITI) from the Laboratory of Robotics and Systems (LARSyS) Integrated research member

Committee member

Activity description
Role 		Institution / Organization
2025 - Current Member of the editorial board - Commentarium: Journal of Humanities Studies
Member
 Universidade da Madeira Faculdade de Artes e Humanidades, Portugal
2025 - Current Member of the scientific committee: Journal New Design Ideas
Member
2023/04 - 2023/12 Doctoral Program in Digital Media
Coordinator
 Universidade do Porto, Portugal

Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal

Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal

Conference scientific committee

Conference name Conference host
2024 - 2024 Master Thesis Intermediate Presentation (2024)
2019 - 2024 CHIPLAY: Play, Games, and Human-Computer Interaction
2023 - 2023 IASDR: International Association of Societies of Design Research Milan, Italy
2019 - 2023 INTERACT: International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction Paphos, Cyprus; Bari, Italy; York, UK
2022 - 2022 C&C: ACM Conference on Creativity and Cognition London, UK
2020 - 2022 CHI: Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Hawai, USA; New Orleans, LA
2021 - 2021 DIS: Designing Interactive Systems online
2020 - 2021 IFIP-ICEC: International Conference on Entertainment Computing Xi'an, China; Coimbra, Portugal
2019 - 2021 ICIDS: International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling Lake City, USA; Bournemouth, UK; Tallinn, Estonia
2020 - 2020 NORDICHI: Human-Computer Interaction online
2019 - 2020 IDC: Interaction Design and Children Boise, USA; London, UK

Course / Discipline taught

Academic session Degree Subject (Type) Institution / Organization
2025 - Current Narrativas Visuais Interativas [Interactive Visual Narratives] Pós-graduação em Comunicação Digital (Pós-Graduação) Universidade da Madeira, Portugal
2024 - Current Publicidade [Advertising] Licenciatura em Comunicação, Cultura e Organizações (Licenciatura) Universidade da Madeira, Portugal
2024 - Current Gestão de Redes Sociais [Social Media Management] Licenciatura em Comunicação, Cultura e Organizações (Licenciatura) Universidade da Madeira, Portugal
2024 - Current Assessoria de Imprensa [Press Office] Licenciatura em Comunicação, Cultura e Organizações (Licenciatura) Universidade da Madeira, Portugal
2024 - Current Retórica e Comunicação (em Psicologia) [Rhetoric and Communication] Licenciatura em Psicologia (Licenciatura) Universidade da Madeira, Portugal
2024 - Current Retórica e Comunicação (em Educação Física e Desporto) [Rhetoric and Communication] Licenciatura em Educação Física e Desporto (Licenciatura)
2024 - Current Comunicação e Multimédia [Communication and Multimedia] Mestrado em Gestão Cultural (Mestrado) Universidade da Madeira, Portugal
2023 - 2025 Narrativas Interativas [Interactive Narratives] Mestrado em Multimédia (Mestrado) Universidade do Porto, Portugal
2023 - 2024 Seminário Multimédia [Multimedia Seminar] Mestrado em Multimédia (Mestrado) Universidade do Porto, Portugal
2022 - 2023 As Redes Sociais na Promoção de Atividades de Turismo e Lazer [Social Media in the Promotion of Tourism and Leisure Activities] Turismo, Animação e Alojamento (Curso de Especialização Tecnológica) Qualificar - Formação, Educação, Consultoria e Serviços, Portugal
2022 - 2023 Técnicas de Marketing Digital [Digital Marketing Techniques] Turismo, Animação e Alojamento (Curso de Especialização Tecnológica) Qualificar - Formação, Educação, Consultoria e Serviços, Portugal
2021 - 2023 Tecnologia e Sociedade [Technology and Society] Todas as engenherias (Licenciatura) Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
2020 - 2021 Computação e Sociedade [Computing and Society] Engenharia Informática e de Computadores; Engenharia de Telecomunicações e Informática (Licenciatura) Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
2020 - 2021 Comunicação nas Redes Sociais: Marketing Pessoal [Communication on Social Media: Personal Branding] (Curso de Especialização Tecnológica) Juventude Popular da Madeira, Portugal
2019 - 2020 MOOC: Interactive Storytelling: from Games to Gamification (Graduado) MuSA - Museum Sector Alliance, Portugal
2018 - 2019 Métodos de Design de Interação [Interaction Design Methods] Design de Media Interativos (Mestrado) Universidade da Madeira, Portugal
2017 - 2018 Narrativas Visuais Interativas [Visual Interactive Narratives] Design de Media Interativos (Mestrado) Universidade da Madeira, Portugal
2017 - 2018 Realidade Aumentada em Espaços Museológicos [Augmented Reality in Museum Spaces] (Curso médio) Universidade da Madeira, Portugal
2016 - 2017 Métodos de Design de Interação [Interaction Design Methods] Design de Media Interativos (Licenciatura) Universidade da Madeira, Portugal

Interview (newspaper / magazine)

Activity description Newspaper / Forum
2023/03 Entrevista à investigadora Vanessa Cesário: "A tecnologia tem de ser bem pensada e bem utilizada" [Interview with researcher Vanessa Cesário: 'Technology must be well thought out and well used'] Diário de Notícias da Madeira
2023/02 Adolescentes querem tecnologias interativas no Museu de História Natural [Teenagers want interactive technologies at the Natural History Museum] Diário de Notícias da Madeira
2023/02 Teenagers want interactive technology in museums, research finds Tech Explore
2017/04 Projeto recorre a "selfies" para atrair jovens aos museus [Project uses selfies to attract young people to museums] Jornal da Madeira

Interview (tv / radio show)

Program Topic
2023/05 - 2023/05 Notícias da Madeira [News from Madeira] Envolvendo adolescentes em museus com histórias e jogos: afinal, o que se aprendeu? [Involving teenagers in museums with stories and games: what have we learned?]
2023/03 - 2023/03 90 segundos de Ciência [90 seconds of Science] Projeto desenvolve experiência interativa para Museu de História Natural do Funchal [Project develops interactive experience for the Natural History Museum of Funchal]
2017/02 - 2017/02 Notícias Madeira [Madeira News] Experiências interativas no Museu de História Natural do Funchal [Interactive experiences at the Natural History Museum of Funchal]

Scientific expedition

Activity description Institution / Organization
2019/05 - 2019/07 Invited Researcher Sheffield Hallam University Art and Design Research Centre, United Kingdom
Distinctions

Award

2018 Best visual presentation
Madeira Interactive Technologies Institute, Portugal
2018 Best poster
UT Austin | Portugal, Portugal
2018 4,000$ Grant to support doctoral digital media research
UT Austin | Portugal, Portugal

Other distinction

2025 Women in Science
Ciência Viva, Portugal
2024 Excellent Teaching Award
Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
2021 "Cum Laude" nomination, referring to the doctoral thesis
Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Engenharia, Portugal
2020 Post-Doctoral Fellowship
Agência Regional para o Desenvolvimento da Investigação Tecnologia e Inovação, Portugal
2015 Best Student of the Master's Degree
Universidade da Madeira, Portugal
2015 PhD Scholarship
Agência Regional para o Desenvolvimento da Investigação Tecnologia e Inovação, Portugal