Annuska Zolyomi, Ph.D. (she/her/hers)

Assistant Professor

Annuska Zolyomi, Ph.D. (she/her/hers)

Assistant Professor

Dr. Annuska Zolyomi teaches courses on software engineering, human-computer interaction, and user centered design. She directs the Interaction Design for Education and Accessibility (IDEA) lab that aims to reduce barriers to socio-technical spaces for disabled and neurodivergent people. She uses participatory design approaches to co-envision ways technology can better mediate communication, enrich social connection, and enhance self-agency. She worked in the high-tech industry as a user experience consultant, accessibility strategist at Microsoft, and software engineer. Zolyomi received her Ph.D. in Information Science and master’s in Human Centered Design & Engineering at the University of Washington.

Education

  • University of Washington, Seattle
    • Ph.D. Information Science
    • M.S. Human Centered Design & Engineering
    • B.S. Industrial Engineering

Courses

  • CSS 350 Management Principles for Computing Professionals
  • CSS 360 Software Engineering
  • CSS 370 System Analysis and Design
  • CSS 497 Usability and User-Centered Design
  • CSS 480 Principles of Human-Computer Interaction
  • CSS 572 Evidence Based Design

Teaching Interests

Dr. Zolyomi brings an inclusive lens to human-computer interaction and software engineering pedagogy. Through teaching and community-based learning, she aims to work with diverse, creative students to understand what it means to create, study, and critique user experiences with technology. Her teaching style incorporates active learning, team-based learning, and interest-driven projects.

Research and Scholarship Interests

Dr. Zolyomi is passionate about inclusive, human-computer interaction (HCI). She leads research and interaction design initiatives for designing intuitive and innovative technology products that fit into our lives. She uses participatory design and research methods to engage with communities around their goals.

Creative Interests

Makerspaces and create prototypes of connected wearables for personal health informatics

① used to denote student authors

Journal Articles

  • A. Zolyomi and Jaime Snyder. 2023. Designing for Common Ground: Visually Representing Conversation Dynamics of Neurodiverse Dyads. In Proc. of ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, Vol 7, CSCW2, Article 266 (October 2023), 1-33.
  • A. Zolyomi and Jaime Snyder. 2021. Social-Emotional-Sensory Design Map for Affective Computing Informed by Neurodivergent Experiences. Proc. of ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, Vol 5, CSCW1, Article 77 (April 2021), 1-33.
  • A. Zolyomi, Andrew Begel, Jennifer Frances Walden, John Tang, Mike Barnett, Edward Cutrell, Daniel McDuff, Sean Andrist, Meredith Ringel Morris. 2019. Managing Stress: The Needs of Autistic Adults in Video Calling. Proc. of ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, Vol 3, CSCW (Nov. 2019), 1-29. (acceptance rate: 31%, Best Paper Honorable Mention Award – top 5%)
  • A. Zolyomi. 2018. Where the Stakeholders are: tapping into social media during value sensitive design research. Ethics and Information Technology Journal, Springer.

Book Chapters

  • Gammon, A. R., Zolyomi, A., Wong, R. Y., Eriksson, E., Gyldendahl Jensen, C., & Toft Nørgård, R. (2024). Teaching responsible engineering and design through value-sensitive design. In The Routledge International Handbook of Engineering Ethics Education (1st ed., pp. 392–408). Eds. Chance, Borsen, Martin, Tormey, Lennefors, and Bombaerts. London.
  • Zolyomi. (2024) Human Computer Interaction and Inclusive Design. In Teaching Accessible Computing. Eds. Ko, Ladner, Oleson.

Conference Papers

  • A. Zolyomi, Elizabeth Castillo① , Debbie Alvarado Latino① , Cecilia Fonseca Sánchez. Adaptive and Storytelling Practices of Panamanian Autism Families: Towards Culturally-Situated Digital Storytelling. Accepted to ACM GROUP 2027
  • A. Zolyomi, Dharma Dailey, Debbie Alvarado Latino①. 2025. Exploring Situational Limitations as an On-Ramp for Inclusive Design. Proc. of the 2025 Conference for Research on Equitable and Sustained Participation in Engineering, Computing, and Technology (RESPECT). 262–271.
  • Dinara Asyet①, Lihn Huynh①, Varsha Koushik, A. Zolyomi. 2025. A Stakeholder Value Framework for Augmentative and Alternative Communication. ACM Human Factors in Computing Systems (SIGCHI).
    A. Zolyomi and Jaime Snyder. 2024. An Emotion Translator: Speculative Design of Neurodiverse Dyads. ACM Human Factors in Computing Systems (ACM SIGCHI).
  • Begel, Tang, Andrist, Barnett, Carbary, Choudhury, Cutrell, Fung, Junuzovic, McDuff, Rowan, Sahoo, Waldern, Wolk, Zheng, Zolyomi. 2020. Lessons Learned in Designing AI for Autistic Adults: Designing the Video Calling for Autism Prototype. Proc. Of ACM ASSETS Computers and Accessibility 2020, 1-6. (acceptance rate: 30%)
  • A. Zolyomi, Anne Spencer Ross, Arpita Bhattacharya, Lauren Milne, and Sean Munson. 2018. Values, Identity, and Social Translucence: Neurodiverse Student Teams in Higher Education. ACM Human Factors in Computing Systems (SIGCHI), 1-13. (acceptance rate: 26%)
  • A. Zolyomi, Anushree Shukla①, and Jaime Snyder. 2017. Technology-Mediated Sight: A Case Study of Early Adopters of a Low Vision Assistive Technology. Proc. Of ACM ASSETS Computers and Accessibility 2016, 220-229. (acceptance rate: 22%, Best Student Paper Award – top 2%)
  • A. Zolyomi, Ankitha Bharadwaj, Jaime Snyder. 2017. Let’s Play (While Far Away)! Using Technology to Mediate Remote Playdates for Children with Autism. Human-Computer Interaction International (HCII), 415-432.
  • L.A.E. Boyd, K. Rector, H. Profita, A. Stangl, A. Zolyomi, S. Kane, G. Hayes. 2017. Understanding the Role Fluidity of Stakeholders During Assistive Technology in the Wild. Proc. SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 2017), 6147-6158. (acceptance rate: 25%)
  • Hala Annabi, Karthika Sundaresan, and A. Zolyomi. 2017. It’s Not Just About Attention to Details: Redefining the Talents Autistic Software Developers Bring to Software Development. The 50th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS), 5501-5510. (acceptance rate: 47%)
  • 2024 Field Strategy for Neurodiversity for Connected Learning, Connected Learning Alliance.
  • 2023 Royalty Research Fund, “Design of Context-Aware Speech-Generating Devices for Autism,” UW (26% acceptance rate).
  • 2023 Neurodiversity for Connected Learning, Connected Learning Alliance.
  • 2023 Graduate Research Award, “Design of Web Portal for Developmental Disability Healthcare,” UWB CSS.
  • 2017 Harlan Hahn grant, Disability Studies Department, UW.
  • 2015-17 Top Scholar Award, Graduate Opportunities and Minority Achievement Program (GO-MAP), UW.
  • 2021 Nominated for UW Graduate School Distinguished Dissertation Award.
  • 2019 Best Paper Honorable Mention Award. Zolyomi, et al. Managing Stress: The Needs of Autistic Adults in Video Calling. ACM CSCW.
  • 2017 Best Paper Honorable Mention Award. Zolyomi, et al. Technology-Mediated Sight: A Case Study of Early Adopters of a Low Vision Assistive Technology. ACM ASSETS.
  • 2014 Patent granted for “User experience customization framework,” US 8732661.
  • 2009 Patent granted for “Personalization of user accessibility options,” US 7554522.
  • 2009 Patent granted for “Icon for a portion of a display screen (Windows Vista Ease of Access icon),” US D606091.
  • 2009 Patent application for “Three-State Touch Input System),” US 20110138284.
  • Directed Interaction Design for Education and Accessibility (IDEA) Lab student research projects that involved conducted research at the Alyssa Burnett Adult Life Center, Mirabella Seattle, and Cogir of Bothell Memory Care.
  • Co-hosted Adventure Camp (summer program for children with autism) sessions with UW HCDE for children to experiment with the IDEA Lab’s ConverSwim prototype, 2024.
  • Launched re-designed Whimsy Walks website based on CSS and IMD student work and community-based collaboration with Whimsy Walks owner, Gregory Engel, 2023.
  • Co-produced Autism Stories with UW Autism Center, 2019.

② used to denote DEIJ activities

  • Affiliated with UW Center for Research and Education on Accessible Technology and Experiences (CREATE), 2022 – Present. ②
  • DEI Faculty/Staff Fellows Program 2024-25, UWB Office of DEI. ②
  • Fellow 2017-18, Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND), UW. ②
  • Advisory Board member, National Center for Technology Innovation (NCTI) funded by the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), 2007-10. ②
  • Working Group Member, Web Accessibility Guidelines, Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), World Wide Web (W3C), 1999-2001. ②
  • 2025-26 Chair of Search Committee for two CSS Assistant Professors, Chair of CSS Technical Advisory Board (TAB) Committee
  • 2024-25 Search Committee for two CSS Assistant Professors, CSS Petition Committee, CSS TAB Committee, Reappointment & Merit Personnel Review Committee
  • 2023-24 Member of STEM DEI Council, Search Committee for two CSS Assistant Teaching Professors, re-launched Interaction Design Association (IxDA) club, Academic Oversight Committee for Interactive Media Design (IMD)
  • 2022-23 Member of STEM DEI Council, CSS Graduate Admissions Committee, Academic Oversight Committee for Interactive Media Design (IMD)
  • 2021-22 Member of CSS Graduate Admissions Committee, Graduate Certificate in Software Design and Development Admissions Committee, CSS Undergraduate Admissions Committee, Academic Oversight Committee for Interactive Media and Design (IMD) Program, Search Committee for IMD Lecturer, IMD Undergraduate Admissions Committee