CapCHI Student Showcase 2026

Last event of the 2025/2026 season!
Join us as we welcome talented HCI, Design, and UX students from Algonquin College and Carleton University. Each team will present their projects in under 10 minutes, followed by an open discussion with the audience.

PROJECTS & PRESENTERS

1) Online Risks Experienced by Social Workers
Cianna Pottekkat (Carleton University)

This project explores social workers’ online experiences with risk in relation to clients and colleagues and how they respond to these situations.
It also examines the protective behaviours they have to manage their personal and professional lives online.

Cianna is a Master’s of HCI student at Carleton University. She holds a Bachelor’s of Sociology from the University of Calgary. This project is part of her thesis, and she has research interests in the online experiences of vulnerable and understudied populations.

2) Helping Older Adults Prepare for Healthcare Conversations
Edward Owusu Boafo, Jowin Jose (Algonquin College)

Conducted in collaboration with Ottawa Public Health, this project focused on helping older adults prepare for conversations about medications and substance use. The talk highlights key communication challenges, our user-centered design approach, and the development of tools that improve clarity and confidence during healthcare interactions.

Edward is an Interactive Media Design student at Algonquin College with a passion for web design, UX, digital storytelling, and visual communication. His work focuses on creating accessible and user-friendly digital experiences that connect with real audiences. Jowin is an Interactive Media Design student at Algonquin College with a focus on UI/UX and web design. His work centers on simplifying complex information into clear, user-friendly experiences, with a particular interest in accessibility and inclusive design. He aims to create digital solutions that improve how people understand and interact with essential services.

3) Atelier Cajou
Olivia Netto (Carleton University)

Atelier Cajou is a circular design system that transforms discarded textiles into durable, meaningful products, demonstrated through the Cajou Backpack initiative. Developed with support from Le Germain Hotel and Alt Hotel Ottawa, the project repurposes reclaimed materials into ergonomic children’s schoolbags while extending their lifecycle and reducing waste.

Olivia is a multidisciplinary designer and creative strategist working with visual, cultural, and social impact. She is the founder of Atelier Cajou, a circular design initiative transforming reclaimed textiles into meaningful, long-lasting products that challenge conventional waste systems. A recent graduate of Carleton University's industrial design program and with over five years of experience across graphic design, branding, and product development, her practice bridges design, strategy, and entrepreneurship.

4) Drivers Training Module
Athena (Tianjing Wu), Ryan (Zhengfeng Cheng) (Algonquin College)

Athena is a UX/Product Designer with 3 years of experience in UX research and design in the fields of smart homes, electric vehicles, and e-commerce. She is passionate about both tool-based and platform experiences and focused on creating intuitive, human-centered digital solutions. Ryan is an Interactive Media Design graduate from Algonquin College with a dedicated focus on UI/UX design. His expertise lies in creating seamless digital interfaces that prioritize user experience and functional aesthetics.

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About The Venue
Impact Hub Ottawa is situated on the 7th floor of a high-rise building and at 7pm the entry doors on the ground floor/street level lock automatically. If you arrive late, please send a message to +1-613-655-2238 for entry.

Water, tea and coffee are provided for free, but food will not be available. You are welcome to bring your own snack. No alcoholic beverages please. If you like to head out for a drink afterwards, there are various options near by to do so.

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Our Sponsors
We are extremely grateful to these organizations for their generous support of CapCHI and the local design, HCI and UX community.

Design Centered Co.
We use design to enable organizations deliver value by focusing on opportunities that align with their purpose, understand the people they aim to serve, and define processes that are sustainable and impact focused.

DFFRNT
We’re an exceptional team of highly experienced behavioural researchers and design strategists. We apply a fundamental understanding of human behaviour, strategic design and human-computer interaction to deliver product and service design value.

Jumping Elephants
A full-service, consulting group based in Ottawa and specializing in user-centred solutions design and business process management for the public and private sector.

Nokia
At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together. We put the world’s people, machines, and devices in sync to create a more sustainable, productive, and accessible future.