Hye Jun Youn

Hye Jun Youn is a researcher at the Tangible Media group, where she explores the intersection of design and material science. Her research primarily explores how novel, shape-morphing materials can transform humans’ interactions with tangible interfaces. By democratizing access to emerging technologies, she aims to empower students, artists, and experimenters with new methods of creation and expression.  Prior to joining the Media Lab, she was a research affiliate at the Harvard SEAS Material Science Lab and the Harvard GSD MaP+S Lab. 

Hye Jun is also the co-founder of PneuBots, which is backed by Harvard Innovation Labs and Harvard Capital Partners. Her toolkit has been used in courses and workshops she taught on Inflatable Materials at Harvard GSD and the Rhode Island School of Design. She received the Dean's Merit Scholarship for a Master’s in Design Studies with a concentration in Mediums from the Harvard Graduate School of Design, an MFA from RISD, and a B.S. in Psychology from New York University.

Hye Jun is a recipient of the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia award in Industry, Manufacturing & Energy, as well as the 2021 & 2022 Red Dot, 2021 iF Design, 2022 Core77 Professional Winner, 2021 & 2023 IDA, and 2021 & 2022 A’Design awards. Her work has been published and exhibited at the CHI and TEI conferences.