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Communication is complicated. Face-to-face communication, which many would consider to be the simplest form of communication, becomes a challenge when you consider factors such as differences in language and culture, the use of body language, and tone of voice, etc. These factors inherently make text-based communication more difficult. This project seeks to address these issues through the research and design of communication systems and tools that allow users to gracefully convey such information effectively.

As part of the exhibit, Mapping Place: Africa Beyond Paper, which contrasts western concepts of mapping (i.e. Cartesian plots of locations) with other traditional practices, Synlab students created an interactive tabletop installation that lets participants tell their own stories by creating a digital Lukasa, a mnemonic device used by the Luba people of central Africa to record genealogy and history. The exhibition was at the Robert C. Williams Paper Museum from February 27 to June 6, 2014.

To address these challenges in mental health consultation and limitations in accurately monitoring and predicting patients' symptoms, clinicians and HCI researchers have sought new avenues of innovative technology-based solutions, using machine learning, digital health interventions, and passive sensing computing.