Laia Turmo Vidal

Hello! I am Laia. I research and design interactive health technologies that center on the felt, sensory experience of our bodies - with a focus on diversity, equity and community.

I research and design interactive technologies around key areas of physical health, such as physical activity, rehabilitation, and chronic conditions. My research explores how emerging technologies and novel materials can positively transform our experiences of physical health, by reshaping how we perceive, engage with, and relate to our bodies. Through my designs, I aim at promoting awareness, care, compassion, joy, playfulness and curiosity to our bodies and our health experiences.

My work challenges normative assumptions about bodies and abilities in health tech by advocating for the design of technologies that respect and do justice to (body) plurality. My work emphasizes the role of community and collective knowledge, recognizing that designing sustainable and just health technologies require collaborative, situated, and equity-driven approaches.

I draw from critical theories and design approaches that integrate felt bodily experiences, emotions, social relationships and technology. I have worked on wearables, body sonification technologies, novel shape-changing materials, XR environments and alternative AI approaches to interactive health technologies.

With my work, I aim to foster sustainable and flourishing health futures — ones that honor both the physical and felt dimensions of health, while advancing diversity and equity in health tech design.

Besides research, I enjoy drawing and photoembroidery, physical activity and spending time walking and foraging the forests and lakes of Sweden. You can get in contact with me through: