Yuan Gao is a research assistant who designed the research website of Making it to the Registers. She is also a practice-led researcher, educator, and creative technologist based at the University of Leeds, where she is completing a PhD in media and communication and teaching across digital media and creative practice. Her work explores how sound can reshape the way people understand and feel “present” in online museums—especially when visual information is limited—and how audio can help virtual heritage experiences become more memorable, meaningful, and inclusive.

She builds research-driven digital artefacts that bridge theory, practice, and public engagement. This includes designing and prototyping online/VR experiences, developing sound-led interaction approaches, and producing clear documentation (practice logs, reflective methods, and toolkits) that others can apply. She is particularly interested in industrial heritage, small and medium-sized museums, and what is realistically achievable under tight budgets and time constraints.

Alongside research, she works as a lecturer/teaching assistant, creating hands-on sessions that help students connect media theory with practical making—whether that’s analysing representation, designing communication strategies, or producing digital storytelling. She also collaborates across disciplines with developers, designers, and cultural partners to translate complex ideas into usable workflows and audience-facing experiences.

Her background includes digital media production, photography, editing, and web design, but she doesn’t see herself as “just” a website designer. She is someone who uses design as a research method: to test ideas, learn from users, and turn insights into accessible, well-crafted outputs. Through initiatives such as the XR Network+ Accelerator (funded by the University of York) and museum collaborations including Calderdale Industrial Museum, she focuses on creating digital heritage experiences that are thoughtful, ethical, and genuinely engaging.