PhD in Digital Movement for Interaction Design

About the position

AHO has an open call fora candidate to take part in research on the materialization of physical movement for interaction design. Our bodies are increasingly understood through sensors, and these interpretations serve as the foundation for interactive designs. This research proposes to advance digital movement – movement shaped by digital technology - as a design material in order to extend critical discourse, practice and pedagogy in interaction design.

The research at AHO’s Institute of Design deals with the current pervasive digital technological shift in society as it affects our educational programs as well as the fields and industries we educate for. Across industrial, interaction and service design, the institute provides a transdisciplinary research milieu that work with the recursive relations between modelling, making and applying designs for interaction.
 

Through recent developments in artificial intelligence and sensor technology, the design elements such as body postures, gestures and movement qualities are increasingly available, far extending the traditional input such as through a keyboard or mouse. This gives an expansion of available material such as the direction or position of a movement or the frequency of a gesture.  There is a need to understand how such dynamic materiality can be integrated into digital experiences. 

Responsibilities

This call will involve developing both theoretical concepts and practical applications. An exploration of digital movement for interaction design will draw on a several discourses that intersect technology, culture, and movement studies. Despite technological advances in movement capture that allow for detailed and precise data, physical movement remains an elusive material for interaction design. There is work on placing and acknowledging the body as a sensate origin of action (Noland 2009, Höök2018). However, the complexity of addressing movement remains a challenge (Sutil& Popat2015, Tverksy2019) and studies of the body do not cover the necessary studies of movement for design. By studying movement alongside how to create those movements, we may understand the dynamic materiality in movement-based interactions.

This research will contribute to academic discourse as well as developing and informing practical applications in interaction design. Such a material understanding of movement is central to enable design to continue designing forhealth care, for our future selves, for safety, sustainable workspaces and for every design where movement is made to matter.

Relevant proposals to the call should question how emerging technologies may be developed or adapted with a focus on one or several of the following topics

• Exploring tools for the materialisation of movement for design processes
• Exploring relevant conditions and concepts for designers to work with movement 
• Exploring relevant practices, approaches and frameworks that can aid designers to further develop movement knowledge 

Cases are further developed together with supervisors and relevant networks to the call. Several research milieus are connected to the research, such as the Creative Computing Institute(UAL), UK.

Formal requirements 

We seek a highly motivated individual with a strong track record from the intersection of digital technology, design and body-based practices.

The candidate must: 

• Have a master’s in design, interaction design, human-computer interaction, or a related field.
• Be able to document familiarity with digital technologies and their applications in design. 
• Be able to document excellent communication skills in English; proficiency in Norwegian is an advantage. 

Personal skills

• Ambitious, curious and highly motivated
• Ability to work systematically and complete work tasks within given deadlines
• Strong motivation to contribute to a good working and social environment
• Professional and personal ability to complete the PhD project on time

Requirements for the project description

A tentative project outline of maximum 5 pages. This should contain1) the research field and research questions, 2) theoretical approach/methods, 3) empirical and/or case study material and 4) educational relevance 

The Application must include

• Project description (max 5 pages)
• An application letter describing the applicant’s qualifications and motivation for the position (two A4 pages maximum)
• CV
• A portfolio of relevant work (three projects maximum)
• Examples of work written by the applicant if available (three works maximum)
• 3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail address and telephone number).

Applications that do not comply with the formal requirements will not be considered. Attachments beyond the required documents will not be taken into consideration. Only applications submitted through Jobbnorge will be considered.

The PhD application will be assessed according to the following criteria: 

• The quality of the project description (outline)
• The applicant's suitability for the research tasks
• The academic competence of the applicant

We offer

The PhD scholarship is fully funded 4-yearposition, with 25 % compulsory workand there is no tuition fee. The salary is NOK 532 200 for a full position. From the salary, there will be a mandatory deduction of 2 % as a contribution to the State Pension fund (SPK). Standard employment conditions for state employees in Norway apply for the position. 

An annual allowance of 25 000 NOK (in total 75 000 NOK for the PhD period) for literature and other necessary academic activities. Office space in a professionally stimulating working environment. 

Information meeting 

The PhD Programme at The Oslo School of Architecture and Design (AHO) will arrange an online information meeting about the AHO PhD Programme in the end of January. A link to the information meeting will be published onhttp://www.ahophdlive.com closer to the event.

General information about the PhD Programme: https://aho.no/en/content/phd-program

 Contact information

Questions about this PhD position can be directed to:

Supervisor and Professor Lise Amy Hansen  e-mail: liseamy.hansen@aho.no

Professor Steinar Killi, Head of Institute Design, e-mail Steinar.Killi@aho.no

Formal regulations

The purpose of this graduate research fellowship is research training leading to a completed PhD. The content of the position shall be regulated by the specific agreement reached between the scholarship recipient, the local unit where they will be working and their supervisor(s). The educational component in the AHO PhD Programme is mandatory and requires fulltime attendance. Residency in Oslo for the employment period is mandatory. Research stay at a relevant international academic institution is encouraged. The PhD fellowship will start September 1, 2025. 

From 1 august 2025 the Norwegian Universities and University Colleges Act states that if the Research fellow cannot document proficiency in Norwegian, Swedish, or Danish at level A2 upon employment, AHO must offer Norwegian language training. The research fellow must complete training equivalent to at least 15 credits within the term of employment. This is not part of the educational component of the PhD Programme. 

No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the AHO.

According to the Norwegian Freedom of Information Act (Offentleglova) information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.

The appointment may be shortened/given a more limited scope within the framework of the applicable guidelines on account of any previous employment in academic positions.

Inclusion and diversity are a strength. AHO has a personnel policy objective of achieving a balanced gender composition. Furthermore, we want employees with diverse professional expertise, life experience and perspectives.

If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, employment gaps or immigrant background, we will invite at least one applicant from each of these categories to an interview.

The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants, and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment to AHO.