Visualization and Interaction Design

An illustration of Norrköping by Motala ström with people moving around in the environment
Image: Solith af Malmborg, Mina Mani Kashani, Malin Müller, Matilda Wallén, Dong Wang

We explore new ways for people to interact with data, technology, and digital materials in meaningful ways. Our research is centered in real-world, situated contexts and draws from a plurality of approaches and disciplines in order to understand and (re)shape our digital lives.

We design new experiences with technology through a multitude of disciplines, materials, and methods. Our work combines data with visualizations and sound, and explores new combinations of physical and digital materials, virtual and real worlds, to create novel design concepts and ways of interacting from a non-solutionist, explorative, multidisciplinary perspective. Conceptual work on underlying design theory underpins our creative engagements.
Three people standing in front of a projection in a dome theatre

Theoretically we pull from a multitude of epistemic foundations. These foundations include feminist and critical theory, and research through design, as well as more conventional scientific practices for both qualitative and quantitative inquiry. An important focus of the group is using different theoretical foundations to contextualize and situate data, interaction, and technology in real-world settings as well as to understand our role as designers in their impacts. In particular, we draw from critical perspectives that center ethics, responsibilities, and inclusivity throughout our research practices.
Colorful notes pinned to a city map

Much of our research is motivated by collaborations with a range of partners. We have worked with organizations such as museums, research labs, science centers, non-profits, and industry partners. In these collaborations we employ a variety of participatory methods, including co-design, co-speculation, living labs, and creativity workshops.

For current information about the Visualization and Interaction Design unit, please refer to the website.

Latest publications

2025

Niklas Rönnberg (2025) Towards sonification for accessibility in public transport Proceedings of the International Conference on Auditory Display (Article in journal)
Tania Villalobos Lujan, Pratim Sengupta, Derya Akbaba, Sofia Alessio-Robles, Amelia Lee Dogan, Monica Meltis, Firuzeh Shokooh Valle, Lora Oehlberg (2025) Interaction Design as a Form of Decolonial Care PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2025 CONFERENCE ON CREATIVITY AND COGNITION, C&C 2025, p. 33-38 (Conference paper) Continue to DOI
Beatrice Vincenzi, Nadia Campo Woytuk, Alejandra Gomez Ortega, Kim Sauve, Laura Forlano, Derya Akbaba, Edda Forero, Samuel Thulin, Pedro Sanches, Kit Kuksenok (2025) Bring Your Own Biodata (BYOB): Feminist, Corporeal and Collective Approaches to Datafied Bodies COMPANION PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2025 ACM DESIGNING INTERACTIVE SYSTEMS CONFERENCE, DIS 2025, p. 57-60 (Conference paper) Continue to DOI
Georgia Panagiotidou, Andrew McNutt, Derya Akbaba, Nicole Hengesbach, Miriah Meyer (2025) Critical Data Visualization-Part II IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, Vol. 45, p. 11-13 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI
Georgia Panagiotidou, Andrew McNutt, Derya Akbaba, Nicole Hengesbach, Miriah Meyer (2025) Critical Data Visualization-Part I IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, Vol. 45, p. 14-16 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI
Ahmet Börütecene (2025) The way things feel: working with a nonhumanlike AI colleague in the control room How that robot made me feel, p. 63-87 (Chapter in book)
Niklas Rönnberg (2025) Framtida möjligheter Den störningsfria staden: en antologi om bygglogistik, stads- och trafikplanering, p. 65-75 (Chapter in book)
Derya Akbaba (2025) Shifting Perspectives: Conducting Visualization Research with Entanglement Epistemology
Mina Mani, Måns Gezelius, Jonas Löwgren, Gunnar Höst, Marta Koc-Januchta, Lena Tibell, Konrad Schönborn (2025) Designing with multiple perspectives: an interactive learning environment for developing systems thinking in a carbon cycle context Interactive Learning Environments (Article in journal) Continue to DOI
Anna Fredriksson, Linnea Eriksson, Niklas Rönnberg (Editorship) (2025) Den störningsfria staden: En antologi om bygglogistik, stads- och trafikplanering

Staff

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