Design and Technology

Research focus

Design methods are becoming increasingly important in computer science. The interface between design and technology raises many questions:

• How does design enhance the transition from a physical to a virtual world?
  
• Which kind of interfaces will structure this transition?
  
• How do we visualize information in order to gain new insights?
  
• How do humans and computers interact and how can new applications support our everyday lives?
  

We examine these questions with an interdisciplinary focus on applied research and development as well as in teaching in the computer science degree program.
We focus on future concepts for:

• Reinventing the user interface
  
• UX and interface aesthetics
  
• Information visualization for digital humanities

Fig.: Tablet app Industriekulturlehrpfad. Studies on interface aesthetics.

Our infrastructure includes a media lab and a usability lab. The media lab offers a variety of virtual reality setups, augmented reality headsets, large-scale displays and various projection and tracking possibilities. In our usability lab, we have the opportunity to perform software testing with eye tracking technology.

Fig.: Installation to investigate different forms of interface aesthetics and their effect on the motivation and learning of school classes.