Prof John Vines, Chair of Design Informatics
Prof John Vines is Chair of Design Informatics in the School of Informatics at the University of Edinburgh, and co-directs the Institute for Design Informatics.
John’s research is primarily in the field of human-computer interaction (HCI), and focuses on how people experience and use digital and data-driven technologies in their everyday lives. His projects often take a participatory and research through design approach, involving designing prototypes with people, users and stakeholders and studying the use of new technologies in real world contexts. He has specific expertise on the design of data-driven systems in application areas such as care in later life and health ageing, financial services (especially in relation to financial inclusion, vulnerable populations and “alternative” currencies), and civic and “public interest” technology. He has a strong interest in exploring the value and reach of participatory approaches to designing digital technologies and how users, citizens, publics may have greater control over the design, adoption and use of new systems in society. Recently he has developed this into a growing interest in how participatory methods might be used to design collaborations between people and AI-based systems, and also how participatory approaches might be embedded within the regulatory and governance processes of AI within organisations and user communities.
As well as co-directing the Institute for Design Informatics, John co-directs the Centre for Investing Innovation and the UKFin+ Network Plus, and has been directly responsible for over £11m of research council (EPSRC, ESRC, AHRC, Innovate UK and Dstl) funding. He has published over 140 papers in the fields of HCI and design, including receiving 2 Best Papers and 7 Honourable Mentions at the ACM CHI conference. He is also the current Programme Director for the MSc and Advanced MSc in Design Informatics.
Research interests:
- Interaction design for data-driven technologies and service
- Participatory approaches to design and research
- Participatory technologies and social media
- Technology for ageing and the lifecourse
- Digital health and wellbeing
- Inclusive FinTech and alternative currencies and economies
- Digital civics, civic technology and community informatics
Related
Designing Responsible NLP
Designing Responsible NLP is a PhD with intergrated programme being run as part of the newly funded (as of the start of 2024) UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Responsible and Trustworthy in-the-world Natural Language Processing.
Regulation and Design (RAD) Lab
The Regulation and Design (RAD) Lab explores how to create better human-technology interactions by building an interdisciplinary research agenda at the interface of technology, design, and regulation.
Centre for Investing Innovation
The Centre for Investing Innovation is a strategic partnership between global asset management company abrdn and the University of Edinburgh.
Building and testing a user-centred, Accessible Long COVID fatigue rehabilitation smartPHone App (ALPHA)
Centre for Digital Citizens
The Centre for Digital Citizens is a "next stage digital economy" research centre, led by Newcastle University and Northumbria University in partnership with 33 partners including the Design Informatics at University of Edinburgh.
UKFin+
UKFin+ is a "network plus", with a mission to bridge the gap that currently exists between research in universities and the needs of the financial services industry, its consumers and the regulator.
Peoplehood: Value Exchange in Later Life Communities
The Peoplehood project is a large collaborative project led by Blackwood Homes and Care, involving a wide range of organisations including University of Edinburgh researchers across Informatics, the Business School and the Institute for Design Informatics.
Developing a Theory of Change for Digital Mental Health
This project was conducted in collaboration with Togetherall (formerly Big White Wall), a multimodal peer-support DMH community platform providing anonymous, round-the-clock peer support made safe by professionally registered moderators, self-help materials, guided courses, digital art and self-monitoring of psychological symptoms.
Advanced Care Research Centre (ACRC)
High‐quality data‐driven, personalised and affordable care that supports the independence, dignity and quality‐of‐life of people in later life living in their own homes and in supported care environments.