Short CV
Eva Hornecker has been a Professor of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) at the Faculty of Media, Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, since February 2013 and has led the HCI Master’s program since summer 2014.
Previously, she was a Lecturer at the University of Strathclyde, UK, and conducted research at the Pervasive Interaction Lab of the Open University in Milton Keynes. Her international experience includes positions at HITLabNZ (University of Canterbury, New Zealand) and the University of Sussex, UK.
She earned her PhD in 2004 at the University of Bremen, focusing on tangible user interfaces as cooperative media“ and holds a distinguished degree in Computer Science and Education from TU Darmstadt.
Research focus
Eva Hornecker focuses on designing and analyzing interactive systems that combine physical forms, real-world environments, and embodied interaction. A leading expert in ‚Tangible and Embodied Interaction‘, she also works on wearables and mobile technologies. Her research adopts a ‚ Research-through-Design approach, employing rapid prototyping methods and exploring how technology can support social interaction and human connections.
Her group has developed interactive installations for urban spaces and concepts for robotics in caregiving, fostering dialogue and interaction. She prefers qualitative methods such as ethnographic studies, interviews, co-design, and user-centered design for her empirical research.
Recent projects
FluidData (DFG): This project explores ‚Data Physicalisation‘, investigating how data can be represented in material forms rather than conventional visualizations. The research focuses on inflatable, pressure-driven, shape-changing objects that embody data. The project includes developing rapid prototyping methods for creating and controlling these objects and studying the user experience of interacting with them. Preliminary findings suggest that physical data representations elicit stronger emotional responses and are perceived as less abstract than visual representations. Two PhD projects are currently part of this initiative.
Feminist Values in Technology Design: This research investigates how feminist approaches and perspectives can influence technology design, addressing the biases often embedded in systems created by homogenous developer teams. The project explores methods for integrating feminist values into the design process, with a particular focus on reimagining smart city technologies. Margarita Osipova’s PhD project examines how these perspectives offer new visions for inclusive urban futures.
GROOVE (BMBF): The “GROOVE” project explores how virtual reality (VR) applications can enhance feelings of closeness and connection across distances by leveraging the principle of “entrainment”—the natural synchronization of movements when people interact positively. The research investigates how synchronized movement in VR environments can foster emotional bonds and a sense of togetherness, particularly for people separated from loved ones.