Open Lab
Open Lab is an interaction design research group, specialising in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), and ubiquitous computing.
Interdisciplinary approach
With over 80 researchers and staff, we are one of the biggest research groups in the School of Computing. Our Open Lab partnerships work on a number of human-centred design projects both locally and globally.
We are truly interdisciplinary — our highly skilled researchers come from a huge range of backgrounds including:
- computer science
- design
- engineering
- health and social sciences
- architecture and planning
- education
- the arts
Through this radical interdisciplinary approach, our Open Lab partnerships and research connect with many of Newcastle University’s core research strengths, from ageing and health to data and cities.
Open Lab has, in just over a decade, become a world-leading research group in its field.
One of our main specialties is digital civics. We design digital technologies that help individuals, local communities, and voluntary organisations have a stronger voice in public services, and local democracy.
These projects explore ways to deliver public services in a more resilient way. Through this work, we believe that working with citizens as active co-producers of research is the key to this transformation.
We run the EPSRC-funded CDT in Digital Civics, training 50 PhD students between 2014-2022. We also run the Digital Economy Research Centre, employing 25 postdoctoral researchers across faculties at Newcastle and Northumbria universities.
We also host the School of Computing's new MSc in Human-Computer Interaction.
We have worked with hundreds of partners over the last decade including:
- the NHS
- the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
- local schools
- Nexus
- local councils
- Barnardos
- Seven Stories
- Meadow Well Connected
Our aim is that our Open Lab partnership is mutually beneficial for both us and the people we work with. This means people will often benefit from our research long after it is finished.
Our work has been featured in a number of articles around:
Dalya Al-Shahrabi
Colin Bone Dodds
Effie Le Moignan
Drew Miley
Jay Rainey
Shidong Wang