Employment
1/2000 – : Professor in Human-Technology Interaction, Tampere University (until 31.12.2018 Tampere University of Technology), unit of Computing Sciences. Head of research group of Human-Centered Technology (IHTE). Part-time 1/2000-6/2004, full-time since 1/2005.
1/2013-12/2018 : Member of the Research Council for Natural Sciences and Engineering in Academy of Finland.
8/2008 – 7/2010: Visiting professor (part-time), Nokia Research Center. Development of evaluation and design methods for user experience. Conducting user experience research and strategy development.
4/2001 -6/2004 : Director of Global Consumer Insights, Nokia Inc. Leading an international and interdisciplinary team of researchers and internal consultants in the following areas: Consumer research, brand research and trend research. Developing consumer-centered product design processes in cooperation with Nokia´s business units.
9/1998 – 3/2001: Senior Research Manager, Nokia Mobile Phones. Management of research projects on end-user needs for mobile applications and devices. Setting up and managing a research team for usability, user interfaces, human-computer interaction and contextual design.
10/1995 – 8/1998: Usability Consultant, Nokia Research Center. Product usability development and consultancy in usability processes and methods in mobile communications, home multimedia terminals and telecommunications network management.
10/1991 – 9/1995: Researcher, Computer Graphics Center (Zentrum für Graphische Datenverarbeitung), Darmstadt, Germany. Research on multimedia information systems and novel user interfaces.
2/1991 – 9/1991: Researcher at Telecom Finland on user interfaces of multimedia systems for Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW).
Research visits
9-12/2023: Visiting research fellow in Queensland University of Technology, Digital Media Research Centre. Collaboration in Digital Inclusion and Human-Centered AI for sustainability.
9-12/2022: Visiting scholar in Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), Industrial design, research cluster of Future Everyday. Collaboration in Social Robotics and Data-Enabled Design.
1-12/2011: Visiting professor, part-time at Mobile Life Centre, Stockholm university, enabled by Nokia Foundation grant. Research on embodied interaction and service user experience.
Education and academic degrees
1995: Dr.Tech. (Dr.-Ing.) in Computer Science at the Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany. Supervisor: Prof. J.L. Encarnaçaõ, referee Prof. F.R.A Hopgood from Reading University, UK. Oral defence of the dissertation entitled: Metaphor-Based User Interfaces for Information Authoring, Visualization and Navigation in Multimedia Environments.
1991: Master of Science in Technology (Information Technology) at the Technical University of Helsinki. Main subjects: Knowledge Engineering, Software Engineering. Master’s thesis: Multimedia Cooperative Work – the Users View.
1990: Master of Science in Advanced Methods in Computer Science (Human-Computer Interaction) at the University of London, Queen Mary and Westfield College. Master’s thesis: Application of Discourse Analysis Techniques to the Representation of Dialogue in Natural Language and Direct Manipulation Interfaces. Grade: “distinction”.
1988 – 89: Exchange programme scholarship at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA. Studies in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and Linguistics.
Research funding and leadership
Leadership of research on human-computer interaction and user experience in Tampere University of Technology since 2000. Leadership of research on user needs and consumer insights at Nokia Inc. in 1998-2004.
Since 2005, acquisition of research funding of approximately 8 Meur for projects funded mainly by Academy of Finland, Business Finland (Finnish innovation & research agency), and industrial cooperation partners.
Principal Investigator in ~40 projects in the following research topics:
- Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence
- Intelligent interactive technology solutions for urban residents
- User experience (UX) design and evaluation of novel digital services and interaction techniques
- Design research on HCI for societal purposes, with emphasis on sustainability
- Social Robots and their applications, for example in youth participation and smart urban environments
Supervision of doctoral dissertations
- Eija Kaasinen – Dr. Tech. dissertation in June 2005: User acceptance of mobile services – value, ease of use, trust and ease of adoption. Doctoral dissertation. VTT Publications 566. Opponent: Prof. Kia Höök from KTH, Sweden.
- Inka Vilpola – Dr. Tech. dissertation in June 2008: Applying User-Centered Design in ERP Implementation Requirements Analysis. Opponents: Prof. Jan Gulliksen, University of Uppsala, Sweden and Dr. Raimo Hyötyläinen, VTT Finland.
- Teija Vainio – PhD dissertation in November 2011: Applying Urban Planning and Design Principles into the Design of Mobile Multimodal Navigation Aids. Opponent: Prof. Giulio Jacucci, Helsinki University.
- Satu Jumisko-Pyykkö – Dr. Tech. dissertation in May 2011: Evaluation of experienced audiovisual quality on mobile devices. Opponent: Prof. Sebastian Möller, TU Berlin, Germany. Accepted with distinction.
- Jukka Holm – Dr. Tech. dissertation in October 2012: Visualizing Music Collections Based on Metadata: Concepts, User Studies and Design Implications. Opponents: Prof. emeritus Yngve Sundblad, KTH and prof. Petri Toiviainen, University of Jyväskylä.
- Thomas Olsson – Dr. Tech. dissertation in November 2012: User Expectations and Experiences of Mobile Augmented Reality Services. Opponents: Associate prof. Thomas Pederson, ITU, Denmark and Associate prof. Jonna Häkkilä, University of Oulu.
- Mari Ervasti – Dr. Tech. dissertation in November 2012: Value in Experience – Design and Evaluation Framework based on Case Studies of Novel Mobile Services. Opponents: Prof. Gilbert Cockton, Northumbria University and Dr. Marianna Obrist, Newcastle University, UK.
- Yanqing Cui – Dr. Tech. dissertation in May 2013: Social Networking Services on Mobile Devices: User Interface Designs and User Experience Studies. Opponents: Prof. Panos Markopoulos, TU Eindhoven, the Netherlands and Prof. Matt Jones, Swanswea University, UK.
- Sami Vihavainen – Dr. Tech dissertation in October 2013: Field studies on User Experience of Automation in Context-Aware Mobile Social Media. Opponent: Prof. Anind Dey, Carnegie Mellon University, USA.
- Heli Väätäjä – Dr. Tech dissertation in April 2014: Framing the User Experience in Mobile Newsmaking with Smartphones. Opponent: Prof. Susanne Bødker, Aarhus University, Denmark.
- Arto Lehtiniemi – Dr. Tech. dissertation in November 2014: Novel Music Discovery Concepts: User Experience and Design Implications. Opponent: Prof. Sergi Jordà, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain.
- Farrukh Sahar – Licenciate thesis in March 2015: Long-Term UX Evaluation of Multi-Component Products. Examiner: Dr. Katarina Segerståhl, Tieto corporation.
- Aino Ahtinen – PhD dissertation in October 2015: Mobile Applications to Support Physical Excercise – Motivational Factors and Design Strategies. Opponent: Prof. Turkka Keinonen, Aalto University.
- Kati Kuusinen – Dr. Tech. dissertation in November 2015: Investigations on Agile UX Work in Enterprise Software Development. Opponent: Prof. Jan Gulliksen, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm, Sweden.
- Tanja Walsh – PhD dissertation in April 2016: Online Surveys in Collecting Cross-Cultural, Qualitative User Experience Feedback. Opponent: Prof. Gilbert Cockton, Northumbria University, UK.
- Pradthana “Ting” Jarusriboonchai – Dr. Tech. dissertation in December, 2016; co-supervised with Dr. Thomas Olsson: Understanding Roles and User Experience of Mobile Technology in Co-located Interaction. Opponent: Prof. Yvonne Rogers, UCL, UK.
- Jarno Ojala – PhD dissertation in April, 2017; co-supervised with Dr. Thomas Olsson: Studies of Content-Mediated Interaction: Insights into Activities,Motivations and User Experience Design. Opponent: Prof. DavidFrohlich, University of Surrey, UK.
- Susanna Aromaa – Dr. Tech. dissertation in April, 2018: Virtual prototyping in evaluation of human factors and ergonomics of human-machine systems. Opponent: Prof. Seppo Väyrynen, University of Oulu.
- Jari Varsaluoma – PhD dissertation in November, 2018; co-supervised with Dr. Heli Väätäjä: Approaches to Improve User Experience in Product Development: UX Goals, Long-Term Evaluations and Usage Data Logging. Opponent: Prof. Philippe Palanque, University Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier, France.
- Tero Jokela – Dr. Tech. dissertation in November, 2018: Studies on Multi-Device Usage Practices and Interaction Methods. Opponent: Prof. Enrico Rukzio, University of Ulm, Germany.
- Elina Hilden – PhD dissertation in October 2020: Studies on Travel Experience of Intra-city Buses – Supporting Service Design with Travel Experience Toolkit. Opponent: prof. Turkka Keinonen, Aalto University, School of Arts and Design.
- Päivi Heikkilä – PhD dissertation in November 2020: Design research studies of digital solutions for supporting well-being at the changing workplace. Opponent: prof. Marko Nieminen, Aalto University, School of Science.
- Iikka Pietilä – Dr. Tech. dissertation in December, 2022: Studies of digital solutions supporting societal participation of youths. Opponent: prof. David Kirk, Open Lab, Newcastle University, UK.
- Mary Nurminen (co-supervisor with Kaisa Koskinen and Tiina Tuominen), PhD dissertation in December 2021: Investigating the Influence of Context in the Use and Reception of Raw Machine Translation. Opponent: prof. Lynne Bowker, University of Ottawa, Canada.
- Susanna Paasovaara (co-supervisor with Thomas Olsson), PhD dissertation on December 2023: Research for Design of Playful Mobile Services for Social Experiences between Nearby Strangers. Opponent: Professor Mark Perry, Brunel University London, UK.
Supervisor of ~180 Master’s theses in Tampere University of Technology and Tampere University, and 10 in Technical University of Darmstadt.
Opponent and examiner of doctoral dissertations
Opponent and committee member of doctoral theses
Simo Säde, University of Arts and Industrial Design of Helsinki, December 2001: Cardboard mock-ups and conversations – Studies on user-centered product design.
Jonna Häkkilä, University of Oulu, Faculty of Information Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, January 2007: Usability with context-aware mobile applications: Case studies and design guidelines.
Stina Nylander, Uppsala University, Department of Information Technology, member of the PhD committee in February 2007: Design and Implementation of Multi-Device Services.
Antti Aaltonen, University of Groningen, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, March 2007: Facilitating personal content management in smart phones.
Michael Stal, University of Groningen, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, March 2007: Understanding and analysing software architecture (of distributed systems) using patterns.
Annu-Maaria Nivala, Helsinki University of Technology (TKK), Department of Computer Science and Engineering, November 2007: Usability perspectives for the design of interactive maps.
Ernst Kesseler, doctoral dissertation in University of Groningen, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, in September 2008: Safety is no accident: Contributions to achieving certifiable safe software.
Anton Janssen, doctoral dissertation in University of Groningen, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, in September 2008: Architectural design decisions.
Arnold Vermeeren, doctoral dissertation in Technical University of Delft, in March 2009: What’s the problem?: studies on identifying usability problems in user tests.
Javed Khan, doctoral dissertation in Technical University of Eindhoven, in November 2009: Mediated awareness for intrafamily communication.
Mikko Rajanen, doctoral dissertation in University of Oulu, faculty of Science, department of Information processing science, in December 2012: Applying usability-cost –benefit analysis – explorations in commercial and open source software development contexts.
Dipak Surie, doctoral dissertation in University of Umeå, Sweden, department of Information Science, member of the PhD committee in January 2012: Egocentric Interaction for Ambient Intelligence.
Steffen Hedegaard, doctoral dissertation in University of Copenhage, Denmark, department of Computer Science, in November 2014: Usability and user experience information in reviews.
Sanni Siltanen, doctoral dissertation in Aalto University, department of Computer Science, in May 2015: Developing augmented reality solutions through user involvement.
Dimitrios Gkouskos, doctoral dissertation in Chalmers University of Technology, division of Interaction Design, in March 2016: User Experience Insight – Steering Experience Design Through Meaningful Incorporation.
Julia M. Mayer, doctoral dissertation in New Jersey Institute of Technology, dept. of Information Systems, in April 2016: Mediating chance encounters through opportunistic social matching.
Liisa Kuparinen, doctoral dissertation in University of Jyväskylä, faculty of Information Technology, in November 2016: Lost or Not? Designing and Evaluating User Interfaces of Mobile Map Services: The Viewpoint of Supporting Users’ Location Awareness.
Yi-Ta Hsieh, doctoral dissertation in University of Helsinki, faculty of Sciences, in June 2017: Exploring Hand-Based Haptic Interfaces for Mobile Interaction Design.
Yomna Abdelrahman, doctoral dissertation in University of Stuttgart, Fakulta?t fu?r Informatik, Elektrotechnik und Informationstechnik, Germany, second examiner in December 2018: Thermal Imaging for Amplifying Human Perception.
Pariya Kashvi, doctoral dissertation in Chalmers University, Software Eng. Division, Dept of Computer Science & Engineering, Sweden, committee member in December 2018: Integrating User eXperience Practices into Software Development Organizations: An Empirical Investigation.
Maria Kjaerup, doctoral dissertation in Aalborg University, Faculty of Engineering and Science, Denmark, examination committee in November 2021: Rural and Urban Mobility: Studying Digital Technology Use and Interaction.
Melanie Berger, doctoral dissertation in Eindhoven University of Technology, the Netherlands, examination committee in June 2023: Designing for Social Control: A Cross-Domain Investigation for Media.
Pre-examination of doctoral and licenciate theses
Roope Raisamo’s licenciate dissertation in University of Tampere, in 1997, topic (translated from Finnish): Advancing direct manipulation by two-handed usage of a drawing program.
Mika Tynkkynen’s licenciate dissertation in Tampere University of Technology, in 2001, topic (translated from Finnish): Development needs of information ergonomics in a harvester.
Virpi Roto, doctoral dissertation in Helsinki University of Technology (TKK), Department of Computer Science and Engineering, in 2006, Web Browsing on Mobile Phones – Characteristics of User Experience.
Jonna Häkkilä, doctoral dissertation in University of Oulu, Faculty of Information Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, in 2006: Usability with context-aware mobile applications: Case studies and design guidelines.
Antti Aaltonen, doctoral dissertation in University of Groningen, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, in 2006: Facilitating personal content management in smart phones.
Stina Nylander, Uppsala University, Department of Information Technology, in 2006: Design and Implementation of Multi-Device Services.
Ernst Kesseler, doctoral dissertation in University of Groningen, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, in 2007: Safety is no accident: Contributions to achieving certifiable safe software.
Arnold Vermeeren, doctoral dissertation in Technical University of Delft, in 2009: What’s the problem?: studies on identifying usability problems in user tests.
Javed Khan, doctoral dissertation in Technical University of Eindhoven, in 2009: Mediated awareness for intrafamily communication.
Anne Kaikkonen, doctoral dissertation in Helsinki University of Technology, in 2009: Internet on Mobiles: Evolution of Usability and User Experience.
Timo Koskela, doctoral dissertation in University of Oulu, Faculty of Technology, Dept of Computer Science and Engineering, in 2011: Community-centric mobile peer-to-peer services: Perfromance evaluation and user studies.
Steffen Hedegaard, doctoral dissertation in University of Copenhagen, Denmark, department of Computer Science, in 2014: Usability and user experience information in reviews.
Guido Giunti, doctoral dissertation in University of Oulu, Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, in 2018: 3MD for Chronic Conditions: a Model for Motivatonal mHealth Design.
Estefania Guisado Fernandez, doctoral dissertation “viva” in University College Dublin, School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, September 2019: A Smart Health Technology Platform for Dementia Informal Home Care: development, implementation, evaluation and design implications.
Victoria Palacin Silva, doctoral dissertation in Lappeenranta University of Technology, LUT School of Engineering Science, October 2020: Participation in Citizen Science.
Melanie Berger, doctoral dissertation in Eindhoven University of Technology, the Netherlands, pre-examination in May 2023: Designing for Social Control: A Cross-Domain Investigation for Media.
Eleonora Zedda, doctoral dissertation in University of Pisa, Italy, pre-examination in July 2023: Personalities in Humanoid Robots for Cognitive Training of Older Adults.
Scientific event organization
- General chair of ACM SIGCHI conference in 2023
- Chair of the steering committee of MobileHCI conference series (ACM) 2016–2019
- Member of the steering committee of MobileHCI conference series (ACM) since 2015
- Member of the steering committee of Mobile and Ubiquitous Multimedia conference series (ACM) since 2018
- General chair of ACM Mobile and Ubiquitous Multimedia 2017
- General chair of ACM MobileHCI’16
- Programme chair of ACM NordiCHI’14
- Programme chair of ACM Mobile and Ubiquitous Multimedia, MUM 2012
- General chair of EUROHAPTICS’12, in Tampere, Finland, June 2012
- Organised international workshops in several academic conferences, e.g. in CHI 2008, NordiCHI 2020
- Chaired Doctoral Consortia in several conferences, e.g. in MobileHCI 2016, MobileHCI 2020, and Augmented Humans 2021
Editorial duties and reviews of conference and journal papers
Associate Editor of journal Behaviour in Information Technology, BIT (2020-), Taylor and Francis.
Associate Editor of journal Interacting with Computers, IwC (2009-), Elsevier.
Member of the programme committees:
- Software Ergonomics’95 conference in Germany.
- Scandinavian HCI’00 and NordiCHI’10
- MobileHCI 2001, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2020
- Mobile and Ubiquitous Multimedia (MUM) 2010, 2011
- CHI 2012 and 2013 (SIG chair), CHI 2016 (Case Studies chair)
Reviewer of papers in conferences (not a full list):
- Mobile HCI 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007-2020
- ACM CHI 1997, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2019
- NordiCHI 2016, 2018, 2020
- Interact 2009 and 2013
Reviewer of numerous journal articles, e.g. for International Journal of Mobile HCI (IJMHCI), Special Issue on Mobile Internet User eXperience (MIUX), IGI Global, 2008, Information Systems Journal, Blackwell, 2007 and Transactions of Human-Computer Interaction TOCHI 2015 and 2020, IJHCS 2021.
Teaching at the university
Head of Doctoral Programme of Humans and Technologies (DPHAT) since February 2021.
Planning and coordinating study programmes:
- In years 2000-, development of the study programme (major) of Usability in Tampere University of Technology (TUT), dept. of Software Systems (the main responsible for the design and implementation of altogether 8 courses).
- Responsible for an international study programme at TUT for Master of Science in Technology, with specialisation in Human-Technology Interaction, started in 2012.
- Since 2019, responsible for the Human-Technology Interaction study tracks (MSc and MSc tech) in the Computing Sciences study programme at Tampere University.
- Member of the steering committee of the doctoral programme for Computing and Electrical Engineering.
Development and teaching several courses yearly since 2002, e.g. Introduction to user experience (BSc course, 10 times), Human-Technology Interaction Design (MSc course), Human-centered product development (MSc course, 5 times) and Methods in usability (MSc course, 2 times). Additionally, teaching 10+ post-graduate seminars on various topics in user experience and computing.
Other scientific and professional memberships
Steering group member of the platform of Digital and Sustainability Transitions in Society (DigiSus) at Tampere University, 2024-.
Steering group member of the platform of Tampere Urban Research Network for Sustainability – (TURNS) at Tampere University, 2024-.
Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of Hybrid Intelligence Flagship programme at University of Oulu, 2024-.
Member of the working group of AI4.0 for Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland (2021).
Member of Academy of Finland, Research Council for Natural Sciences and Engineering (2013-2018).
Since October 2015, member of Academy of Technical Sciences of Finland.
Member of the faculty council of Information Technology and Communication Sciences (ITC) (2021-).
2013-2021, member of the Ethics Committee in Human Sciences of the Tampere Region.
Chair of the Steering Committee of MobileHCI conference series (2015-2018).
Advisory board member of the HCI group of the Institute for Information Processing, Poland in 2011-12.
Member of Tivit board in 2008-2009 (Tivit = the Finnish innovation research funding company).
Member of Nokia Innovation Center Tampere steering group in 2007-2015.
Founding member of the User-Centered Information Technology (UCIT) post-graduate school in 2001-2010.
Academic evaluation tasks
Expert evaluator for the Academy of Finland in the panel of information technology in 2000 and 2007.
Expert evaluator of EU projects MIMOSA and MINAMI in ambient intelligence in 2005-2010.
Expert evaluator of a senior research position in KTH, Stockholm on Interaction design in January 2010.
Expert evaluator of a professorship in Aalto university on Networking technology, HCI, in May 2010.
Expert evaluator for an associate professor in Human-Computer Interaction in KTH Stockholm, in May 2011.
Expert evaluator for a promotion to a professor in Human-Computer Interaction in KTH Stockholm, May 2011.
Expert evaluator of an application to a (temporary) professorship at University of Tampere, in November 2011.
Expert evaluator of Chair Design for Experience at Delft University of Technology in April 2012.
Expert evaluator for a promotion to docent in Human-Computer Interaction in KTH Stockholm in July 2012.
Expert evaluator for an adjunct professor (docent) position for University of Eastern Finland in January 2013.
Expert evaluator for an adjunct professor (docent) position for University of Helsinki in August 2015.
Expert evaluator for an adjunct professor (docent) position for University of Oulu in December 2015.
Expert evaluator for an adjunct professor (docent) position for University of Helsinki in December 2016.
Expert evaluator for an adjunct professor (docent) position for University of Uppsala in January 2018.
Expert evaluator for a tenure position for Aalto University in May 2016.
Expert evaluator for a professor position in interaction design in KTH Stockholm in February 2017.
Expert evaluator for an adjunct professor position for University of Uppsala in January 2018.
Expert evaluator for a professor position for Chalmers University in February 2018.
Expert evaluator for a university lecturer position at Aalto University, School of Science in April 2019.
Expert evaluator for a promotion to a professor position at University of Tallinn, Estonia, December 2019.
Expert evaluator for a promotion to a full professor position at University of Bergen, Norway, January 2020.
Expert evaluator for an assoc. professor position in Media Technology, University of Aalborg, May 2020.
Expert evaluator for a promotion to a senior university lecturer at Aalto University, November 2021.
Expert member in the scientific committee for evaluation of Computer Science / Information Technology project applications for Portuguese foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), September 2020 and May 2021. Evaluation of 24+16 applications.
Expert evaluator for a senior university lecturer position at Uppsala University, January 2022.
Expert evaluation of a professor promotion in Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), January 2023.
Expert evaluation of senior lecturer for KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden, February 2023.
Expert member in the scientific evaluation board for Science Foundation Ireland, the SFI Research Centre for AI-driven Digital Content Technology (ADAPT), March 2023.
Expert evaluation of a professor promotion in Uppsala University, December 2023.
Expert evaluation of a docentship for University of Oulu, February 2024.
Expert evaluation of a docentship for University of Helsinki, March 2024.