The Interaction Design and Work Practice Laboratory is a research centre housed by the Faculty of Information Technology of the University of Technology, Sydney. Through both its research and practice, the centre is a leading Australian contributor to innovation in the emerging field of interaction design. The centre is concerned with understanding aspects of interactive technologies that shape people’s lived experience through their contact with them.
The work carried out by the Interaction Design and Work Practice Lab is supported by the justification that in our increasingly digitalized and networked world, information and communication technologies are no longer necessarily confined within workplace contexts, but also perform functions in a number of environments that are inherently social.
In response, the Interaction Design and Work Practice Lab prioritizes the development of useful information and communication technologies that serve the aim of maximizing human agency and benefit. A refined understanding of the complexities of actual human practice provides the core foundation for each of the centre’s projects; so too does a fundamental recognition of all human action as being embodied, situated and social. Rather than attempt to analyse ways in which technology can potentially solve problems for passive human subjects, the mission is to investigate how humans can themselves solve problems with use of technology as an aid. The centre employs a range of interdisciplinary approaches, techniques and methodologies in order to ensure this human-centric focus is maintained.
The Interaction Design and Work Practice Lab is managed by Associate Professor Toni Robertson.