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Dr Sebastian Prost

Lecturer in Human-Computer Interaction

School of Science & Technology Department of Computer Science

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About

Overview

Sebastian (he/they) is a lecturer in Human Computer Interaction (HCI) at the Centre for HCI Design in the Department of Computer Science. They are an interdisciplinary researcher with a background in computer science, HCI, sociology, and participatory design with a firm interest in sustainability and social justice. In their work, Sebastian explores and critiques what role digital technology might or might not play in making our society more sustainable and just. They take a participatory, collaborative, and action-research approach, researching and designing with (rather than on or for) communities. As such, they typically apply qualitative research methods (interviews, workshops, observations) and design research methods (co-design, design probes, design fiction, etc.).

Sebastian completed their PhD in Digital Civics at Open Lab, Newcastle University on food-related inclusive socio-digital innovations in a working-class neighbourhood (2016-2022). Afterwards, they worked as Innovation Fellow in Design and Co-Creation in the Centre for Digital Citizens at Northumbria University’s School of Design (2021–2025), where they explored the role of digital technologies to facilitate sustainable and inclusive community-led social innovations and how digital farming technologies can be designed more responsibly and in line with agroecological values.

Sebastian's primary research interests lie in:

1. Digital transformation in the food and farming sector, focusing on the ethics of new digital technologies and how they can be designed responsibly respecting farmers’ values, identities, practices, and livelihoods. Sebastian researches and designs for small-scale, diverse, sustainable, and community-based food and farming systems rather than the large-scale, monocultural, industrial, and globalised food system. Application areas include information systems for farmer-consumer relationships, food education, and local food networks; the use of AI and autonomous systems (robotics, drones) in relation to farmer knowledge and autonomy; using digital sensors and data monitor crops, herds, biodiversity, wildlife, environment to evidence impact; Trust, transparency, traceability in food supply chains; and DIY, open-source and maker communities in farming. Theoretically, this work is grounded in interrelated concepts and social movements for Food Sovereignty, Food Democracy, and Food Justice.

2. Sustainability and social justice in technology and design. Sebastian is interested in the environmental, social, political, economic, and cultural impact of digital technology itself. This includes the study of environmental (resource use, energy consumption, waste/recycling/reuse) and social impact of digital technology itself, particularly on marginalised communities.

3. Community-Based Participatory Design (PD). Sebastian is interested in working with communities of place, interest, identity, or practice to co-design and co-create novel socio-digital tools and infrastructures, empowering them to address their own needs and/or enhance social relations. Sebastian is particularly interested in challenges of inclusivity, voice, power sharing, equitable relationships in participatory design and challenges of sustainability of PD outcomes, i.e. long-term use, relationships, and impact beyond project lifespans.

Qualifications

  • PhD in Digital Civics, Newcastle University, United Kingdom, 2022
  • MRes in Digital Civics, Newcastle University, United Kingdom, 2017
  • BA in Sociology, University of Vienna, Austria, 2015
  • MSc in Computer Science, Vienna University of Technology, Austria, 2009
  • BSc in Computer Science, University of Vienna, Austria, 2006

Employment

  • Lecturer, City, University of London, United Kingdom, February 2025 - present
  • Innovation Fellow, Northumbria University, United Kingdom, August 2021 - January 2025
  • HCI Researcher, Austrian Institute of Technology, Austria, 2014 - 2015
  • Interaction Design Researcher, Center for Usability Research and Engineering, Austria, 2009 - 2014

Languages

German (can read, write, speak, understand spoken, peer review)

Publications

Publications by category

Chapters (3)

  • Schrammel, J., Prost, S., Mattheiss, E., Bothos, E. and Tscheligi, M. (2015). Using Individual and Collaborative Challenges in Behavior Change Support Systems: Findings from a Two-Month Field Trial of a Trip Planner Application. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (pp. 160-171). Springer International Publishing. ISBN 9783319203058.
  • Buiza, C., Navarro, A.B., Gonzalez, M.F., Geven, A., Tscheligi, M. and Prost, S. (2010). Assessing the Usefulness and Acceptance of HERMES MyFuture System in Two European Countries. Advances in Intelligent and Soft Computing (pp. 205-208). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. ISBN 9783642132674.
  • Geven, A., Prost, S., Tscheligi, M., Soldatos, J. and Gonzalez, M.F. (2010). ’Designing Ambient Interactions – Pervasive Ergonomic Interfaces for Ageing Well’ (DAI’10). Lecture Notes in Computer Science (pp. 339-341). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. ISBN 9783642169168.

Conference papers and proceedings (13)

  • Prost, S., Crivellaro, C., Collingham, H., Vines, J., Taylor, N., Thackara, J.... Rogers, J. HCI for Agroecology: Agri-Tech between Grassroots and Capitalism. CHI 2026: CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.doi:10.1145/3772318.3791822
  • Jahn, L., Engelbutzeder, P., Michel, L.K., Prost, S., Twidale, M.B., Randall, D.... Wulf, V. Blending Code and Cause: Understanding the Dynamic Motivations of Volunteer Developers in community-driven FOSS projects. CHI 2025: CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.doi:10.1145/3706598.3713416
  • Prost, S., Collingham, H. and Rogers, J. Digital Technologies for Smallholder Agriculture: Tensions and Speculations. DIS '24: Designing Interactive Systems Conference.doi:10.1145/3656156.3663714
  • Prost, S., Taylor, N., Strohmayer, A., Collingham, H., Leal, D.D.C., Krüger, M.... Vines, J. Bringing Sustainability through, in, and of HCI into Conversation. DIS '23: Designing Interactive Systems Conference.doi:10.1145/3563703.3591459
  • Prost, S., Ntouros, V., Wood, G., Collingham, H., Taylor, N., Crivellaro, C.... Vines, J. Walking and Talking: Place-based Data Collection and Mapping for Participatory Design with Communities. DIS '23: Designing Interactive Systems Conference.doi:10.1145/3563657.3596054
  • Collingham, H., Wallace, J., Brewster, J., Whittingham, R., Prost, S., Marshall, J.... Kindleysides, M. Co-Creating a Virtuous Cycle. PDC 2022: Participatory Design Conference 2022.doi:10.1145/3537797.3537863
  • Reisinger, M.R., Prost, S., Schrammel, J. and Fröhlich, P. User Requirements for the Design of Smart Homes: Dimensions and Goals. .doi:10.1007/978-3-030-34255-5_4
  • Prost, S., Crivellaro, C., Haddon, A. and Comber, R. Food Democracy in the Making. CHI '18: CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.doi:10.1145/3173574.3173907
  • Prost, S., Mattheiss, E. and Tscheligi, M. From Awareness to Empowerment. CSCW '15: Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing.doi:10.1145/2675133.2675281
  • Prost, S., Schrammel, J. and Tscheligi, M. 'Sometimes it's the weather's fault'. CHI '14: CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.doi:10.1145/2559206.2581358
  • Prost, S., Schrammel, J., Röderer, K. and Tscheligi, M. Contextualise! personalise! persuade! MobileHCI '13: 15th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction with Mobile Devices and Services.doi:10.1145/2493190.2494434
  • Conconi, A., Cattaneo, F., Pnevmatikakis, A., Soldatos, J., Prost, S. and Tscheligi, M. Hermes: A pervasive system for memory support and ambient assisted living. .
  • Kemper, J., Wegner, T., Resch, P., Linde, H., Schramm, P., Wilms, B.... Walter, M. Parameterizable UPnP - Device level SOA with hot-config capabilities. .

Journal articles (8)