Below is a list of potential topics that I am interested in recruiting PhD students for in the 2025 cycle. Broadly, I am interested in designing technologies which better support the capabilities of users with complex communication needs.
1) Enabling Access to the Co-Design Process – Co-design, the collaborative act of designing with end-users, often relies heavily on language-based methods like reading, writing, and discussion. This can pose challenges for individuals with language impairments, leading to the exclusion of these stakeholders’ valuable insights and resulting in products and services that fail to meet diverse user needs. This PhD project will build on our group’s work in co-created personas, generative AI, and tangible interfaces to develop novel tools and techniques that ensure equal participation in co-design for all users. The research will focus on creating accessible, innovative methods to broaden the reach and inclusivity of co-design across various contexts, improving design outcomes for marginalized groups.
2) Embodied Approaches to Assistive Technology – Non-verbal expression plays a crucial role in everyday communication, whether nodding to indicate agreement or using vocal tone to imply a question. For individuals with language impairments, non-verbal cues are essential for both comprehension and expression. However, most assistive technologies overlook these vital communication methods (see our systematic review). This PhD project will extend our research on wearable devices such as smartwatches, smartbadges, and augmented reality (AR) tools, focusing on innovative solutions for non-verbal communication. You will collaborate directly with communities who experience language impairments to design technologies that support effective communication in real-world settings.
3) Enabling Accessible Remote Communication Environments – Remote communication, such as videoconferencing, has become an integral part of daily life. However, it often lacks essential elements like non-verbal cues that are critical for effective communication. This can pose significant challenges for people with language impairments. Building on our previous research into the accessibility of videoconferencing for individuals with aphasia, this PhD will explore new ways to enhance remote communication technologies. By collaborating directly with these communities, you will design and develop tools that make videoconferencing and other online environments more inclusive and supportive for all users.
4) Enabling Access to Digital Content – Digital content, such as streamed video and audio, is central to modern life, keeping us informed and entertained. However, people with communication challenges often struggle to access and understand this content. This PhD project will build upon our ongoing research and the EPSRC-funded CA11y project, which has explored the challenges faced by users with complex communication needs (such as aphasia) in consuming video content. We have developed accessibility interventions, such as independently adjusting audio channels or inserting pauses in dialogue for improved comprehension. Your work will extend these efforts, working closely with end users to design future content platforms that provide inclusive access for diverse communicators.
5) Accessible Health Data Representation – Health dashboards can empower individuals by giving them control over their health data, potentially improving health outcomes. However, the complexity of health data can be a barrier, especially for users with cognitive or language-based disabilities. This PhD project will build on our ongoing work developing a stroke dashboard for the South London Stroke Register, focusing on making health data more accessible. You will collaborate with stroke survivors to explore how we can represent complex data, as well as insights and explanations generated by machine learning systems, in ways that are accessible and easy to understand for all users.