Job: PhD position on Gameful Rear-Seat Car Interfaces at RMIT University’s GEElab

RMIT University’s Games & Experimental Entertainment Laboratory –the GEElab– is currently offering a 3-year full-time PhD stipend, to a highly motivated and experienced recent graduate or young professional from Australia, New Zealand or another country, to work on a project co-sponsored by German car maker Audi and by RMIT. The successful applicant is expected to start as soon as possible, ideally not later than 1 February 2013, and will be located mainly in the GEElab in Melbourne, Australia.

In this project, which has been operative for over a year, we are investigating how ‘gameful’ design methods can be applied for cars’ rear-seat entertainment interfaces and human-computer interactions, and how a game-inspired ‘design space’ can be conceptually designed, as well as prototyped.

The PhD stipend runs at AUS$30,000 tax-exempt p.a., over the course of three years, and, in addition, includes a full fee waiver as well as a project budget for prototyping, conference travel as well as usage of an Audi research vehicle. This stipend offer is open until filled, but it is recommended to send an Expression of Interest rather sooner than later, see below for details.

The ideal candidate:

1. has a Masters degree or equivalent in e.g. game design / game-based learning / mobile application design / interaction design / HCI / automotive computer science / architecture / product design / industry design / media computing / a creative media-oriented (design) discipline.
2. is conceptually minded, and capable to sketching / formulating / visualizing / prototyping visual scenarios, information architectures and HCI schemes.
3. needs to be able to work with empirical, mainly qualitative methods, or to be willing to learn these methods, and how to apply them.
4. shows genuine interest in (auto)mobility and its relationship to computing, and gameful human-computer interaction design in particular, and ideally, has basic or even advanced knowledge in this area.
5. is interested in the potentials of game design applied to mobility and car-based HCI, and ideally, has basic or advanced knowledge of this field.
6. is willing to work closely with the industry sponsor’s team as well as to learn quickly about Audi’s HCI related innovation processes.
7. has prior research experience in one or more of the aforementioned fields, and, potentially, has some industry experience in a creative media or other relevant field.
8. has a bit of a publication record and, ideally, a portfolio of some creative projects in one or more of the fields mentioned in the above.
9. has proven to be able to work independently, to be reliable, and to finalize projects.
10. is willing to travel and understands that the project requires periods of time be spent mainly, in Melbourne, Australia, but also in Karlsruhe, Germany, as well as with our Audi contacts in Germany.
11. can commence as soon as possible, ideally, 1 February 2013 the latest.
12. [optionally, has at least basic knowledge of the German (spoken) language.]

Potential candidates should express their interest in an application by Emailing the following documents to GEElab director, Dr Steffen P Walz at steffen.walz@rmit.edu.au:

A cover letter which will summarize the following on one page:

1. Your strategic fit with the GEElab and the project as described.
2. Value of your specific research program to the GEElab and to the project as described.
3. Your expected publication outputs (detailing the types of conferences and/or journals you will target).
4. Anticipated impact.
5. Your most important publication or project.
6. Any other strengths (skills, your awards, fellowships, grants etc).
7. The earliest date you could commence the project.

A detailed CV which includes:

• Details typical to CVs.
• Details of any publications and/or portfolio (Note: only Web-based portfolios will be accepted).
• Details of research and/or teaching experience.

Receipt of Expression of Interest Email will be confirmed by Email.

About the GEElab:

At the GEElab, an international research team is investigating how game design thinking can affect and alter architecture & urbanism, mobility, popular media & storytelling, engagement as well as other sciences, cf. www.geelab.rmit.edu.au. The GEElab operates sites at RMIT in Melbourne, Australia, as well as in Karlsruhe, Germany, there as GEElab Europe, and is based in RMIT’s School of Media and Communication.