Merging Psychological Insights with Design Thinking
At the Design Psychology Lab, we research how the design of products, services, and interventions can maintain and promote mental well-being and foster positive behaviour change.
A Multidisciplinary Environment
At the Design Psychology Lab, based in the Dyson School of Design Engineering (Imperial College London), we integrate psychological insights with design thinking to research how products, services, and interventions can help maintain and/or promote mental health and well-being of users.
Our affiliates conduct research in a wide variety of areas, including human-technology interaction, healthcare innovations, and psychological privacy and security in digital contexts. We are based in a multidisciplinary environment, with expertise ranging from psychology to design engineering.
Lab Members
Meet the current and former lab members.
Jianan Zhou
PhD Student
Anna Caltabiano
PhD Student
Dr Fleur Corbett
Research Associate
Dr Ian Chard
Former PhD Student
Dr David Boyle
Lab Affiliate
Dr Lorenzo Picinali
Lab Affiliate
News
Read about our latest research and other events.
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Panelist at the Climate Robotics Summit
Discussion on the ethical dilemmas panel Robots are frequently engineered to minimise—or entirely eliminate—friction. But could this drive toward seamless efficiency come at a cost? Might friction, paradoxically, serve a valuable purpose? Take, for instance, the role of robotics in waste management. If advanced machines can autonomously sort mixed refuse, why should individuals bother separating…
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Invited talk at the Marshall Society Annual Conference
Who would you be without a smartphone? Huge thanks to The Marshall Society (Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge) for inviting me talk about surveillance capitalism and its impact on mental health – what a wonderful audience of bright young people, and great questions afterwards! There were also fantastic talks by EEI Director Professor Lucia…
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Keynote on Studying Human and Robot Co-Living
Keynote talk at opening of Dronehub at EMPA in Zurich Dr van Zalk was an invited keynote speaker at the opening ceremony for DroneHub, EMPA (Zurich), on 20th of November 2024. Together with keynote panellists Philipp Eder (Head of Drones & Robots at Swisscom Broadcast Ltd) who discussed the need for an infrastructure to test drones,…
Interested in Doing Your PhD with Us?
Enquiries to join the Lab are welcome from excellent PhD candidates with interest in psychology and design, who meet the Dyson School of Design Engineering entry level requirements. Strong applicants with backgrounds in computational psychology and quantitative research methods are particularly welcome, though candidates with engineering and design backgrounds are welcome to apply (demonstrating previous experience in social/behavioural sciences). If you wish to be considered, please e-mail the following information to Dr Van Zalk (n.van-zalk@imperial.ac.uk):
- A recent copy of your CV.
- A maximum 2-page outline detailing how your work will fit within the lab.
- A mention on how you plan to secure funding for your PhD (please note that self-funding is not acceptable). You can consider several funding sources via Imperial’s Scholarships Search Tool. Schemes available include Imperial College President’s PhD Scholarships, China Scholarship Council, and UK Research Council scholarships. Overseas students can also check international scholarship collaboration opportunities.
If your profile is deemed suitable, you will be invited to an online meeting.
Research Associates, Academic Visitors & Interns
Enquiries from prospective Research Associates and Academic Visitors are welcome. Please contact Dr Nejra van Zalk directly to discuss opportunities.
If you are interested in an internship, check out the Imperial College Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme as well as International Research Opportunities Programme schemes. We typically take on summer interns to join existing projects – get in touch with Dr Nejra van Zalk to discuss further.
Design Psychology Lab
Dyson School of Design Engineering
Imperial College London
25 Exhibition Road, South Kensington
London, SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
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