Postdoc in behaviour changing design for cycling

Project description
Increased adoption of active modes of transport, such as walking and cycling, can contribute to solving the climate crisis by reducing our reliance on cars. Cycling especially holds many benefits, it is a very resource efficient travel mode that also brings about health benefits, directly through physical exercise and mental recovery, and indirectly through better air quality and less noise. Design has a major role to play in creating cycling environments that enable and encourage more people to cycle.

However, as long as cars are still a part of the modal mix, the space allocated for active transport will be limited in cities. The aim of the project is therefore to find solutions that allow for an increase in the number of cyclists using existing infrastructure in a way that is efficient and safe, while also providing a superior user experience. To achieve this, we need to support behaviour change towards a more coherent way of cycling that is easier to predict and co-exist with.

As part of the project, you are to develop further knowledge on what constitutes a positive, safe and efficient cycling experience and how the design of infrastructure (e.g., roads/streets, cycle paths, crossings, signage, etc.) could support and enhance this experience. In particular, you will be exploring how nudging can be used to guide cyclists' choices in terms of e.g. lane placement, gaze and routes, while at the same time creating a feeling of flow for the cyclist. You will then turn these insights into suggestions for infrastuctural design and design methodology.

The position is tied to a project funded by Chalmers' Area of Advance Transport, and you will work in close collaboration with the project team at the at the division Design & Human Factors at the department of Industrial and Materials Science.

Information about the division and the research
The vision of the division Design & Human Factors is that one day, all products, services and workplaces will be designed to enable users to live and work in a meaningful and sustainable way. To contribute to this vision, we develop knowledge about the relation between humans and technical artefacts; we also develop methods and tools that can be used to study the relationship between human–artefact, as well as for designing and evaluating safe, sustainable and satisfying products, services and workplaces. We have developed our expertise on the relationship between humans and technology since the mid 1970s, and we continuously use it to educate engineers with a user-centred perspective and to conduct high-quality research in close collaboration with industrial and public partners resulting in innovations with real-world impact. Our research is interdisciplinary and is based on behavioural science and design theory, ergonomics/human factors, and theories of complex socio-technical systems.

One of our research themes is Sustainable Urban Mobility where we aim to develop knowledge on how to design new mobility solutions that are more attractive to users than their private car. We believe that behavioural change comes from providing solutions that offer benefits to and make sense for the user. We extract knowledge from studies on how new mobility solutions are used, adopted or rejected in everyday life. We try to understand underlying mobility needs and the effects that design decisions regarding vehicles, infrastructure, and information systems have on people’s possibility to travel sustainably. Typically, our research consists of studies in real-life settings with real users (or intended future users) investigating how they use the current mobility system, or involve them in evaluations of new solutions in more experimental studies. The research approaches used are both qualitative and quantitative.

Major responsibilities
Your main resposibility is to perform exploratory, design-oriented research and communicate research results, both in meritous journals in the field and to industry and the public. The research requires you to closely collaborate with the project partners; to take in insights from stakeholders; to plan, conduct and analyse empirical studies; to propose, design and evalute designs of nudging infrastucture solutions, and to communicate the findings. In parallell to this empirical work, you are expected to develop design methods and processes with relevance for the work. You will also be involved in teaching and other departmental tasks.

Contract terms
Full-time temporary employment. The position is limited to a maximum of two years (1+1).

Learn more and apply here: https://www.chalmers.se/en/about-chalmers/Working-at-Chalmers/Vacancies/Pages/default.aspx?rmpage=job&rmjob=9761


Application deadline: 15 October, 2021