Jon Back

Jon Back is an Associate Professor at the Department of Informatics and Media, Faculty of Social Sciences, Uppsala University, specializing in Human-Computer Interaction with a focus on play design in public spaces. His research explores how design affects engagement, feelings, and experiences of games in public settings, with expertise spanning location-based gaming, outdoor play installations, and digital-physical integration.

Back's research interests center on designing for playful public engagement, with particular focus on how physical environments shape interactive experiences. His work bridges interaction design, game studies, and public space theory, examining play as a socially and mentally understood activity. He investigates how design can shape player engagement through frameworks like 'playful engagement' and 'constructed activity,' with applications ranging from children's outdoor play to location-based games that respond to environmental factors like weather conditions. His research often involves embodied design methods, including live action role-playing (LARP) as a research tool for understanding social dynamics in interactive systems.

Analysis of Back's publication record reveals a strong trajectory in designing for public play experiences, with increasing focus on nature-integrated play, children's interaction with serious games for healthcare contexts, and ethical considerations in human-AI interaction. His work demonstrates consistent collaboration with researchers like Karin Johansson and Annika Waern, showing evolution from early work on location-based games like 'Codename Heroes' and 'Passing On' toward more recent explorations of digital play in natural environments and the emotional dimensions of AI interaction.

As an educator, Back has experience teaching embodied interaction design, adapting courses for online delivery during the pandemic. His doctoral thesis 'Designing Public Play: Playful Engagement, Constructed Activity, and Player Experience' (2016) established foundational concepts for understanding play as a framed activity with permeable boundaries that influence both the play experience and surrounding environment. His research has practical applications in museum exhibitions, healthcare settings for children undergoing medical procedures, and public space design for urban environments.