Rickard Åström

Rickard Åström is a Researcher at the Umeå Institute of Design (UID) within Umeå universitet. He manages the UID Interaction Lab, providing students and staff with access to electronics, programming resources, and prototyping equipment. Contact him via email rickard.astrom@umu.se or phone +46 90 786 78 56 at Östra Strandgatan 30, Umeå, Sweden.

• Role: Research engineer and educator
• Key responsibilities: Lab management, teaching electronics/programming, lending equipment
• Teaching: Master's programs in Interaction Design and Advanced Product Design

Research Focus centers on enabling hands-on technological exploration for design education, emphasizing:

• Prototyping limitations and opportunities
• Physical computing (buttons, LEDs, motors, microprocessors)
• Media technology (tablets, action cameras, sound/light systems)
• Design property communication through working prototypes

Labs & Resources

• UID Interaction Lab
• Equipment: Electrical components, tablets, cameras, sound/light systems
• Supports both academic and staff prototyping needs

Background combines computer engineering, web coding, project management, database administration, advertising, and educational experience.