Stuart McFarlane

Dr. Stuart McFarlane is a Lecturer in Industrial Design at RMIT University's School of Design, with a focus on multidisciplinary research in auditory perception and human performance. His work specializes in auditory countermeasures for sleep inertia (morning grogginess), particularly exploring the role of melodic sounds in enhancing wakefulness. He is an award-winning designer and professional musician with over 25 years of experience, advocating for collaborative approaches across disciplines.

Research Interests: Auditory stimuli effects on cognition, sleep inertia mitigation, and the intersection of design with health and wellbeing. His studies have demonstrated melodic sounds' superiority over non-melodic compositions in reducing sleep inertia symptoms.

• Teaching: Industrial Design courses at RMIT
• Key Research Areas: Human-centred computing, sustainable design, cognitive psychology
• Award: Recognized as an award-winning designer (specific award unspecified)

Collaborations: Open to industry projects and media engagements. Research outputs include peer-reviewed articles on alarm tone analysis and creative works exploring sound in art and technology.