Background

Ben Kraal is a Research Fellow and Lecturer in the School of Design at the QUT.

Dr Kraal’s approach adapts rich sociological techniques to investigate the complex interplay between people, the tools they use and the environment in which they work, allowing the identification of the essential elements of the work practice in question, making it clear where technology and design interventions are able to achieve the greatest positive impact.

Main areas of research

Ben Kraal has developed and adapted research methods for investigating the use of complex devices in complex social settings. Beginning in the area of Human-Computer Interaction and now in Human-Centred Design, his research focuses on they ways in which the tools and technologies people use in their lives influence they way they interact with the world.