Sarah Webber

I am a researcher at the University of Melbourne in the Interaction Design Lab.

My PhD research investigated the design and use of digital technologies in zoos. In this work, I employed interaction design techniques including Research through Design (RtD), prototyping and iterative co-design. I integrated these with insights and techniques drawn from the animal and behavioural sciences, for determining animals' needs, interpreting behaviour, and assessing welfare and affective states.

In recent years I have contributed to a number of research projects investigating the role and impact of interactive digital technologies' for social connectedness and for wellbeing. My research rests primarily on qualitative techniques to develop rich understandings of how people experience interactive technologies. I also employ quantitative methods for measuring the effects of digital interventions.

I hold a MSc in Information Systems, and have a professional IT background. I have worked across a range of corporate, government, academic and non-profit organisations, in business analysis, project management, user research and UX evaluation.