Design Research

Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Anna Lisa Martin-Niedecken is a Professor of Design Science specializing in (digital) health topics (including healthcare and sports).

She is the Head of the Institute for Design Research (IDR), while also serving as the Deputy Director of the Department of Design at Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK).

Furthermore, she leads the cross-institutional “Digital Health Design Living Lab”. This pioneering initiative is an interdisciplinary “phygital ecosystem” where innovative (digital) health solutions (products, services, methods, etc.) are jointly developed and evaluated, providing added value for individuals, the population, and the healthcare system. It brings together researchers from the Institute for Design Research at ZHdK, the Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine (IBME) at the University of Zurich, the Institute for Public Health (IPH) at Zurich University of Applied Sciences, as well as various practice and research partners, including university hospitals, patient organizations, and healthcare professionals.

As a sports scientist (Magister & PhD degree from Technical University of Darmstadt, GER), design and HCI researcher, Dr. Martin-Niedecken’s research and teaching activities span interdisciplinary domains, with a primary focus on advancing the role of design discipline within the healthcare sector. With her interdisciplinary background, she has specialized in human-centered, evidence-based (co-)design and evaluation of innovative, and technology-based health solutions tailored for various application areas in the healthcare sector, including Serious & Applied Games, Exergames or digital and AI-based tools for healthcare.

Dr. Martin-Niedecken has received numerous prestigious awards for her research and development work, including several Best Paper Awards and the prestigious SIGCHI Outstanding Dissertation Award. She regularly gives talks at renowned events such as TEDxZurich and among other things was named one of Switzerland’s 100 Digital Shapers 2020 by the Swiss business magazine Bilanz.

Beyond her academic endeavors, Dr. Martin-Niedecken has demonstrated her entrepreneurial spirit by founding and serving as the CEO of the fitness gaming startup, Sphery Ltd, a ZHdK-spinoff established in 2018. The company has been awarded several prestigious prizes, including the FIBO Innovation & Trend Awards 2020 and 2021, the German Innovation Award 2020 and the German Design Award 2021.

Dr. Martin-Niedecken is also a member of various advisory and strategic boards, such as the German Society for Prevention (GPeV) or the EPFL+ECAL Lab. She is also a founding member and chair of the RAL Quality Association "Serious Games e.V.".

Further information on the academic CV and track record on ORCiD.

anna.martin@zhdk.ch