Caroline C.M. Hummels

“Doing science for society leads us to the question: what kind of society do we envision and want to support through science? We have to take an ethical stance.”

Caroline Hummels is Full Professor in Design and Theory for Transformative Qualities. She is leading the Participatory Health and Wellbeing section of the Interdepartmental Strategic Area of Health, and is thought leader of Smart Societies within the TU/e Smart Cities Research program. Hummels has a background in industrial design. She uses design to research how the aesthetic qualities of materiality and interaction can transform and elevate personal and social ethics and related behavior. She uses embodied being-in-the-world theories to support transformative practices, mainly in the areas of resilience and wellbeing.

Hummels is a founder of the Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction (TEI) conference and a member of its steering committee. She is a member of the editorial board of the International Journal of Design, chairman of MU Artspace, member of the advisory board of the Dutch Design Week and founder of the Studio for Transformative Practices in the Designhuis.

Caroline Hummels holds cum laude MSc and PhD degrees in Industrial Design from Delft University of Technology (TU Delft). After obtaining her PhD in 1993, she took a position as Assistant Professor in the Form Theory group at TU Delft. In 2006, she moved to Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) to take the position of Associate Professor in the Designing Quality in Interaction group and later of Full Professor. At TU/e, she also served as Director of Education of the Industrial Design department and, to this day, of Theme Leader of Participatory Health and Well-being. She is also owner of and designer at ID-dock design, research and advice center, supporting companies with creative and innovative methods and tools.