Professor Chris Creed
Professor Creed specialises in the area of Human-Computer Interaction and has extensive experience in leading collaborative technical projects exploring the use of innovative technologies. His core research interest is around the design and development of assistive technology for disabled people across a range of impairments. He also leads the HCI Research Group at Birmingham City University and is Co-Chair of the Innovate UK Accessibility Working Group.
Professor Creed has led multiple research projects around HCI and accessibility such as investigating new interface techniques for facilitating creative work via gaze/speech interaction (supported through an Adobe Fund for Design grant), exploring the development of inclusive AR/VR experiences (funded by a Facebook/Meta Reality Labs Research Award), making coding more accessible for people with physical impairments (which received support from a Google Inclusion Research Award and a Microsoft “AI for Accessibility” grant), and investigating the potential of wearable technology to support young people with special needs (e.g. ADHD) within residential care (funded through Innovate UK).
Prior to joining BCU, Professor Creed worked at the University of Birmingham for 12 years in both the School of Computer Science and the Digital Humanities Hub. He was the Principal Investigator on the AHRC funded D2ART project that explored the potential of digital technologies (e.g. eye gaze tracking, mid-air gesturing, facial expression switches, etc.) to support and transform practice for professional disabled visual artists. He was also the lead academic investigator on the AHRC CATH funded LEAP project that examined the accessibility of interactive experiences (e.g. large multi-touch tables) in public spaces.
Professor Creed's research is multi-disciplinary in nature and has been conducted in close partnership with national charities, disability and accessibility organisations, special needs colleges, large arts/cultural partners, and disabled people. Professor Creed also has significant experience in working directly with industry on multiple collaborative projects across a wide range of sectors.