Jon Back
Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor at Department of Informatics and Media
- Telephone:
- +46 18 471 15 25
- Mobile phone:
- +46 73 469 77 67
- E-mail:
- jon.back@im.uu.se
- Visiting address:
- Ekonomikum (plan 3)
Kyrkogårdsgatan 10 - Postal address:
- Box 513
751 20 UPPSALA
Download contact information for Jon Back at Department of Informatics and Media
Short presentation
Interested in the designig for peoples play with public places. His focus is on how the design affects the engagement, feelings and experiences of the game. Jon previously studied and worked with computer programming and design and moved on towards communication with a pedagogical twist and games as his main tools. He's designed both live action role playing games and published board games, both for serious use and for entertainment.
You can follow Jon on www.jonback.se or via twitter as @jonbck
Keywords
- populärvetenskap
- internet of things
- interaction
- qualitative methods
- human computer interaction
- interaction design
- creativity
- kvalitativ metod
- människa-datorinteraktion
- games
- play
- game design
- spel
- lek
- speldesign
- activity
- activity design
- activities
- experience
- experiences
- experience design
- gamification
- playification
- aktivitet
- aktiviteter
- aktivitetsdesign
- upplevelse
- upplevelsedesign
- erfarenhet
- erfarenhetsdesign
- design
- design science
- designforskning
- play design
- lekfullhet
- playfulness
- appropriation
- appropriering

Publications
Recent publications
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Noticing Where the Forest Folds: Exploring (Mushroom) Foraging as a More-Than-Human Design Method
Part of CHI EA '26, 2026
- DOI for Noticing Where the Forest Folds: Exploring (Mushroom) Foraging as a More-Than-Human Design Method
- Download full text (pdf) of Noticing Where the Forest Folds: Exploring (Mushroom) Foraging as a More-Than-Human Design Method
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Part of JMIR Formative Research, 2026
- DOI for Process Evaluation of Interdisciplinary Experiences During the Development of a Serious Game About Radiotherapy for Children: Qualitative Interview Study
- Download full text (pdf) of Process Evaluation of Interdisciplinary Experiences During the Development of a Serious Game About Radiotherapy for Children: Qualitative Interview Study
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Quest for Learning: Pedagogical and Interaction Design Perspectives on Quest Rooms
Part of The Proceedings of the 19th European Conference on Games Based Learning, p. 1125-1133, 2025
- DOI for Quest for Learning: Pedagogical and Interaction Design Perspectives on Quest Rooms
- Download full text (pdf) of Quest for Learning: Pedagogical and Interaction Design Perspectives on Quest Rooms
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Rethinking consent in human-machine interactions: beyond yes and no models
Part of AAR Adjunct '25, p. 1-5, 2025
- DOI for Rethinking consent in human-machine interactions: beyond yes and no models
- Download full text (pdf) of Rethinking consent in human-machine interactions: beyond yes and no models
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The GenderCrusher: Exploring queer critique of facial recognition algoritms
Part of AAR Adjunct '25, p. 1-4, 2025
All publications
Articles in journal
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Part of JMIR Formative Research, 2026
- DOI for Process Evaluation of Interdisciplinary Experiences During the Development of a Serious Game About Radiotherapy for Children: Qualitative Interview Study
- Download full text (pdf) of Process Evaluation of Interdisciplinary Experiences During the Development of a Serious Game About Radiotherapy for Children: Qualitative Interview Study
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Why Larp?: A Synthesis Article on Live Action Roleplay in Relation to HCI Research and Practice
Part of ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction, 2024
- DOI for Why Larp?: A Synthesis Article on Live Action Roleplay in Relation to HCI Research and Practice
- Download full text (pdf) of Why Larp?: A Synthesis Article on Live Action Roleplay in Relation to HCI Research and Practice
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Part of Transactions of the Digital Games Research Association (ToDiGRA), p. 147-170, 2024
- DOI for Gamemasters of the Playground: Exploring Children's Leadership Roles when Programming Hybrid Digital-Physical Outdoor Playground Equipment
- Download full text (pdf) of Gamemasters of the Playground: Exploring Children's Leadership Roles when Programming Hybrid Digital-Physical Outdoor Playground Equipment
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Part of JMIR Serious Games, 2024
- DOI for Acceptability of a Serious Game About Proton Radiotherapy Designed for Children Aged 5 to 14 Years and Its Potential Impact on Perceived Anxiety: Feasibility and Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial
- Download full text (pdf) of Acceptability of a Serious Game About Proton Radiotherapy Designed for Children Aged 5 to 14 Years and Its Potential Impact on Perceived Anxiety: Feasibility and Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial
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Part of JMIR Human Factors, 2022
- DOI for Co-creation of a Serious Game About Radiotherapy: Participatory Action Research Study With Children Treated for Cancer
- Download full text (pdf) of Co-creation of a Serious Game About Radiotherapy: Participatory Action Research Study With Children Treated for Cancer
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Playing Cool - Winter Weather’s Influence on Location-Based Gaming
Part of Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, p. 1-16, 2021
- DOI for Playing Cool - Winter Weather’s Influence on Location-Based Gaming
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Designing for Transformative Play
Part of ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction, 2017
Chapters in book
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Part of Hybrid Museum Experiences, p. 177-194, Routledge, 2022
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Part of Making Smart Cities More Playable, p. 207-234, Springer, 2020
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Part of Game design research, p. 157-170, ETC Press, 2017
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Part of Game Research Methods: An Overview, ETC press, 2015
Comprehensive doctoral thesis
Conference papers
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Noticing Where the Forest Folds: Exploring (Mushroom) Foraging as a More-Than-Human Design Method
Part of CHI EA '26, 2026
- DOI for Noticing Where the Forest Folds: Exploring (Mushroom) Foraging as a More-Than-Human Design Method
- Download full text (pdf) of Noticing Where the Forest Folds: Exploring (Mushroom) Foraging as a More-Than-Human Design Method
-
Quest for Learning: Pedagogical and Interaction Design Perspectives on Quest Rooms
Part of The Proceedings of the 19th European Conference on Games Based Learning, p. 1125-1133, 2025
- DOI for Quest for Learning: Pedagogical and Interaction Design Perspectives on Quest Rooms
- Download full text (pdf) of Quest for Learning: Pedagogical and Interaction Design Perspectives on Quest Rooms
-
Rethinking consent in human-machine interactions: beyond yes and no models
Part of AAR Adjunct '25, p. 1-5, 2025
- DOI for Rethinking consent in human-machine interactions: beyond yes and no models
- Download full text (pdf) of Rethinking consent in human-machine interactions: beyond yes and no models
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The GenderCrusher: Exploring queer critique of facial recognition algoritms
Part of AAR Adjunct '25, p. 1-4, 2025
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Digital Play in Nature: A Study of Digital Play Installations from a Nature Play Perspective
Part of CHI '25, p. 1-19, 2025
- DOI for Digital Play in Nature: A Study of Digital Play Installations from a Nature Play Perspective
- Download full text (pdf) of Digital Play in Nature: A Study of Digital Play Installations from a Nature Play Perspective
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Daddy, You Can Be the Fox: Designing Hybrid Playgrounds for Nature Integrated Storytelling
Part of PROCEEDINGS OF THE 13TH NORDIC CONFERENCE ON HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION, NORDICHI 2024, 2024
- DOI for Daddy, You Can Be the Fox: Designing Hybrid Playgrounds for Nature Integrated Storytelling
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Let's Dare to Feel About AI: Presenting the Hybrid Interactive Fiction Project P
Part of ADJUNCT PROCEEDINGS OF THE 13TH NORDIC CONFERENCE ON HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION, NORDICHI 2024, 2024
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Let’s Play Something New!: Designing for Digital Malleability in Outdoor Playgrounds
Part of Mindtrek '23, p. 233-244, 2023
- DOI for Let’s Play Something New!: Designing for Digital Malleability in Outdoor Playgrounds
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Part of Extended Abstracts of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2023
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Involving children treated for cancer in developing a serious game about radiotherapy
Part of Congress of the International Society of Peadiatric Oncology (SIOP)., 2022
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Part of Extended abstracts of the 2021 CHI conference on human factors in computing systems (CHI'21), 2021
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Value Driven Design for Playful Technology Enhanced Installations in Public Settings
Part of C&C '21, 2021
- DOI for Value Driven Design for Playful Technology Enhanced Installations in Public Settings
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Sensitizing Scenarios: Sensitizing Designer Teams to Theory
Part of Proceedings of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, p. 1-13, 2020
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Larping (Live Action Role Playing) as an Embodied Design Research Method
Part of DIS’19 Companion, 2019
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Part of CHI EA '19 EXTENDED ABSTRACTS, 2019
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the Quest: An Escape Room Inspired Interactive Museum Exhibition
Part of CHI PLAY '19 Extended Abstracts, p. 81-86, 2019
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Playing Close to Home: Interaction and Emerging Play in Outdoor Play Installations
2018
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GIFT: Hybrid Museum Experiences through Gifting and Play
Part of Proceedings of the Workshop on Cultural Informatics, p. 31-40, 2018
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Activity as the Ultimate Particular of Interaction Design
Part of Proceedings of the 2017 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, p. 3390-3402, 2017
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Design, Appropriation, and Use of Technology in Larps
Part of Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games (FDG'17), 2017
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Designing for Children's Outdoor Play
Part of Proceedings Of The 2016 ACM Conference On Designing Interactive Systems, p. 28-38, 2016
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Designing Children’s Digital-Physical Play in Natural Outdoors Settings
Part of CHI Extended Abstracts, 2016
- DOI for Designing Children’s Digital-Physical Play in Natural Outdoors Settings
- Download full text (pdf) of Designing Children’s Digital-Physical Play in Natural Outdoors Settings
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DigiFys: The interactive play landscape
2015
- DOI for DigiFys: The interactive play landscape
- Download full text (pdf) of DigiFys: The interactive play landscape
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Codename Heroes – Designing for Experience in Public Places in a Long Term Pervasive Game
Part of Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games, 2014
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‘Knock Once for Yes’ – Knocking as Feedback in the Location-Based Game Passing On
Part of Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games, 2014
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"We are two strong women": Designing Empowerment in a Pervasive Game
Part of Defragging game studies, 2013
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Talking it Further: From Feelings and Memories to Civic Discussions In and About Places
2012