Elisa Mekler

I'm an assistant professor in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) at Aalto University. Drawing from my background in psychology, I research motivational and emotional aspects of the User Experience and Games to establish a better understanding of how we conceptualize and study "good" interaction. In particular, my work investigates how interactive systems support aesthetic and meaningful user experiences that "stay" with users well beyond interaction.

Moreover, I'm interested in metascientific questions, especially with regards to the role of psychological theories in HCI and game design. In 2021 I was awarded an ERC StG to investigate the use of theories in game design and production practice, and develop methods for how HCI can more productively translate theories from other disciplines into actionable knowledge for research and practice.

Please note: I presently do not take on new master students, unless your interests align very closely with my current research foci (i.e., theory use and theory translation in HCI; user experience of autonomy; aesthetics & games).