Human data, better design

Lund University Humanities Lab has taken center stage in the latest edition of Tetra Pak’s Science and Innovation Talks, highlighting how humanities-driven research can shape the future of industrial innovation. As part of a deepening collaboration between academia and industry, the Lab demonstrated how its interdisciplinary tools —ranging from motion capture and eye-tracking to virtual reality — can inform the design of more intuitive, ergonomic, and sustainable packaging solutions.

The event underscored the Lab’s unique position as a cross-disciplinary research infrastructure, where  the humanities and social sciences converge with technological innovation. Frida Splendido, Deputy Director of the Lab, emphasised the importance of understanding human behavior and perception in product development, while eye-tracking specialist Diederick C. Niehorster illustrated how eye-tracking data can optimise user interfaces and consumer experiences, and research engineer Stefan Lindgren talked about motion capture, which technology can help us analyse how operators interact with the equipment, leading to more ergonomic and efficient designs that can improve co-worker health and well-being while reducing operational expenses and resource use.

By integrating humanities methodologies into industrial research and development, the Humanities Lab is not only expanding the boundaries of academic research but also contributing to real-world impact—demonstrating that the future of innovation is as much about people as it is about technology.