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Dr Haider Akmal

Dr Haider Akmal

Lecturer
  • PhD Design, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom
  • MA Design Management, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom
  • Bachelors of Fine Arts (Printmaking), National College of Arts, Lahore, Pakistan
Arts, Design & Architecture (ADA)
School of Art & Design

Haider Ali Akmal is a speculative design researcher, future-focused service designer, and practicing printmaker at UNSW Art, Design, & Architecture, specialising in playful speculative approaches towards design solutions imagined through innovative and unconventional applications of technology. His research in design discusses the need for playfulness in design practice through post-anthropocentric visions of human computer interaction. Originally from Pakistan he is an alumnus of the National College of Arts, Lahore, as well as of Lancaster University, UK. Affiliated with both the Cowas Jee Print Studio in Pakistan and the Imagination Lab in Lancaster, Haider co-operates the Inkster Printmaking Studio in Lahore. His work has been exhibited internationally with prints in collections in the China Print Museum, Singapore, London, and across Pakistan.

 
E-mail
h.akmal@unsw.edu.au
Location
Office G109, G Block, Paddington Campus
  • Books | 2019
    Lindley J; Coulton P; Akmal H; Hay D; Kleek MV; Cannizzaro S; Binns R, 2019, The Little Book of Philosophy for the Internet of Things, Coulton C, (ed.), Lancaster University, Lancaster, https://petras-iot.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Little_Book_of_Philosophy.pdf
  • Book Chapters | 2022
    Pilling F; Akmal HA; Lindley J; Coulton P, 2022, 'Making a smart city legible', in Carta S (ed.), Machine Learning and the City: Applications in Architecture and Urban Design, Wiley, pp. 453 - 465, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9781119815075.ch33
  • Journal articles | 2025
    Kelaita P; Ritter A; Davies A; Akmal HA, 2025, 'Designing Better Drug Regulation: Lessons from Policy Design Methods', Contemporary Drug Problems, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/00914509251348608
    Journal articles | 2023
    Pilling F; Akmal HA; Lindley J; Gradinar A; Coulton P, 2023, 'Making AI-Infused Products and Services More Legible', Leonardo, 56, pp. 170 - 176, http://dx.doi.org/10.1162/leon_a_02302
    Journal articles | 2021
    Akmal H; Coulton P, 2021, 'More-than-Human Game Design: Playing in the Internet of Things', Acta Ludologica, 4, pp. 72 - 92, https://actaludologica.com/more-than-human-game-design-playing-in-the-internet-of-things/
    Journal articles | 2021
    Pilling F; Lindley J; Akmal HA; Coulton P, 2021, 'Design (non) fiction: Deconstructing/ reconstructing the definitional dualism of AI', International Journal of Film and Media Arts, 6, pp. 6 - 32, http://dx.doi.org/10.24140/IJFMA.V6.N1.01
    Journal articles | 2020
    Lindley J; Akmal HA; Coulton P, 2020, 'Design Research and Object-Oriented Ontology', Open Philosophy, 3, pp. 11 - 41, http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/opphil-2020-0002
  • Conference Papers | 2024
    Chen S; Flanagan P; Akmal H, 2024, 'Escaping human experience: an entry into otherness through wearable technology', in ISEA 2024 Everywhen Archives, isea-archives.siggraph.org, Brisbane, Australia, presented at ISEA 2024, Brisbane, Australia, 21 June 2024 - 29 June 2024, https://isea-archives.siggraph.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2024_Chen_Escaping_Human_Experience_An_Entry_into_Otherness.pdf
    Conference Papers | 2022
    Akmal HA; Sandoval EB; Benitez Sandoval E, 2022, 'Proposing a Post-anthropocentric HAI through the Perception of Sentient Entities as Trans-objects', in HAI 2022 - Proceedings of the 10th Conference on Human-Agent Interaction, Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), Christchurch, New Zealand, pp. 263 - 265, presented at The 10th International Conference on Human-Agent Interaction, Christchurch, New Zealand, 05 December 2022 - 08 December 2022, http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/3527188.3563928
    Conference Papers | 2022
    Akmal HA; Shaw J; Sandoval EB; Benitez Sandoval E, 2022, 'Interactive Perceptual Companion: Prototyping a Digital Perception for HAI', in HAI 2022 - Proceedings of the 10th Conference on Human-Agent Interaction, Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), Christchurch, New Zealand, pp. 266 - 268, presented at The 10th International Conference on Human-Agent Interaction, Christchurch, New Zealand, 05 December 2022 - 08 December 2022, http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/3527188.3563938
    Conference Papers | 2021
    Paananen V; Markkanen P; Oppenlaender J; Lee LH; Akmal H; Schieck AFG; Dunham J; Papangelis K; Lalone N; Van Berkel N; Goncalves J; Hosio S, 2021, '2VT: Visions, Technologies, and Visions of Technologies for Understanding Human Scale Spaces', in Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Proceedings, Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), ELECTR NETWORK, pp. 1 - 5, presented at Extended Abstracts of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, ELECTR NETWORK, 08 May 2021 - 13 May 2021, http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/3411763.3441315
    Conference Papers | 2021
    Pilling F; Akmal H; Gradinar A; Lindley J; Coulton P, 2021, 'Legible AI by Design: Design Research to Frame, Design, Empirically Test and Evaluate AI Iconography', in Botta M; Junginger S (ed.), Swiss Design Network Symposium 2021 Conference Proceedings, Swiss Design Network, Online, pp. 548 - 565, presented at Design as Common Good / Framing Design through Pluralism and Social Values, Online, 25 March 2021 - 26 March 2021, https://drive.switch.ch/index.php/s/92PEcA3qKVoXEDD
    Conference Papers | 2021
    Pilling F; Akmal HA; Gradinar A; Lindley J; Coulton P, 2021, 'Using Game Engines to Design Digital Workshops for AI Legibility', in Blucher Design Proceedings, Editora Edgard Blucher, pp. 394 - 403, presented at Blucher Design Proceedings, 12 October 2021 - 15 October 2021, http://dx.doi.org/10.5151/ead2021-115
    Conference Papers | 2020
    Akmal H; Coulton P, 2020, 'The Internet of Things Game: Revealing the Complexity of the IoT', in Digra 2020 Proceedings of the 2020 Digra International Conference Play Everywhere
    Conference Papers | 2020
    Akmal H; Coulton P, 2020, 'The divination of things by things', in Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Proceedings, http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/3334480.3381823
    Conference Papers | 2020
    Akmal HA; Coulton P, 2020, 'A Tarot of Things: a supernatural approach to designing for IoT', in Proceedings of DRS, Design Research Society, presented at Design Research Society Conference 2020, http://dx.doi.org/10.21606/drs.2020.188
    Conference Papers | 2020
    Lindley J; Akmal HA; Pillling F; Coulton P, 2020, 'Researching AI Legibility through Design', in Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Proceedings, http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/3313831.3376792
    Conference Papers | 2020
    Lindley JG; Coulton P; Akmal HA; Pilling FL, 2020, 'Signs of the Time: Making AI Legible', in Proceedings of DRS 2016 International Conference: Future-Focused Thinking 50th Anniversary International Conference Brighton UK, Design Research Society, presented at DRS2020: Synergy, http://dx.doi.org/10.21606/drs.2020.237
    Conference Papers | 2020
    Pillling F; Akmal H; Coulton P; Lindley J, 2020, 'The process of gaining an AI legibility Mark', in Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Proceedings, http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/3334480.3381820
    Conference Papers | 2019
    Akmal H; Coulton P, 2019, 'Research Through Board Game Design', in Proceedings of RtD 2019: Method & Critique, Delft, Netherlands, pp. 1 - 16, presented at RtD 2019: Method & Critique, Delft, Netherlands, 19 March 2019 - 22 March 2019, http://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.7855808.v1
    Conference Papers | 2019
    Akmal H; Coulton P, 2019, 'The internet of Things game: Illuminating data interactions within the Internet of Things', in Iet Conference Publications, http://dx.doi.org/10.1049/cp.2019.0156
    Creative Works (non-textual) | 2018
    Akmal H, 2018, Among Others, River in an ocean, Lahore, Pakistan, 20 March 2018 - 31 March 2018, medium: Etchings, at: https://www.academia.edu/36893749/River_in_an_ocean_-_exhibition_catalogue
    Creative Works (non-textual) | 2018
    Akmal H, 2018, Bibles full of broken things, Focus On: Pakistani Contemporary Art, London Art Fair, London, UK, 17 January 2018 - 21 January 2018, medium: Digital Gicleé Print on Hahnemühle
    Conference Papers | 2018
    Akmal HA; Coulton P, 2018, 'Using Heterotopias to Characterise Interactions in Physical/Digital Spaces', in Proceedings of DRS, Design Research Society, presented at Design Research Society Conference 2018, http://dx.doi.org/10.21606/drs.2018.348
    Conference Papers | 2018
    Lindley J; Coulton P; Akmal HA, 2018, 'Turning Philosophy with a Speculative Lathe: object-oriented ontology, carpentry, and design fiction', in Proceedings of DRS, Design Research Society, presented at Design Research Society Conference 2018, http://dx.doi.org/10.21606/drs.2018.327
    Curatorial Outputs | 2017
    Akmal H; Ehsan Z, 2017, This tiny garden that we tend, exhibited at: Taseer Art Gallery, Lahore, 08 May 2017 - 14 May 2017
    Creative Works (non-textual) | 2017
    Akmal H, 2017, Meethi Sawari, Before, there was a Monsoon, Gandhara Art Space, Karachi, 19 October 2017 - 07 November 2017, medium: Etchings, at: https://gandhara-art.com/exb.php
    Conference Papers | 2016
    Coulton P; Lindley J; Akmal HA, 2016, 'Design Fiction: Does the search for plausibility lead to deception?', in Proceedings of DRS, Design Research Society, presented at Design Research Society Conference 2016, http://dx.doi.org/10.21606/drs.2016.148

  • Education-focused Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Grant 2025
  • National Heritage Lottery Foundation UK funded research for the Remembering Resistance Project, 2019
  • ESPRC UK Funded PhD Fellowship in Internet of Things Research, 2017

Often indulging with current and future pervasive technologies such as the Internet of Things, Machine Learning, and Artificial Intelligence, a large part of Haider's work explores playful approaches towards understanding and solving design problems in a More-than Human Centred view of design and technology. Overlapping with practices of philosophy, ludic design, and speculative design Haider's research interest lies in the use of ambiguity and play within design.

Affiliated with the Creative Robotics Lab and the Creative Technologies Research Lab at UNSW, his research explores post-human perspectives/implications of design and their future applications of technology. As a visual artist his works focus on the relationship one has with their past(s), working primarily in the graphic medium where his visuals act as trinkets of entangled moments gathered for their powers of attraction. In their own way as both a designer and artist his work observes the entanglement of human interaction through lenses of fermented experience.

My Research Supervision

  • Syna Chen (PhD), Co-performance in fashion through post-human perspectives

My Teaching

Courses previously taught and/or currently teaching

  • SDES9311, Introduction to Interaction Design (Tutor)
  • SDES9312, Human-Centred Design Methods (Tutor)
  • SDES9214, Design Studio Project 2 (Tutor)
  • DDES1150, Interaction 1 (Convenor/Tutor)
  • DDES2150, Interaction 2 (Convenor)
  • DDES2151, Interaction 3 (Tutor)
  • DART1140, Printmaking 1 Relief & Screen (Tutor)
  • DART2140, Printmaking 2 Etchings (Convenor/Tutor)