Design, information, society

We use design as a way of addressing social issues: we design interfaces and services in line with who they serve and what they change in the environment around them. We work using methods such as design thinking, co-design, interaction design and transitive design – with libraries, healthcare facilities, public authorities and businesses. We run courses focusing on user research, advanced interface design and the use of AI to deliver better services.

Immersive technologies: VR / AR / XR

We are investigating how immersive technologies are changing behaviour and collaboration. We develop and test virtual and augmented reality environments for teaching and remote collaboration. We focus on gamification, immersive technologies and measuring what actually happens in such environments in terms of attention and comprehension – including eye-tracking studies.

LICS

Information safety and cybersecurity

We investigate cyber-physical systems with a socio-technical viewpoint. Our approach is grounded in human-centred cybersecurity, which views security not merely as a technological challenge but as a complex interaction between people, information, technologies, and organizational environments. We analyse how individuals perceive risks, make security-related decisions, and develop resilient information practices. We develop evidence-based approaches to information resilience, security awareness, and organizational security. Emphasis is placed on usable cybersecurity, user-centred security as a service design, and critical infrastructure resilience. We also explore information safety, including the ways people assess information credibility, navigate and counter mis- and disinformation, protect their privacy, and build resilience against information threats in digital environments. Our goal is to empower organizations, educational institutions, libraries, and public sector partners create security solutions that are both effective and meaningful for the people who use them.

Literature and librarianship

Books – and therefore libraries too – are an essential phenomenon in the 21st century, helping to foster empathy, facilitating diverse perspectives and thereby strengthening the resilience of the population across all social groups. Today’s libraries are public institutions with a cultural and social role that goes far beyond the management of collections. Librarians educate and develop civil society. At KISK, we research and help shape library services and spaces; we focus on reading and library operations in all their aspects, whilst also addressing information literacy and the legislative and political conditions governing library operations. We have a long-standing collaboration with the library and publishing sectors throughout the Czech Republic.

Social innovations and communities

We work with local authorities, institutions and communities to devise solutions to specific social issues. We use co-design and participatory research methods to address topics such as ageing, informal care, children’s groups, accessibility and digital wellbeing. We are not interested in studies that end up gathering dust on a shelf: the outcome is usually a service, a tool or a methodology that our partners can start using straight away.