Rate My Professor Jonathan Hook

Professor Jonathan Hook serves as Professor in Interactive Media in the School of Arts and Creative Technologies, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, at the University of York, where he has been since 2014. He earned a BSc in Computing Science and a PhD in Human-Computer Interaction from Newcastle University. Earlier in his career, he was a postdoctoral researcher for two years on the RCUK Digital Economy Funded Social Inclusion through the Digital Economy Project at Newcastle University, followed by positions at the Media Interaction group at Philips Research in Eindhoven and the Socio-Digital Systems group at Microsoft Research in Cambridge. At York, Hook co-founded the Interactive Media BSc programme and led it from 2019 to 2023. He founded the interdisciplinary Digital Creativity Labs, supported by £4m from EPSRC, AHRC, and InnovateUK, and is Co-Investigator on the £4.5m AHRC YORK-XPLOR CoSTAR Network Research and Development Laboratory, leading efforts in audience experience, HCI, UX, and the Access Programme. He teaches advanced modules on 3D interactive environments using Unity and interaction technologies such as VR, AR, haptics, motion control, and tangibles.

Hook's research in Human-Computer Interaction centers on designing new forms of interactive media content and creation tools, integrating empirical, theoretical, and methodological approaches from human-centred design to develop novel interfaces for artistic and creative practices. His current focus involves responsive and immersive media addressing societal challenges like environmental sustainability, mental and physical health, and public data engagement. Notable projects include the EPSRC Perspective Media: Personalised Video Storytelling for Data Engagement; InnovateUK WEAVR: Pioneering Fully Integrated Cross-Reality Spectator Experiences in Esports and Beyond; EC PlayOn! New Storytelling with Immersive Technologies; AHRC Within the Walls of York Gaol: Memory, Place and the Immersive Museum; and Digital Creativity for Regional Museums: Immersive Experiences Smart Commissioning Toolkit. Key publications encompass Viking VR: Designing a Virtual Reality Experience for a Museum (2018), Brooke Leave Home: Designing a Personalized Film to Support Public Engagement with Covid-19 Test Result Data (2020), and WARDS: Modelling the Worth of Vision in MOBA's (2020). His work has garnered over 2500 citations.