Karey Helms

Karey Helms is a design researcher and educator, currently serving as an Associate Professor and Program Director for the International Bachelor’s Program in Industrial Design at Umeå Institute of Design. Her research explores the application of technology in unconventional contexts, particularly in outdoor environments and intimate care scenarios. As a designer, she strives to advance social justice and sustainability through design, employing feminist ethics of care and posthumanism to investigate the impacts of technology and design methodologies. Karey holds a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the University of Virginia, a Master’s degree in Interaction Design from Umeå Institute of Design, and a PhD in Human-Computer Interaction from KTH Royal Institute of Technology. Her PhD dissertation, "Designing with Care: A Self-Centric Approach to Interaction Design Research," delves into the role of digital materials in social inequality and proposes more nuanced design concepts.

• 2026 – Present·Umeå Institute of Design·Program Director for the International Bachelor’s Program in Industrial Design
  • Responsible for curriculum planning and management, fostering a student-driven learning environment.
• 2023 – Present·Umeå Institute of Design·Associate Professor
  • Focused on design research and teaching across BFA, MFA, and PhD levels.
• 2017 – 2023·KTH Royal Institute of Technology·Doctoral Researcher
  • Specialized in ethics of care and posthumanism in interaction design.

• 2018 – 2023·KTH Royal Institute of Technology·PhD
  • Focus: Human-Computer Interaction, research topic: "Designing with Care."
• 2012 – 2014·Umeå Institute of Design·Master's Degree
  • Focus: Interaction Design.
• 2008 – 2012·University of Virginia·Bachelor's Degree
  • Focus: Architecture.