Jan Borchers

Jan Borchers is a professor in the Department of Computer Science at RWTH Aachen University and head of the Media Computing Group. His research areas encompass human-computer interaction (HCI), focusing on the design of novel user interfaces, including soft robotics, interactive textiles, 3D printing and personalized fabrication, augmented reality, and wearable computing. He earned his PhD in computer science from Darmstadt University of Technology (with the distinction “summa cum laude”) and has held academic positions at Stanford University and ETH Zurich. As one of the pioneers in the German HCI field, he founded the Media Computing Group at RWTH Aachen University in 2003, which has since become one of the most influential HCI labs in Germany. He has authored several books, including A Pattern Approach to Interaction Design, the first book to introduce the design pattern concept to HCI. He is an active member of academic organizations such as ACM and SIGCHI and has chaired and reviewed top-tier academic conferences multiple times.

• 2003–Present·RWTH Aachen University·Head of Media Computing Group
  • Research and teaching focused on HCI, including wearable devices, flexible user interfaces, and 3D printing.
• 2001–2003·Stanford University·Academic Position
  • Conducted research and taught human-computer interaction topics at Stanford University.
• 2000–2001·ETH Zurich·Academic Position
  • Pursued academic research in human-computer interaction at ETH Zurich.

• 1995–2000·Darmstadt University of Technology·PhD (Computer Science, Distinction: summa cum laude)
  • Dissertation titled A Pattern Approach to Interaction Design, which pioneered the application of design patterns in the HCI field.