Salzburg University of Applied Sciences, Austria
Prof. Dr. Barbara Neuhofer is a Professor and Head of Experience Design at the Salzburg University of Applied Sciences, Austria. Barbara is the co-founder and organiser of the Experience Design Summit, an un-conference about transformational experience design. She is an Experience Design Advisor, Trainer and certified LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® Facilitator.
Barbara researches, writes, and speaks about experience design as a philosophy, mindset and toolset to guide human experiences and transformations across the physical and digital realms.
Barbara is widely published and has shared her work at over 60 conferences and industry events around the globe. Most recently, Barbara gave a talk-performance at TEDxBucharest 2019 on “The Global State of Awe”, where she co-created an immersive sensory experience at the intersection of science and arts, aimed at giving insight into the awe-inducing event and mindset transformation that astronauts have when looking at Earth from space.
Barbara’s work has been recognised with more than ten international scientific research, teaching and paper awards. In 2013, Barbara received the ITT PhD Student of the Year 2013 Award at the House of Commons, the British Parliament.
Barbara has served on the Board of Directors of IFITT, the International Federation for IT and Travel & Tourism as Treasurer and Director of IFITT Next Generation from 2013-2017. As the youngest ever-elected board member, Barbara has co-founded the IFITT NextGeneration and the IFITT Doctoral Summer School for young emerging scholars in the global eTourism community.