Research profile for Sarina Till

Qualifications

• Msc – Computer Science
• Phd _ Computer Science (Submitted)

Research Interests

• Community-Based Co-Design Methodologies: A fundamental interest in developing and applying inclusive research methods, specifically co-design (or participatory design), to ensure technologies are locally relevant and ethical within the Global South.
• Digital Health and Well-being: Focused research on using digital solutions, including cross-disciplinary reviews and qualitative studies, to address critical challenges in maternal and child health and promote physical activity (
• Sustainable AI and IoT for Rural Agriculture: A major current project area involving the pioneering deployment and evaluation of AI/IoT-enabled hydroponic systems aimed at supporting rural subsistence farmers in Africa.
• HCI and African Scholarship: Contribution to the broader field of HCI (Human-Computer Interaction) for Development (ICTD), specifically advancing African co-design methodologies and participating in global forums like HCI Across Borders.

Biography

Sarina Till is a researcher at the confluence of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICTD), with a dedicated focus on building ethical and sustainable digital solutions for resource-constrained communities in the Global South, particularly South Africa. Her academic background and methodology emphasize community-based co-design, ensuring technologies are developed with and for the users. Her main research agenda centers on two critical and complementary themes. First, Community-Centered Digital Health and Well-being, which includes cross-disciplinary scoping reviews and qualitative studies on maternal and child health technologies, informing the design of health dissemination systems and tangible interfaces like the "Move with me" project. Second, her current projects focus on Sustainable AI and IoT, pioneering the deployment of AI-enabled hydroponic grow tents with rural subsistence farmers and investigating user agency requirements for "Off the Grid" solutions. Her notable achievements include advancing African co-design methodologies and contributing to global dialogues through initiatives like HCI Across Borders.

Sarina also steers the following DesignLoop Human Computer Interaction research lab https://designloop-hci-lab.github.io/DesignLoop/index.html which hosts four community based co-design research projects spanning 5 years.