J. Derek Lomas, PhD
Tenured Assistant Professor of Positive AI · TU Delft, Industrial Design Engineering, Design Aesthetics Section
j.d.lomas@tudelft.nl · dereklomas@gmail.com · +31 6 3404 5748
Mekelweg 2, 2628 CD Delft, Netherlands
Research Interests
AI & Experience Design, Wellbeing, Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, Learning Engineering, Quantum Computing, EEG, Music Cognition, Future Studies, Data Science, Cybernetics, Human-Computer Interaction, EdTech, Game Design.
Academic History
2017–present
Industrial Design Engineering, TU Delft. Tenured Assistant Professor, Design Aesthetics Section. Research on aligning technology with humanity.
2015–2017
The Design Lab, UC San Diego. Design Fellow and Postdoctoral Scholar. 2-year appointment under Don Norman. AI-assisted design, AI in education, design for human intelligence.
2009–2014
HCI Institute, Carnegie Mellon University. PhD, Human-Computer Interaction. Dissertation: Optimizing Motivation and Learning with Large-Scale Game Design Experiments. Advisors: Ken Koedinger, Jodi Forlizzi.
Summer 2008
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Visiting Student, Mechanical Engineering. International Development Design Summit — $10 computers for education in developing contexts.
1999–2003
Yale University. B.A. Cognitive Science. Worked with Nick Bostrom.
Entrepreneurial
Playpower Labs (2012–present)
CEO and Chief Learning Scientist. Award-winning learning games used by millions of students. Data-science and game-design contracts with Pearson, Houghton-Mifflin Harcourt, AltSchool, BrainPOP, Scientific Learning, Carnegie Learning. Grants from Gates, MacArthur, and Schmidt foundations.
Free K–8 math games platform, Common Core / TEKS aligned, with live Kahoot-style quizzes; integrates with Google Classroom, Clever, ClassLink.
Computer-vision platform turning hand-completed worksheets into instant feedback. 5M+ students reached across India.
HIPAA/GDPR-compliant cognitive assessment and Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) platform with wearables integrations (Fitbit, Garmin, Apple Watch, ActiGraph).
Open digital archive of pre-1700 Hermetic, alchemical, and natural-magic texts. 12,347 books · 11,218 new English translations · 152 languages.
Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications
2026
Lomas JD et al. Parametric Analysis of Feature-Specific Neural Coding During Music Imagery and Perception. IEEE.
2025
Liao D, Lomas D, Yu C. Enhancing the aesthetic appeal of AI-generated physical product designs through LoRA fine-tuning with human feedback. AIGC.
2025
Lomas D, Xue H. The Harmony of Opposites in Design and Philosophy. In: Perspectives on Harmony, ed. Li, Lai, Benitez. Bloomsbury.
2024
Lomas JD, van der Maden W, Lion G, Bandyopadhyay S, Litowsky Y, Xue H, Desmet P. Evaluating the alignment of AI with human emotions. Advanced Design Research.
2024
van der Maden W, van Beek E, Halperin BA, Jääskeläinen P, Kang E, Kun P, Lomas JD, van der Burg V. Death of the Design Researcher? Creating Knowledge Resources for Designers Using Generative AI. ACM DIS.
2024
van der Maden W, Lomas D, Hekkert P. Developing and evaluating a design method for positive artificial intelligence. AI EDAM.
2023
van der Maden W, Lomas JD, Hekkert P. A framework for designing AI systems that support community wellbeing. Frontiers in Psychology.
2023
Patel N, Nagpal P, Shah T, Sharma A, Malvi S, Lomas D. Improving mathematics assessment readability: Do large language models help? Journal of Computer Assisted Learning.
2022
Lin A, Lomas JD. The Enigma of Mind: A Theory of Evolution and Conscious Experience. In: Enigmas — Darwin College Lectures. Cambridge University Press.
2022
Lomas JD, Lin A, Forster D, Huisman G, Habekost J, Beardow C, Mullen T, Pandey P, Ahmad N, Miyapuram K, van der Maden W, Cross E. Resonance as a Design Strategy for AI and Social Robots. Frontiers in Neurorobotics.
2022
Lomas D, Xue H. Harmony in Design: A Synthesis of Literature from Classical Philosophy, the Sciences, Economics, and Design. She Ji.
2022
Shah T, Patel N, Lomas D, Sharma A. EdOptimize — An Open-Source K-12 Learning Analytics Platform. LAK22.
2021
Lomas D, Karac M, Gielen M. Design Space Cards: Using a Card Deck to Navigate the Design Space of Interactive Play. ACM CHI PLAY.
2019
Lomas D. How Might Data-Driven Design Help Reduce the Poverty-Achievement Gap? Mind, Brain and Education.
2017
Lomas D, Forlizzi J, Patel N, Shodhan S, Patel K, Poonwala N, Koedinger K. Is Difficulty Overrated? Investigating the Effects of Choice, Novelty and Suspense on Intrinsic Motivation. ACM CHI. Honorable Mention.
2016
Lomas D, Forlizzi J, Poonwala N, Patel N, Shodhan S, Patel K, Koedinger K, Brunskill E. Interaction Design as a Multi-Armed Bandit Problem. ACM CHI.
2013
Lomas D, Forlizzi J, Koedinger K. Optimizing Challenge in an Educational Game Using Large-Scale Design Experiments. ACM CHI.
Full publication list — 75+ papers, 1,500+ citations — at Google Scholar and /research.
Funding
- NWA-ORC Quantum Inspire — PhD student (Caiseal Beardow)
- Quantum Delta “Quantum & Society” with Deborah Nas — Postdoc, 1 day/week personal time
- eHealthjr with Valentijn Visch — Postdoc
- Google AI Gift — €36,000
- KNAW fellowship for a workshop on Resonance — €10,000
- 4TU support on Wellbeing in Engineering Education — ½ PhD
- ErasmusX “AI in University Education” — 1 day/week personal time
Invited Talks (Selected)
2026
IT University of Copenhagen, HCI Design Section. Vibe Coding Workshop (follow-up to invited HCI talk)
2026
TU Delft IDE Master Class. AI and Experience Design (May 20–21 cohort)
2026
Embassy of the Free Mind, Amsterdam. Vibe Coding Workshops — recurring series at the BPH
2025
Embassy of the Free Mind, Amsterdam. Workshop on AI, Creativity and Esotericism (sold out, July 4)
2026
Design Thinking Zeal (online). Humanist AI: Translating the Ancient World
2025
Internet Archive, San Francisco. AI coaching around World Digital Preservation Day
2025
UNESCO HQ, Paris. Quantum Resonance — interactive exhibit, Opening Ceremony of the UN International Year of Quantum (Feb 4–5)
2025
UNESCO. Smart Paper for Learning Assessment
2025
OZORA Festival, Hungary. The Nature of Artificial Intelligence; Vibes, Resonance and Harmony in the Age of AI
2025
Stanford EEG Topics Seminar. Neural Resonance in Aesthetic Experiences
2025
Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE). Speaker / artist
2024
Dutch Design Week 2024, Eindhoven. AI and Creativity (Design Academy Eindhoven)
2024
TU Delft. AI & Experience Design Conference — keynote
2024
Het Landjuweel Festival, Ruigoord, Amsterdam. Talk on AI, resonance, and design
2024
Mo:Dem Festival, Croatia. Talk on resonance and AI
2024–present
TU Delft IDE (open-enrollment). Designing with AI — Professional Master Class (ASML, Silver Cross, ABN Amro)
2022
Experience Research Summit, Salt Lake City / Provo. Design Resonance
2022–present
TU Delft StudioLab / IDE. AI & Cocktails — recurring generative-AI mixer (since Sept 2022)
2022
Experience Research Summit, Salt Lake City. Design Resonance
2022
Amplify AI, Amsterdam. AI for Good Vibes
2022
Fruit Punch AI, Eindhoven. AI for Mental Health
2020
AI Agora, Delft. AI for Wellbeing
2017
Mind, Brain and Education, Erice, Sicily. Large-Scale Learning Systems and the Neuroscience of Poverty
2016
Latin American Cognitive and Neuroscience School, Argentina. The Design Challenge of Improving Human Intelligence
2013
Carnegie Institute of Technology, Pittsburgh. The Future of Computer-Aided Learning
2010
Games for Health, Boston. An Anti-Malaria Game for a $10 Computer
2009
PopTech, Camden, ME. Open-Source Games for Global Education
2009
O'Reilly ETech, San Jose. Playpower! $12 Computers for Radically Affordable Computer-Aided Learning
Teaching (TU Delft)
- AI Research Methods (graduate)
- Research Methods (graduate & undergraduate, 6× total) — lecture: “Experimental Design for Designers”
- Interactive Technology Design (3×) — lectures: “Big History of HCI” and “Cognitive Ergonomics”
- Product Use, Understanding and Experience (3×) — lecture: “Resonance in Design”
- Entrepreneurial Thinking (5×) — lecture: “AI for Design Ideation”
- Exploring Interactions (3×); Understanding Humans (2×)
Student Supervision
25 graduated MSc theses, 6 currently supervised, plus PhDs (incl. Willem van der Maden, 2024 — Designing Positive AI; Caiseal Beardow, in progress).
Notable entrepreneurial outcomes from supervised theses: Tim Smits (Unpluq, accepted to Techstars); Marco van der Woude (Breeze); Bryan Zaaijer (SenseGlove, leads UX); Ferkan Metin (Envision Glasses, leads UX); Jefta Harwig (Glimp, Philips Entrepreneur Award); Mihovil Karač (Lumies, Shark Tank).
Selected Press
2024
World Bank AI Repository (RKSMBK case study); ThePrint/ANI — “Smart Paper Recognized by UNESCO”; Tools Competition — Smart Paper / Playpower Labs deployments across 65,000 Rajasthan schools
2023
TU Delft Delft Design Stories — “Positive Artificial Intelligence Vibes”; BoomLive — “In Rajasthan Schools, AI Is Teacher And Examiner” (Smart Paper)
2021
New Scientist, Digital Trends, Lifewire, Inner Detail — coverage of EEG-based song-identification research
2020
UC San Diego Health; News-Medical — “New Mobile Platform Can Address Another Serious Complication of COVID-19”
2014
San Diego Union-Tribune — “How Jargon Is Killing Innovation”; Tech.co — Kaplan/Techstars EdTech Accelerator class
2013
Wall Street Journal — “New Approaches to Teaching Fractions”
2011
KQED MindShift — “Preventing the Summer Slide in Math Skills”
2010
NPR; CNN — Playpower / $12 Computer coverage
2009
Wired; The Guardian; Calit2; PopTech Social Innovation Fellow
2008
ABC News — “Researchers Propose $12 Computer for Developing Countries”
Recognition
- ACM CHI 2017 — Honorable Mention Award
- PopTech Social Innovation Fellow (2009)
- Ashoka Changemakers Innovation Award
- Recognition from Sesame Street, the White House, the MacArthur Foundation, and DARPA for educational-game work