Accelerated Knowledge Transfer (AKT) Associate: User Research and Interface Design (Project STRUM) - 3 month fixed term contract, 0.5FTE

The University of West London (UWL) is ranked 47th in the UK in The Guardian University Guide 2026 and is the 1st London modern university in The Times/The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026. The UWL community is a diverse body of students and staff who work together to create an environment of success and achievement.

This post is based in the London College of Music at the University of West London (UWL) and works in partnership with RT Sixty Ltd (RT60), a UK micro-business that develops consumer music apps including Songzap, iDrumTune and Drummer ITP, with apps that have reached number one in the music-app charts in more than 90 countries. UWL and RT60 have a long record of collaboration on Innovate UK and AHRC-funded projects, including work behind a REF2021 4*-rated impact case study. The Associate will be supervised jointly by Professor Justin Paterson (UWL) and Professor Rob Toulson (RT60).

We are seeking an Associate for STRUM, a 0.5 FTE 3-month (13-week) Accelerated Knowledge Transfer (AKT) project funded under UKRI's AKT 6 competition (Creative Industries) with an anticipated start date in the week commencing 9 November 2026.

Singer-songwriter acoustic guitarists are a large and fast-growing group of music-makers, yet most recording tools assume technical fluency. RT60's Songzap_V3 app offers AI-powered headphone-free recording; STRUM will establish how to present it to non-technical users without compromising creative flow.

Responsibilities include:
- Carrying out in-field observation of 12 to 15 singer-songwriters to identify where workflow friction disrupts creative flow
- Translating findings into ranked decisions on which features to expose, simplify or hide
- Assembling and testing a prototypical simplified interface in SwiftUI from RT60's existing modules (the audio engine is not modified)
- Running iterative testing rounds and evaluating usability, trust and perceived creative control
- Delivering a release-ready interface, an accompanying specification, and an outline for a follow-on Knowledge Transfer Partnership

The post is based at UWL's Ealing campus, with in-person milestones at RT60's Harpenden office in weeks 1, 7 and 13 and fieldwork visits to participants where feasible. You will receive weekly supervision from UWL and day-to-day support from RT60.

Person Specification:
- Hold, or be about to be awarded, a PhD in human-computer interaction, UX/UI or interaction design, music technology or a closely related discipline
- Meet the UKRI AKT Associate eligibility criteria, including recent-graduate status at project start
- Experience of qualitative user research (observation, interviews, focus groups and thematic analysis) and of working ethically with participants
- Proficiency in coding and ability to assemble an interface from existing modules; fluency with rapid-prototyping and graphic-design tools is desirable
- Practising musician, ideally on guitar and voice, able to build rapport with singer-songwriters
- Strong written and analytical skills
- Ability to work autonomously to tight deadlines and be pragmatic about the commercial realities of a micro-business

The Associate will be employed by UWL and jointly supervised by UWL and RT Sixty Ltd. RT Sixty Ltd will own the resulting IP and interface code under a Lambert Toolkit agreement.

UWL is committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce, supports the gender equality Athena SWAN Charter, and is a Disability Confident Employer. Applications are particularly welcomed from minority ethnic backgrounds, LGBT+ identities, and those with disabilities.

Candidates must be able to demonstrate their eligibility to work in the UK. This position does not meet the University criteria for Skilled Worker sponsorship.