Student Supervision
I am happy to supervise postgraduate students (Masters and PhD) on the topics that are aligned with my main research areas. Feel free to explore some of the latest research topics on experience design that would benefit from future research.
See my advice on the next questions you may have:
How do I find a topic?
- Select a topic that you are curious about and care about. You will dedicate 1 full year to your master thesis, so make sure you select a topic that keeps you motivated!
- Select a topic that is somehow aligned with your future career and life aspirations, whatever that may be. Think about your own life design – what resonates with you, who you want to be and become? Writing a master thesis gives you 1 year of time to become an expert in a specific area. This is a great opportunity, choose wisely!
- If you are interested in writing your thesis in one of my research areas, I recommend you to start reading articles on the subject and go to the library. Here you can find my Research Areas and my publications on the topics as a good starting point.
If there is any topic that you would like to write about, not listed here, let’s talk. I have only limited capacities to take on students each year, so I focus on supervision in my areas. If you have a different topic, I may agree to supervise you or will help you with recommending a suitable colleague.
What to do next when I find a topic?
Then feel free to get in touch with me: Contact Me
Send me a short idea outline (use rapid prototyping), fill the following headings:
- Area (area / topic you are interested in. You can name more than one)
- Thesis working title
- Research question (formulate any question that you are curious about, in your own words)
- Method (any method you like / prefer, or would like to use, or if no idea at this point, just state that)
- Anticipated outcome (think about the end-goal, what do you want to achieve with your thesis, what outcome do you expect)
- Anything else you are curious about / interested in in relation to your thesis. Any additional thoughts, ideas or questions you have.
Supervision Areas – FH-Prof. Dr. Barbara Neuhofer
| Supervision Area 1 – Experience Design & Human Transformation |
| – How can businesses guide transformative experiences? – Chief Transformation Officer and experience designers: What skills are needed? – Experiences, awe and the overview effect – What are employees skills and competences to guide transformative experiences? – Transformation age: What is the future of transformative travel experiences – Transformation and femininity – The Heroine’s journey – Transformative experiences in outdoor, sports, mountaineering, adventure contexts – Transformative experiences in tourism and travel contexts – Transformative experiences in altered states of consciousness and psychedelic contexts – Value co-creation and value co-destruction in transformative experiences – Transformative experiences in festivals and events such as Burning Man – Transformative experiences in the events and meetings industry – Post-event transformation and integration: How can the transformation be sustained long-term? – Transformation repeaters: Why do people go through the same transformative experiences multiple times? – Transformative experiences and their effect on life wellbeing – Transformative experiences in the education context: Education as transformation – Space design: How to design transformative experience spaces, third space and liminality- Time design: How to design transformative vehicles of time-well-invested? – Education in the age of the transformation economy: Learning journeys of the future – The social nature of transformative experiences: Designing for individual and collective transformations – Experiences and communitas and rituals – Measuring transformative experiences: Developing a scale to measure the effect of transformation – Transformative experiences, psychology and existential authenticity- Personas of transformation: Mapping the customer of transformative experiences – Transformative experiences and the Hero’s Journey – Transformative experiences, mindfulness and spiritual experiences – Transformative experiences and social impact and community – Transformative experiences and personal growth – Transformation, personal Development, and Maslow’s plateau experiences – Service design and transformation: Developing tools to guide transformation design – Transformative experiences and storytelling and narratives – Memorable vs transformative experiences: Mapping the customer journey of transformation |
| Supervision Area 2 – Experiences Design & Digital Transformation |
| – Technology enhanced experiences – Multisensory virtual Reality Experiences – Multisensory Soundscape Experiences – Experiences and connecting or disconnecting in travel – Work-life-travel integration: Digital technology facilitating new travel – Work-life-travel integration: What is the work space of the future? – Work-life-travel integration: What is the hotel room for leisure and work of the future? – Hyperconnected tourists: Re-defining work-life balance in the digital age – Digital wellbeing – Individualisation and personalisation of hospitality experiences – Gamification of experiences through digital technology – Serendipity of travel experiences through digital technology |
| Supervision Area 3 – Experience Design & Value Co-Creation |
| – Value co-creation through real-time connection. The experience of the now – Memorable experiences supported through social media: Images, videos, narratives – Innovation through co-creation: Co-creating meaningful customer experiences – Customer to customer (C2C) co-creation in tourism and hospitality – Customer to local (C2L) co-creation and local & authentic experiences – Stakeholder co-creation of experience ecosystems |
| Supervision Area 4 – Experience Design & Smart Tourism |
| – Smart tourism destination, smart ecosystems and smart travel experiences – Experience co-creation in smart tourism destinations – Social Media, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR) and Wearable Devices – Robots and human experiences in tourism – Digital technology and human experiences of the future |
| Research Methods |
| – Mixed methods (Qualitative and quantitative) – Qualitative research (In-depth interviews, case studies, focus groups, ethnography) – Netnography and online content analysis – Future methods – Experience Sampling Method |
Student Testimonials
| Testimonials |
|
“I would like to thank Barbara for challenging me to learning new skills and welcoming into the creative world of Experience Design. Until I met Barbara, I didn’t realise all of the opportunities the experience and transformation economy have to offer if you dare to take a leap of faith and continuously stay curious while nourishing a creative spirit. In addition, as my Master’s thesis supervisor, Barbara also encouraged me to connect various fields of interest including event design, facilitation and experience design while connecting me with professionals in the field. I’m grateful for these insights and look forward to an inspiring future!” (FH Salzburg, IMT Master Student, 2023) “In Barbara’s class, we never experienced the state of boredom! Barbara makes every minute and every second interactive. Her class is not just about learning theories; she brings in activities and business partners to really allow us to learn from practical cases. Barbara is also very open-minded and constantly adopts our suggestions to co-create the lessons with us. She always goes the extra mile and helps us on both professional and personal levels!” (FH Salzburg, IMT Master Student, 2021) “Barbara was not only my professor at the University of Applied Sciences in Salzburg and supervisor of my Master’s thesis, but more importantly a mentor who introduced me to the world of Experience Design, while leading me on a transformative journey of my own. Ordinary becomes extraordinary. Throughout the last two years, Barbara has guided me to not only implement this principle into my projects and research, but also for me as a person, to constantly expand my skills, goals and horizon.” (FH Salzburg, IMT Master Student, 2021) “Since the beginning of my studies, I knew that Barbara is the best supervisor for my master thesis. Her motivation and work attitude are one of a kind and her innovative mindset is really valuable. Barbara guided me through the whole process by making me think about situations from differ.” (FH Salzburg, IMT Master Student, 2019) “Dr. Barbara Neuhofer is a diligent, caring, and life-changing Professor. She creates transformative experiences for students that guide them to personal and professional development, not only through her teaching methods, but in her kind and helpful character. As a professor and mentor, Dr. Neuhofer goes above and beyond to strive for her students’ success. She is inclusive and creative in her teaching methods in order to allow for each students to have his or her own personal experience in her class. Dr. Barbara Neuhofer changes the lives of the students she teaches, she and will continue to do so in the future.” (FH Salzburg, IMT Master Student, 2019) “Dr. Barbara Neuhofer is a diligent, caring, and life-changing Professor. She creates transformative experiences for students that guide them to personal and professional development, not only through her teaching methods, but in her kind and helpful character. As a professor and mentor, Dr. Neuhofer goes above and beyond to strive for her students’ success. She is inclusive and creative in her teaching methods in order to allow for each students to have his or her own personal experience in her class. Dr. Barbara Neuhofer changes the lives of the students she teaches, she and will continue to do so in the future.” (FH Salzburg, IMT 2017 Student) “Since the beginning of my studies, I knew that Barbara is the best supervisor for my master thesis. Her motivation and work attitude are one of a kind and her innovative mindset is really valuable. Barbara guided me through the whole process by making me think about situations from different perspectives.” (FH Salzburg, IMT 2017 Student) “Having Barbara as my master thesis supervisor was one of the best choices I have made so far. She is extremely helpful and she guided me through the whole process with clear instructions and ideas. She motivated me when I was lost and helped me to find the path again. During her supervision she achieved that I became more interested in my topic than I was in the beginning. Working on my own, but with her being behind my back let me to accomplish my master studies on time and with a great result. Thank you very much Barbara!” (FH Salzburg, IMT 2016 Student) |
Current & Completed Supervision
A list of currently on-going and successfully completed supervision can be found below.
| PhD Thesis Examination |
|
Eugenio Conti, Dalarna University, Sweden (2023). Shasha Liu, University of Queensland, Australia (2020). Francisco Femenia, University of Alicante, Spain (2019). PhD Transfer Viva Voce Examiner Nguyen Thi Thao Quynh (2016). PhD Internal Pre-Viva Examination Paco Femenia, University of Alicante Thesis Title: ‘Tourist Experiences And Smart Technologies Within Smart Tourism Destinations: The Tourist Perspective’ |
| PhD Thesis Supervision |
|
Ernst Mach Scholarship Project Visit Host and Supervisor for Ekaterina Chevateva, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Eurasia-Pacific Uninet Ernst Mach Scholarship Project Title: “Post COVID-19 employee experience in a digital nomad mode”, September-December 2021, Salzburg University of Applied Sciences Ernst Mach Scholarship Project Visit Host and Supervisor for Katerina Volchek, Hong Kong Polytechnic University ‘Value Maximisation For Personalised Information Service In Tourism‘, at Salzburg University of Applied Sciences research visit (Apr-Aug 2019) PhD Supervision Paco Femenia, University of Alicante ‘Tourist Experiences And Smart Technologies Within Smart Tourism Destinations: The Tourist Perspective’, at Salzburg University of Applied Sciences research visit (Feb-May 2017) PhD Thesis Supervision Natalia Torres ‘Modelling the Meal Experience in a la Carte Restaurants’ Bournemouth University (2015 – 2016) PhD Supervisor Training. Completed. Bournemouth University (2015) |
| Masters Supervision |
|
2023 Christopher Cunliffe: How can dark tourism operators design experiences that trigger transformational experiences through negative emotions? Nell Schmidt: A longitudinal study of Malta’s online destination image for the purpose of destination management Nieke Dieteren: Transformative Event Design: Exploring the Role of the Facilitator as Experience Broker (*journal article publication – under review) Julia Suntinger: Satisfying The Urge For More: How Tourism Can Create Meaning Through Transformative Experiences Rabin Niraula: Transformative Experiences in Agritourism 2022 Oguzcan Gumus: Gamification of Experiences Through Digital Technology Catalina Diana Martinez: The Future of Music Festival Experiences in a post COVID-19 World Sarah Stöger: Visitors’ motivation to share the museum experience on Instagram Anais Forgues: Customer experience enhanced through sensory and technological innovations on the example of the Hyundai Seoul Alexander Holzer: In-store technologies in brick-and-mortar fashion retail stores in Austria Frehgel Chong: Exploring the value created by Augmented Reality in User Experience in Offsite Settings Jasmin Frömmgen: The Role of Hospitality in Creating Communitas to trigger Transformative Experiences Rabin Niraula: Transformative Experiences in Agritourism Edo Pasalic: Role and Influence of Branding in Experience Design Facilitation and Execution Leslie Marie Stumhofer: Application of Employee Motivation Theories in the area of Experience Design in hotels Julia Suntinger: Satisfying The Urge For More: How Tourism Can Create Meaning Through Transformative Experiences 2021 Barbara Prodinger: The effect of multisensory VR experiences on Brand Relationship Quality in destination management (*Conference paper publication) Helena Stangl: Digital wellbeing in digital work Olga Isaeva: The perception of millennial travellers on Virtual Reality travel experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic Christine-Ellen Musel: Effective online communication in time of Covid-19. New hygiene standards communicated over the website Viet Linh Phan: The usage of Artificial Intelligence chatbot to promote pro-environmental behaviours when traveling Tatevik Gharibyan: Required employees’ competencies and barriers constraining employees to design guest experiences: A case of Sacher Hotels (*Conference publication) Nguyen Huu Thinh: New Hotels with new concepts of homestay 2020 Laura Dulbecco: Transformation triggered by awe comparison of transformative experiences Jennifer Daxböck: Transformation in times of crisis, a study on the Covid-19 pandemic Vanessa Weinzettl: Digital detox experiences and transformations Edit Barlabas: Restaurant experience concepts for hospitality Jasmin Hopf: Conceptualization and examination of a multisensory VR experience for destination Marketing: An Experience Economy perspective (*Conference paper publication) Melina Scholl: Conceptualization and examination of a multisensory VR experience for destination Marketing: An Experience Economy perspective (*Conference paper publication) Annie Huang: Influence of chatbot functionality and usability on repurchase intention, integrating with theory of planned behaviour: Case study of mainland Chinese online travel agency market 2019 David Riedel: If you can dream it, you can do it! An explanatory research about Imagineering, CXOs and the implementation of Customer Experience Management in organizations Filippo Vincenti: Collaborative economy and tourism: Dynamics of a tourism service ecosystem after the establishment of Airbnb Yannis Jasch: Transformational experiences: The case of The College of Extraordinary Experiences Sabine Ott: Transformative Experiences in Adventure & Outdoor Sports – A Conceptual Framework Barbara Šinályová: The use of gamification in tourist destinations and its impact on Customer’s Experience Erminio Laudani: Online Reputation Management In Tourism: An Analysis Of Online Reputation Management In Hotels Of Salzburg City Lukas Grundner: Bright And Dark Sides Of Artificial Intelligence: The Future Of The Customer Journey (*journal article publication) Jennifer Wohlgamuth: An Ethnoconsumerist Approach To Service Design For Retail A Case Study Of Calzedonia Group’s Falconeri Stores Bianca Magnus: Discovering The Future Of Ai At Events A Holistic Scenario Technique Approach (*journal article publication) 2018 Thuy Linh To: Enhancing Experiences Of Electronic Dance Music Festivals Sonia Rostagnol: An Exploration Of The Characteristics Of Transformative Travel Experiences Sean Ralph: The Influence Of Colonial History On Destination Choice: The Case Of British Tourists To Caribbean Destinations Ashelle McFee: Responsible Travel And Mobile Use The Use Of Mobile Apps By Responsible Travellers To Create An Enhanced Experience Giulia Wälter: Perceived Credibility Of Tourism Social Media Influencers On Instagram – A Generational Approach Katherine Guevara: Memorable Tourism Experiences. The Outcome Of Co-Creation Hanh Nguyen: Factors Affecting Band Equity of Online Travel Booking Service in Ho Chi Minh City Jingming Tinh Minh Tran: Chinese cruise industry Le Danh Dat: Online Marketing in Vietnam Julia Angerer: The Concept Of Digital Detox In Rural Tourism. A Motivational Perspective 2017 Abdul Karim El Najar: The Use Of Animated Video Elicitation To Depict Future Usage Of Artificial Intelligence On-Site: A Scenario Technique Approach Sandra Metz: Value Co-Creation With Corporate Travelers In The Hotel Sector. Involving Corporate Travellers In The Process Of Value Co-Creation Niloufar Rouzbeh: Virtual Reality (VR) – Presence, immersion and attitude towards a destination- Case study of Salzburg, Österreich Emina Garibovic: Examination Of The Relationship Between Customer Experience, Positive Emotions, And Customer Loyalty Insights From The Hotel Sector Akwasi Agyemang Boadi: Gamification as a tool to enrich the experience of visitors at dark tourism destination: a case study at Elmina Castle (Ghana) Volha Famina: Creation of a Boutique hotel concept authentic to its location Mamadou Faye: Smart Tourism Destinations: What salient smart components of Amsterdam city impact on the in-situ experiences of the tourists? The Case Of Amsterdam City Sabine Sarlay: Collaborating and connecting: Sharing economy as a game changer in the aviation sector? Commercial air travelers’ willingness to pay premium for luxury services in tourism (*Journal Artikel Publikation) Jennifer Relota: SoCoMo and the tourist experience: The influence of SoCoMo on the tourist experience using the example of Snapchat Daniella Sallai: Development of an Experience Design Implication model in the context of Hungarian medical spas 2016 Vipapavee Sucanthapruek: An enhanced consumer experience through technological innovation: a study of JW Marriott Hotel in Bangkok Saruda Kokiatsakul: Human Resources Practices and Front Office Department: A case study of Holiday Inn Bangkok Hotel Germano Formisano: Impact and issues of technology on the digital natives: When the weight of technology unbalances life Abbie-Gayle Johnson: Airbnb: An avenue to experience local life (*journal article publication) Jeannette Camilleri: Technology-Facilitated Hospitality Customer-to-Customer Co-Creation in Malta (*journal article publication) Peter (Yao-Yen) Tu: Business-to-customer co-creation as a mean of enhancing consumer willingness to pay in hotel industry (*journal article publication) Adelola Makinde: Customer Feedback: social media as a tool for real time service recovery in hospitality. A case study of Budget Hotels in Southampton, UK Bhushan Raut: The role of technology as a facilitator of quality service provision in Luxury Hotels and Upscale Hotels Roberta Belotti: Work related pressures of the Reception Department and their effect on Service Quality – A case Study (*conference publication) 2015 Pira Arunrat: How social media influences Thai travellers when they decide to travel in Thailand Mantanaporn Satianpattanakul: Impact and use of technology for tourism and hospitality services and experiences Eleftherios Varkaris: The influence of Social Media on the hotel decision-making process (*journal article publication) Anna Mattsson: Co-created customer experience and sense of community in Bed & Breakfasts Ya-Wen Huang: An exploratory study of the service quality in the Taiwanese restaurant and the relative impact of service quality on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty Pareena Saengfai: An investigation of factors that can attract and hinder foreigners to travel to Thailand Ozal Turan: An investigation into the usage of guest facing hotel technologies and their possible effects at upscale hotels in Istanbul Supervision of 69 master thesis completions 2015-2023 Topics: Customer Experience Design, Experience Co-Creation, eTourism, ICTs in Tourism und Hospitality, Service Quality, Online Reviews and Customer Satisfaction, Innovation Management, Social Media and Reviews, Decision Making Processes, Human Resources Management, Digital Work Life Balance, Digital Detox, Events Experience, Artificial Intelligence, Sharing Economy, Organisational Transformation, Experience Economy, Transformation Economy. |
