Oskar Jonsson is particularly interested in studying issues concerning human-environment interaction. The focus is on housing, household goods and public environments in everyday contexts. To reach a more sustainable society, an effort is to enable both people and environments to age with dignity. The research concerns health, well-being, participation and independence in relation to the features of housing, household goods and public environments. Interactions between human-environment include instrumental relationships such as accessibility and usability and non-instrumental relationships such as aesthetic experiences, experience of meaning and emotional experiences.

In addition, Oskar Jonsson is interested in questions about how the different forms of knowledge; research-based knowledge, people's lived experience and practitioners' practice-based knowledge can be integrated and translated into action.

The research areas are the arts and sciences of design and and health, without being discipline specific. Oskar Jonsson’s prior education include PhD in Industrial Design, MFA in the History and Theory of Design, BSc in Furniture Design and Journeyman in Cabinet Making.

Thesis

Oskar Jonsson’s doctoral thesis "Furniture for Later Life" was focused on how old people act on, are influenced by, reflect on and appreciate furniture in their homes. The aim was to improve the conditions for design of furniture intended for old people and the housing forms in which they live with their own experiences as a point of departure.

Jonsson, O. (2013). Furniture for later life: Design based on older people’s experiences of furniture in three housing forms (Doctoral dissertation). Lund University, Sweden. http://www.lu.se/lup/publication/4146752

Oskar Jonsson is activity coordinator for LU:s thematic collaboration initiative “Social rights and housing for the ageing population”. Collaboration partners include the public, senior citizens’ organizations, and staff within healthcare, community planning, design and industry.

Oskar Jonsson has been co-supervisor for PhD student Joakim Frögren that successfully defended his thesis in 2023. Teaching include lectures on the occupational therapist program and supervision of students who carry out degree projects in occupational therapy and activity science at the bachelor's level. Prior experiences include teaching in the fields of furniture culture, furniture design and knowledge production at Carl Malmsten Furniture Studies, Linköping University.