UX Research & Design Requires Analysis & Creativity

I believe research is the core of design. In order to create a well designed product or service, it is necessary to thoroughly understand the users and the context of the “problem” domain. The solution should be accurately defined by an appropriate analysis of the research collected. However, an open and creative mind is equally necessary to envision possible avenues for innovation, and to champion the impact emotion can have on human experience and behavior. I enjoy using my creative and analytical skills in the design process to create engaging and effective services and experiences.

My Background

Prior to CMU, I spent a year at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) studying interactive media, mobile design and development, and statistics. I have 8 years of experience as a project manager in a technical research environment, additional management experience in the arts and small business, as well as UI design, usability testing, instructional design and technical writing. I have experience in contextual inquiry, ethnographic research, interviews, think alouds, participatory design, research synthesis, design strategy and ideation, sketching/storyboarding, wire-framing, prototyping, and programming. I have significant experience working with interdisciplinary teams with the ability to communicate across disciplines effectively. As an artist/technophile/project manager, I have creative instincts paired with an analytical mind; a unique multidisciplinary background that merges knowledge of technology, art & design, project management, and business development.

My term project for User-Centered Research & Evaluation at CMU gave me the opportunity to refine my design for an iPhone app that I initially created at RIT. PhillyArts is a context aware app that helps users find local arts and cultural events in Philadelphia. The user research revealed that users wanted more ways of searching and categorizing events, adding notifications, getting event details, and having the app tailor suggestions based on their location and time of day. The redesign addressed these concerns and organized features to require fewer click throughs. A future phase will address the final user concern and provide a visual experience that is as vibrant and energizing as the Philadelphia cultural community. My hope is to present the final design idea to the Philadelphia Cultural Fund in order to encourage them to improve their database. Currently the PCF sponsors a database of Philadelphia cultural events, however it’s online form does not validate submissions and the data is poorly formatted. This ultimately prevents the app from being reliably functional. With a reliable database of information, this app could be launched and used by visitors and the Philadelphia community.

Currently, I am expanding my experience in service design this year as the UX Research Lead on a year long capstone project. It is a unique opportunity to investigate ways to influence human behavior and decision making, as well as understand the current economic climate in order to design a solution that reaches people and convinces them that a cleaner environment will improve their lives as well as protect native biodiversity.

This semester I am also involved with a Kinect performance project as an independent study.  The performance will involve a concert pianist and a modern dancer. I am new to Kinect and will be working with another programmer to design and create the visuals that will react to the music, musician and dancer, and develop interactions between the two. As an artist, I am very excited to combine my technical and artistic sides in one project. As a technophile, I am excited to expand my skill set and learn new software, code libraries, and solve projection challenges.