About

The journey people take to and through UX is rarely straight and mine is no different. Once upon a time I was working toward a degree in design and planned to get a Master's degree in architecture from Miami University in Ohio. MU didn't care what my undergraduate degree was so I pivoted to the quickest route ... Psychology. During this time, a fellow student suggested I take independent research with a psychology faculty member for an elective. Seriously? Research? I was going to be a designer, an architect! The truth is I didn't understand what research meant. After taking a class with a great professor, I asked her if I could work in her experimental lab for a term. It's hard to express how life-changing that experience was. I fell in love with understanding the “why” along with the “how”, I discovered data, and I learned how to conduct research with people. A Human Factors Psychology PhD became part of my journey; a fellowship and work experiences during graduate school helped me find UX and cognitive systems engineering (CSE) as a way of life. 

In hindsight I see that UX research and design, CSE, and software development all fit perfectly with the reasons I wanted to be a designer and architect in the first place: understanding of and designing for humans and their work and environments, and solving complex problems in complex domains.   

Influences

Approaches to my work, and life, are significantly influenced by perceptual and cognitive science, modern art, nature, and creative social media. These interests help me view the world from both conceptual and abstract perspectives, connect with other disciplines, appreciate my surroundings, and keep me inspired by experiencing the creativity of others. 

Photo: refinedculturedotcom.wordpress.com