Biography

My interest in human-computer interaction began in my high school programming class; as much as I excelled at developing and testing applications, what really thrilled me in my spare time was building the interfaces that provided structure and meaning to my code. Through college and graduate school I continued pursuing this passion by studying computer science, information architecture, and interface design, seeking to understand what it takes to build software that truly delights users.

Today, I bring over six years of professional experience in conducting research on user preferences and behavior. With a proven background in usability principles and information science, I enjoy learning about users' information needs and goal-seeking habits. I have successfully conducted contextual inquiries, focus groups, cognitive walkthroughs, card sorts, and task-based usability tests on a wide range of product types and with increasingly diverse audiences, and am experienced in applying these methods at all stages of product design.

My current work at Google focuses on leading research surrounding communication, ad hoc social networking, and personal information management on the web using research methods such as diary studies, in-lab usability evaluations, and interviews. Previously, I served as a user experience researcher and information architect for organizations including Ford Motor Company, Rose Brand, the US Department of Education, US Census Bureau, and the National Library of Medicine. See my resume for more details on my professional experience.

Further, I enjoy studying ways to bring user evaluation outside of the lab setting and making the process more efficient and approachable for both the develpment team and study participants. During my three years at UserWorks, I researched innovative methods of conducting longitudinal studies remotely via interactive Web technologies, and successfully implemeted blog-based focus groups to obtain more detailed and personal information sharing than provided by traditional methods.