Education

Master of Science in Human-Computer Interaction Design

Indiana University
Emphasis on User Experience Design, Design Research, and Design for Sustainability

Bachelor of Arts in English, Bachelor of Journalism

University of Missouri
Magna Cum Laude, Certificate of Honors, Phi Beta Kappa Society

Work Experience

User Experience Lead

Designkitchen, Chicago, Illinois
September 2009 - Present

• Conduct design research including user and stakeholder interviews, observation, focus groups, competitive analysis, analytics analysis, card sorts, and usability evaluations
• Collaborate with visual designers, developers, project managers, and customer stakeholders throughout the creation process as a user experience advocate
• Create user experience materials including user journey models, personas, scenarios, wireframes, flows, site maps, and prototypes (from paper to screen-ready)

Associate Instructor of Human-Computer Interaction Design

Indiana University School of Informatics, Bloomington, Indiana
August 2008 – May 2009

• Spring 2009: Led a discussion section for Social Informatics, which introduces undergraduate students to a human-centered view of technology that emphasizes social context
• Fall 2008: Led a lab section for Introduction to Informatics, which teaches basic front-end web coding, database design, and problem-solving skills

Interaction Designer (Summer Graduate Fellowship)

Task Force for Campus Sustainability, Indiana University
May 2008 - August 2008

• Conducted interviews with students and staff about current barriers to non-personal car travel around campus
• Analyzed Campus Transportation survey for current transportation behavior patterns
• Self-study: Became a bicycle commuter to immerse myself in the experience of alternative transport
• Co-authored the Sustainable Transportation Recommendations Report detailing barriers to the adoption of sustainable transportation behavior in the university community and offering design solutions to overcome those barriers
• Created Bloomington By Bike and Bus, an interactive prototoype map of Bloomington, Indiana, featuring sustainable transportation options for the university community

User Experience Designer and Editor

Office of the Graduate School, University of Missouri
May 2005 - August 2007

• Led a team of three for the 2007 redesign of the website; in charge of user experience research and evaluation, information architecture, XHTML, CSS, microformats, interface design, and editorial content
• Created the Graduate School manual of style and coding guide
• Designed and edited websites and print materials for the office and graduate departments across campus

Grant Writer, AmeriCorps VISTA

Centro Latino, Columbia, Missouri
February 2005 - May 2005

• Researched and wrote city government and private foundation grant applications
• Earned more than $5,000 in city grant money for the children’s after-school program

Editorial Intern, Literary Magazine

The Missouri Review, Columbia, Missouri
January 2004 - May 2004

• Evaluated 20–25 nonfiction and fiction submissions per week for the literary magazine
• Wrote the biweekly subscriber e-newsletter and blog entries about literature and the intern experience

Online and Print Editorial Intern, Daily City Newspaper

Columbia Missourian, Columbia, Missouri
Online Intern: Jan. - May 2004; Print Editorial Intern: Jan. - May 2003

• Print: Health, Science and Environment reporter at this daily morning city newspaper
• Online: wrote online-only content and used a CMS to post Missourian stories to the website

Skills and Methods

Methods

Contextual inquiry, interviews, observation, quick-and-dirty ethnography, affinity diagrams, usability evaluation, card sorting, bodystorming, user scenarios, paper prototypes, screen prototypes, personas

Software

iRise, Omnigraffle, InDesign, Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Illustrator, iMovie, Silverback (user testing), Morae

Coding

Standards-based XHTML, CSS