Welcome

This portfolio is a presentation of my approach, experience and skills in the research and design of user experiences. I hope that while you explore the following pages, my passion and drive to explore the endless possibilities of creating usable products comes through.

It is my belief that outstanding products emerge when context and user-centered researchers collaborate with innovative designers.  Key to these successes are those who work at that intersection and can mediate this exchange of ideas and knowledge. Both the researcher and designer have a shared goal of creating useful, usable and profound products, and it truly is my belief that the intersection of these roles is paramount to creating an outstanding product.

Over the past two years, I have worked towards a M.S. in Technical Communication: User-Centered Design at the University of Washington as well as been employed as an HCI consultant for Usability Architects. During this time, I have taken on many roles in the research-to-design process:

• I have been the one to drive design by presenting richly detailed narratives that evoke the user's context.  I have also synthesized research to unequivocally show the effectiveness of a product.
  
  
• I have gained overwhelming insight from the reactions of a user to paper prototype. Likewise, I have had flashes of insight at 2AM in front of a whiteboard with my peers.
  
  
• I have taken the leadership role when necessary to lead a team through uncertainty and frustration. On the other hand, I have been the go-to person for a single element of a project and met others at the intersection of research and design as a collaborator.
  

The artifacts presented in my portfolio demonstrate the varied work I have done in research, design and as the person standing at its intersection.

Enjoy!

I am currently exploring work opportunities with a start date of June, 23rd 2008