@ the University of Washington
HCDE’s annual newsletter, re:Design is hot off the presses!
Feature articles include Award-winning Computer Scientist Cecilia Aragon Joins HCDE Faculty, Charlotte Lee’s Kindle Study, the MakerBot Project, and Professor Tom Williams Retires.
View the most recent issue read it online (pdf), 2010 re:Design, or request a copy to be sent to you by emailing hcdehelp@u.washington.edu. New issues generally are sent to the HCDE community each summer.
Lorie Whitaker
Lorie is our second alumnus to be profiled on our blog. I interviewed her in October.
Maggie Bardacke (MB): What is your current position?
Lorie Whitaker (LW): Usability Analyst, Usability Sciences in Dallas, TX.
MB: What do you do as a usability analyst?
During my 1 1/2 years at Usability Sciences, I have worked with clients such as Disney, Sony, Cisco, Dell, and Proctor and Gamble. I have been fortunate to employ many of the methodologies I learned about during my classes at UW: rapid iterative, benchmark/competitive, comparative, and straight-forward usability testing. I also have had the opportunity to talk with our clients about the user-centered design process which I learned about from Arnie Lund during TC518.
I feel fortunate that I can do this for a living. I enjoy talking with my colleagues about usability and some of the harder tests they have run and how they went about gathering the information they needed. I decided to take the job offer when I found out I would be working with a variety of industries and methodologies.
MB: Which of your TC skills do you use most frequently in your current position?
Currently, I am working with a team at work to determine the best use of the eye tracking methodology and I’m finding myself referring to what I learned in TC 511 when we discuss fixations. Another class I always come back to is TC 537 since we test both lo-fi and hi-fi website designs. I really appreciated being around so many UX professionals during my time in class. They always added a “real world” feel to class discussions and now that I’m a UXer myself I really miss some of their insights!
MB: What advice do you have for current students?
LW: Don’t be afraid to talk to people in your classes–especially those who are out there, in the real world, doing what you want to do. I learned so much from my classmates who were usability analysts, designers, and information architects during class discussions. Also, if you can, take advantage of an internship during your studies; any real-world usability experience you can get during school will expose you to more experiences than you can get in the classroom. And of course, don’t be afraid to ask your instructors questions!
MB: What do you think of the dept. name change? What does “Human Centered Design & Engineering” mean to you?
LW: I think the name change is a great step forward! I’m often asked by colleagues in Texas what ‘Technical Communications’ means. When I explain it to them, I often refer to the current title of the department which they immediately understand. My only lament is that I graduated two quarters too early to have the name change show on my diploma!
MB: Thanks, Lorie. It sounds like you really enjoy your job. Come visit us if you ever return to Seattle!
Anton Cao, BSTC Class of 2008
Last week Anton Cao stopped by our offices to say hello. I asked him to answer a few questions for the blog’s first alumni profile. This is the first in a series so stay tuned!
Maggie (MB): Tell me about your current job.
Anton Cao (AC): I currently work as an Assistant Language Teacher (of English) in Japan. I work for the Japanese government. This is the first job I’ve gone into since I graduated. My internship continued for a little while after I graduated until I moved to Japan for this one.
MB: Where did you complete your internship (TC 495)?
AC: My internship was at the UW Business school’s Technology Center.
MB: Which of your TC/HCDE skills do you use most frequently in your current position?
AC: The skills I often use in this job differ depending on the task I have at hand. I often make worksheets and aides to assist in teaching class. So learning what aspects makes a document easier to read or understand is pivotal. Making the aides appealing so students are interested in learning is another aspect. When I teach students, the skills I use most are learning to think as a user and tailoring my approach to the level of my students. Not all my students are advanced nor are all my students lagging behind in their English studies. So I have to change my approach and how I convey information depending on who I talk to. If what I’m saying isn’t being conveyed properly, I’ll try a different approach or twist the approach I’m on just a little bit.
MB: What advice do you have for current students?
AC: I have a few points of advice for current undergrads. One is to understand what TC/HDCE is all about and learn how to apply it in your thinking. The classes you take and the things you learn are a way of conveying what the department is about and to get you into the mindset. Understand what our field does and what makes it so key, don’t worry so much if you can’t design a web page really nicely or format a document with ease.
The other point of advice is that our department has applications everywhere. Don’t limit yourself to what is the most common job or the avenues that lay in front of you. Take a look at what you enjoy working with and see how you can apply the knowledge you’ve gained. Technology is a key focus in the department, but I’ve been able to apply what I’ve learned in my job as an English teacher. Our job is to help people, and I think we can do it any field of work.
MB: Thanks Anton! Drop-in in another few years to update us. I hope you continue to enjoy life abroad.
If you are a department alum and would like to be profiled on our blog, or are a current student and would like to conduct an interview with an alum, please email bardacke@uw.edu.