In a nutshell…

I am a recent graduate of the University of Michigan’s School of Information where I received a Masters of Science in Information, concentrating in Human-Computer Interaction. (Phew, that’s a mouth full.) I have continued to work as a freelance web designer for the greater part of the past decade and now look forward to taking that experience and applying it to a career as an information architect. I am excited to be a part of a field that combines aspects of usability, user-experience, and web standards to create rich interactive experiences that both inform and entertain. (Résumé)

Keeping Up…

I am a member, and steadily a greater participant, of the following professional organizations.

• Usability Professionals’ Association
• Association for Computing Machinery
• The Information Architecture Institute
• Association of Women in Computing, Ann Arbor Chapter

To stay abreast of the topics, trends, and best practices of user-centered design, I subscribe to several different blogs, many of which are listed below.

• A List Apart
• Adaptive Path
• Apples To Oranges
• Boxes and Arrows
• Coudal Partners Blended Feed
• Design Critique: Products for People
• Functioning Form: Interface Design
• i love typography
• InfoDesign: Understanding by Design
• Jeffrey Zeldman Presents The Daily Report
• Needles and Plastic
• SALT - Seminars About Long Term Thinking
• The Long Tail
• The Web Standards Project
• UXmatters
• Veerle’s Blog
• What the Internet says about Science

Things of Interest…

I studied photography as an undergraduate in Chicago after having taken up the medium in high school. Since then I have steadily enjoyed photography as a hobby and a form of personal expression. In addition to shooting, I also enjoy late 19th century and early 20th century vernacular photography. The different processes that emerged early in photography, paired with the newness of the medium, created a time of fascinating portraiture, creative manipulation, and an invaluable documentation of fashion, trades, architecture, culture, and relationships.

In keeping with this interest, I am also a member of the Michigan Photo Historical Society, which is “dedicated to the preservation and promotion of classic, antique, and vintage cameras, images and processes and the celebration of individual pioneers.” The organization sponsors several lectures each year as well as hosts an annual show where I get to have fun scouting for my next photographic treasure as well as commune with all the seasoned history buffs. From time to time, I post images that I find at these sorts of shows, antique stores, or flea markets.

In addition to studying HCI, I also took on several archives courses to support my interest in digitization and digital preservation of visual records. Working for the Graphics Division of the William L. Clements Library, I took part in processing the David V. Tinder photography collection, which gave me hands on experience working with visual artifacts and understanding the unique requirements for managing and handling such assets. The collection is an accumulation of over 100,000 early photographs all by Michigan photographers. It’s a beautiful and mesmerizing account of life in Michigan and covers not only every inch of the state but also every aspect of day-to-day life. I would very much like to take this experience and knowledge and apply it in such a way as to support the general public in better preserving their physical and digital assets so that future generations can enjoy our snapshots just as I enjoy those of yesteryear.