I am an interaction designer and researcher interested in systems, services, and products that can shape people, societies, and cultures in profound ways. I'm invested in design that positively affects the human condition in terms of (i) supporting personal growth, enjoyment and meaning making (ii) as well as facilitating systemic change capable of crafting viable human and environmental futures. I'm interested in designing for complex environments that are in constant states of negotiation and change, such as 'the home' or urban settings. My background spans anthropology, informatics, and interaction design. I recently did a great internship at Microsoft Research Cambridge in the Socio-Digital Systems group. Before that I was a Fulbright Scholar in the design department at the Queensland College of Art in Brisbane, Australia. I'm currently a PhD student in the HCI Institute at Carnegie Mellon University where I work with John Zimmerman & Jodi Forlizzi. I also studied interaction design at Indiana University.
This site features my research and design projects.
Design Portfolio
See my design projects.
Curriculum Vita
Take a look at my CV
Blog
Read my blog at culturalogic.com
I'll be presenting 3 papers at the DIS 2010 conference in Aarhus, Denmark. Come check out the Designing for Diversity of Family Life session to hear about our project on designing for divorced families. I'll also be presenting some of my work on designing interactive systems to support urban food production in the Community Engagement session. On the last day, I'll be presenting some recent work on Virtual Possessions in the Experience and Emotions session. See you in Scandinavia!
I'm organizing a workshop at CHI this year along with some colleagues from the UK and Canada. We're planning to engage with a range of issues having to do with the persistence of digital data, issues of ownership (beyond the life of the original owner) and the new design spaces this suggests. An area of particular interest is how forms of digital residua of one's life might be treated in the design of technologies that might become imbued with sentimental or reminiscent value over time. The workshop is scheduled for April 10th in Atlanta. You should submit something!
I'll be giving a lecture on notions of endurance from a design perspective and strategies for designing enduring interactive products at Curtin University of Technology in Perth. My talk is part of the School of Design seminar series and scheduled for May 1st, 11am-12pm in the SoD lecture hall.
I'll be giving a talk on sustainability-oriented HCI research and opportunities suggested by product and interaction design perspectives. It's a part of the the University of Melbourne Interaction Design Group's weekly research seminar and scheduled for March 6th, 3-4pm in the IDEA lab (4th floor). Come check it out!
Paper accepted to DIS 2010!
Paper accepted to CHI 2010
update: nominated for best paper!
Made the move to PA to start my PhD
Interning in the SDS group
Finished up a great run in OZ