I believe that focusing on the needs, characteristics and experiences of people rather than on product features will result in more useful, enjoyable technology experiences.

This belief was shaped in part from my studies at the University of Washington, which resulted in a BS in Technical Communication. A study abroad at the University of Twente in the Netherlands introduced me to the impact of life experience on technology use. In addition, multiple internships at Intel allowed me to experience technology from the point of view of a user, a technician, and a business analyst.

A desire to gain a greater understanding of how the mind perceives, interprets, and facilitates interactions with technology brought me to Carnegie Mellon University where I completed my Master of Human-Computer Interaction degree in 2004.