So what do you do?

That’s the question we ask when we meet someone new. The usual answer, however, explains what people are, and not what they do: “I’m a nurse.” “I’m a bus driver.” “I am an engineer.”

But there is so much more to a person’s story than what’s in a job title. So instead of listing a few generic labels, let me share with you some of the things I do.

explore & design

I have always wanted to learn how things work and how people think. And I consider myself lucky that I never lost that sense of curiosity and wonder. I actually chose a career that is rooted in exploring something, namely human behavior. More specifically, how humans interact with technology.

Based on insights from those explorations, I craft user interfaces that improve people’s lives. My focus is on workflow analysis, interaction design, and systems solutions for mission-critical SaaS applications that solve meaningful problems. Most recently, I designed lab orchestration software for human genome sequencing in the healthcare space.

My LinkedIn profile has more details.

build & deploy

I find it rewarding, and sometimes simply magical, to see how people work together across disciplines to take designs from nascent idea to shipping product. Which is why I also enjoy spending some of my spare time on honing my “maker skills” by assembling all kinds of electronics and modeling kits, developing software for automating everyday workflows, experimenting with microcontroller boards, and much more.

share & connect

Countless people have helped me grow by generously sharing their expertise, advice, and beliefs with me. Most importantly, they have taught me the joy of paying it forward by generously sharing with others. To that end, I engage in several online fora, write and speak about topics that interest me, and mentor fellow designers.

For example, my blog, The UI Observatory, tells stories about everyday user experiences. This presentation about Ben Shneiderman’s 8 Golden Rules of Interface Design for UX San Antonio covers one of my all-time favorite topics: the fundamentals of interaction design.

And if you’re curious about my take on the state of UX these days, watch this panel discussion about “Misconceptions on ‘How to UX’” from the Fort Collins Internet Professionals meetup.