Research
A Jubilee carriage with a 3D printing tool, printing a part for a subsequent Jubilee build.
Jubilee 3D @ Machine Agency, 2020
I am part of a research team working on Jubilee3D, an open source rapid prototyping CNC motion platform with integrated tool changer. In early 2020, my team co-built a second Jubilee V2 in the Machine Agency lab at University of Washington, testing and making usability improvements to the original step-by-step documentation, creating process photos and video documentation, and making contributions to the project’s Github and Wiki.
As of mid 2020, we are researching the international Jubilee builders community online, via semi-structured interviews and data collection on the Jubilee Builders & Extenders Discord server. We are exploring and documenting the successful replication, extension, and fabricatability of the Jubilee machine, as well as how open source hardware communities share and improve technical knowledge. We have co-authored a paper: Jubilees in the Wild: How Early Community Builds, Customizes, and Extends an Open-Source Tool-changing Machine (2020.)
Contributions:
hardware testing, technical documentation editing, technical writing, bug reports, qualitative remote interviews, analysis of Discord server data, qualitative data analysis, writing
Participants in our Seattle Freeze study, co-creating hypothetical welcome guides to the city.
The Seattle Freeze Social Phenomenon, 2019
The Seattle Freeze is a social-cultural phenomenon referring to the difficulty of making new friends in Seattle. This project explored how different people think about and experience the Seattle Freeze. In this phenomenological qualitative study, we found that all participants defined the Seattle Freeze similarly but had different experiences with the phenomenon. We used multiple methods, including prompted selfie videos, individual and group interviews, and an interactive social activity. To organize our data, we used thematic analysis and looked for common themes in participant experiences. Using a Miro board, we coded predominant themes in both emergent and in vivo style and noted outliers. We then organized the codes into overarching themes, which were captured in a Miro board and discussed in our findings in our final report.
Contributions:
participant recruitment, lab and recording equipment logistics and setup, in-person interviews, note taking, thematic analysis, writing, presentation of results
An example of some of our findings in this usability study.
AIrline Booking Usability Study, 2018
As part of a master’s level course on usability studies, my team of 3 graduate students designed and conducted a usability study sponsored by a major airline. This airline’s development team sought to understand the experience of parents when they book flights for themselves and their young children through the airline’s website. The client had outlined several points in the process where they suspected that parents of young children may experience difficulty, and we designed a research plan to test these and other aspects of the online booking process.
Our team of 3 researchers recruited participants through a survey, scheduled and conducted ten 1-hour usability tests (4 in person, 6 remote), and analyzed qualitative and quantitative data from our sessions. In an in-depth final report, we identified situational problems, usability problems, and delighters; made detailed recommendations for changes and improvements with examples of user pain points and data; and identified areas that would benefit from further studies.
Contributions:
usability study plan/proposal, participant screening & recruitment, scheduling & logistics, note taking, remote interviews, in-person interviews, data analysis, writing, presentation of results
