Welcome, no matter the journey you took to get here!
I just earned my MSI in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and earned my BA in Film and Video Studies and Creative Writing, all from the University of Michigan. HCI has provided me with a broad range of new skills I’ve been exercising as much as possible in the past months, but it’s also provided me with the ability to focus on design, specifically the User-Centered Design process.
As it turns out, my formal design education began in elementary school, when I took part in an creative competition called Odyssey of the Mind (OM). The program focused around team-based problem solving, presenting annual design challenges (here’s this year’s list of problems).
I participated in OM for simple reasons– the teamwork was fun, the challenges were fun, competition was fun, and the all-night pizza parties right before the final competition were fun. And during this process, creative, team-based problem solving became intuitive, a skill I keep with me to this day.
The Information Age presents enormous constraints, which should be met head-on by people who find them inspiring and invigorating. I am a creative thinker with an affinity for collaboration. Please explore my projects, posts and resume to see if you think my skills would match your environment.
A Little More About Me
I’m part designer, part researcher and part information seeker. I have an informal interest in fan culture and its relationship to user-generated content. I like TV and movies, hence my BA in Film and Video Studies. I also listen to a lot of podcasts, This American Life being a long-standing favorite. My favorite poet is Walt Whitman.
However, my first love is writing, which is why my website looks a lot like a blog.
What is “Content Development?”
Okay, you got me. “Content Development” is a pretty broad term that could be used to describe a lot of things. But in my case, “Content Development” describes my unique skill set of translating abstract concepts into communications within a rich media environment.
What is User-Centered Design?
Soapbox, meet me. User-Centered Design is a process that puts the user’s needs front and center in the design process. And at the center of the User-Centered Design Process is the need to articulate an empathy for the user’s needs in a tangible format.
Contact
email: annakjonsson@gmail.com
tel: (734) 709 7658
twitter: @annakjonsson