I'm Laura. Here's my (abridged) story.
Working as a technology project manager in a nonprofit, I became interested in the relationship between age and technology use. As I noticed that many of my older colleagues and clients tended to shy away from new or unfamiliar technology, I began to keep track of the instructional strategies that made them feel comfortable and competent to use technology on their own. Instead of taking over the task of a belabored colleague, I helped them work through their frustration and develop self-sufficiency.
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With this in mind, I went back to school for my master's to focus on this research question: how can we equip workers of all ages and tech competencies with the tools and tailored training to make sure that tech use is equitable across workers of all ages?
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My research now focuses on the role of age and user experience, and I'm passionate about developing products that account for a user's unique relationship with technology.
How I got started in user research
While designing a social welfare CRM and case management system, and after years of end user technical assistance and documentation, I realized I was conducting unofficial user research. After becoming trained in qualitative and quantitative methods, I did my first user research study on the very system I designed.
What I've been working on
My first research, a qualitative study examining relationships with age and technology among 10 co-workers, laid the foundation for my recent usability study through exploratory, semi-structured interviews. Both studies focus on individual perspectives on technology and look at the way that age affects (and doesn't affect) a user's interaction and experience.
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My most recent project is a data visualization dashboard for an agricultural development organization in Southern Africa.
What I'm curious about
The thread among my work is this: finding ways to equip nonprofits with digital and data tools to make the most of rapidly advancing technology.
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From my nonprofit background, I am familiar with the limitations they face--from financial constraints to a lack of strategic knowledge about the power of data. With user experience research and design at the heart of my work, I'm building organizational technical capacity and supporting nonprofit work through technological transformation--without leaving anyone behind.
Through my nonprofit research, I am building a research base about attitudes toward technology across the lifespan to discover what communication and training strategies can support workers of all ages and technological competencies.