Design Philosophy
Design needs a better relationship with the world around the humans and business objectives we design for.
I’m an anthropologist and information scientist who specializes in HCI/UX/Social Computing.
I embed and rapidly iterate to discover needs, create and test concepts and produce better results faster.
Current projects
View Projects [ -> ]
MAR·23·2026
Editing
OCT·31·2025
Design Research
Nov·01·2025
Writing
About
Born a cyborg, I am a former graphic/web designer and punk singer turned anthropologist turned HCI researcher and information scientist turned speculative lit writer and editor.
Acknowledgements
I’ve been supported by a mix of important people on professional journey. Special thanks to my mentors Kentaro Toyama, Tawanna Dillahunt, Ron Eglash, and Lionel Robert, for showing me how to operate like a top-tier researcher.
I’m open to collaboration.
Latest Notes
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Overview The AR Toolkit for Lunar Astronauts and Scientists (ATLAS) is an information system that was conceived during my time… Read more.
2–3 minutes -
AI is no longer just a reflection of human culture—it is a co-creator, a trickster, a steward. As algorithms begin… Read more.
21–32 minutes -
what is and what ought to be skilled work, labor, and automated assemblages extending human capabilities “A small sliver of… Read more.
15–22 minutes
FORMER LABs/TEAMS
Generative Justice Lab
University of Michigan
artisanal cyborgs, circular economics, indigenous knowledges
Exploration Medical Capability
NASA Human Research Program
long-duration human spaceflight
BLiSS
University of Michigan
astronaut autonomy, conversation design, AI interaction design
Convergent Aeronautics Solutions
NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate
advanced air mobility
Social Innovations Lab
University of Michigan
future of work, cscw
CLAWS
University of Michigan
astronaut autonomy, ar, conversation design, interaction design
FORMER VOLUNTEER AND LEADERSHIP ROLES
Chapter Lead – Interaction Design Foundation
President – Anthropology Learning Community
Previous Consulting Work:
F.A.Q.
Tell me about a time when your project faced a setback. How did you respond?
I adapted. In the middle of the NASA SUITS Challenge, COVID caused me to lose access to my lab and ability to test AR interfaces with real users on the HoloLens. I learned A-Frame WebVR and designed a lunar environment along with the basic interface. The team purchased some Google Cardboard units and we shipped them out to other grad students enabling remote moderated HITL testing.
What is your process like?
No project is the same. Wisdom is knowing when to break your own rules. That being said, in both research and design, my process looks something like Double Diamond when I’m presenting to stakeholders and the Design Squiggle in my head.
How should I cite something from this site?
Use the citation information on the relevant page when available (publication citation, dataset version, or post date).
When in doubt, cite the page title, NotesLab®, the year, and the URL.
You must be a qualitative researcher with a degree in Anthropology right?
Yes, and I am a quantitative researcher with a degree in Information Science. I was trained to be a full-stack researcher. Mixed-method research is the best way to account for and bolster the weaknesses of any single method via triangulation. Whether you’re looking for scrappy, large-scale, I design, plan, a execute end-to-end mixed-method research by selecting the best methods to answer the research questions given the timeline and budget. Of course, I do gravitate toward problems that call for unorthodox or completely new methods too.