MEDIA
From playful apps and educational websites to digital interactives and immersive installations, I am skilled at concept ideation, content development, and user testing. In partnership with creative technologists, UX designers, and graphic designers, I help anchor innovative media projects in story, define learning outcomes, embed content into gameplay and interactions, research and write label copy, and guide design with insights gleaned from front-end and formative evaluation.
© Tinybop
The Explorer’s Library is an award-winning collection of educational apps that invite children to investigate their world and learn through play. As the Education Specialist at Tinybop, I directed content development and user research for the first five apps: The Human Body, Plants, Homes, Simple Machines, and Earth. Without text or levels, the apps give children choice and control over interactive models, prompting them to discover core ideas in physical, life, and earth sciences through cause and effect. The apps have been downloaded in over 155 countries worldwide and have been recognized by AIGA, American Association of School Librarians, Apple, Children’s Technology Review, and the Parents’ Choice Awards.
Tinybop’s Digital Toys are construction kits that foster imagination and creativity. In collaboration with the design and engineering teams, I designed and conducted play studies for the first two toys: The Robot Factory and The Everything Machine. The insights gathered from observing children build robots and machines and listening to stories about their creations, helped improve the app design and user experience. Within its first month of launch, children built one million robots in The Robot Factory and it went on to be awarded the iPad App of the Year in 2015.
© Tinybop
The National Science and Technology Medals Foundation honors and celebrates the National Medal of Science and National Medal of Technology and Innovation Laureates. The online NSTMF Lab connects high school students and curious adults to some of these remarkable Laureates through playful interactive modules. Users can investigate the principles of gravity, sound, and image processing by creating celestial objects; playing an environmental synth; and revealing the rapid calculations behind photo filters. My role included content research and concept ideation for the digital interactives as well as outlining and copy editing the explanatory text.
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Studio: Local Projects
The Johnson & Johnson Our Story website chronicles the company’s history and legacy of advancing human health. The interactive stories, Fighting Infectious Disease and Living Our Credo, showcase the forward-thinking leaders, innovative products, and bold ideas that have shaped the company and its impact on public health and corporate social responsibility. My role included historical research, acquiring image assets, and writing the media scripts for the two interactive stories.
Studio: Gallagher & Associates
As part of XQ Institute’s national challenge to rethink the high school experience, the organization launched a nationwide bus tour to promote the competition; collect ideas from students, parents, educators, and changemakers; and connect communities across the United States. Serving as an anchor for 197 community events in 33 states, the Super School Bus was outfitted to collect, share, and inspire ideas for the high school of the future. My role consisted of managing content development and conducting user testing for the interactive iPad wall aboard the bus. 36 synced iPads dynamically displayed provocative questions, surprising statistics, and video clips of diverse Americans sharing their ideas for improving high school.
Studio: Local Projects in partnership with MAL\ FOR GOOD