Visible Synthesis

Speaker
Katie Minardo Scott
Interaction Designer, MAYA Design

When
-

Where
Newell-Simon Hall 1305 (Michael Mauldin Auditorium)

Description

As designers, we’re constantly using research to define the problem structure: whom a product is for, what purpose it serves, where it fits in a given context, when it is necessary, and why it is preferable. While we recognize the value of that data, we have no clear methods for injecting the messy research into the design process. That transformation function, from raw research into potential concepts, is the root of design synthesis. The talk will discuss current methods for design synthesis and gaps that need to be addressed. An article on this topic appeared in the July/August issue of interactions magazine.

Speaker's Bio

Katie Minardo Scott is an interaction designer at MAYA Design, in Pittsburgh, PA. Katie has built a diverse portfolio of projects, using human-centered methods to develop pocket-sized medical monitors, explore gesture interfaces for cars, refine imaging software for cardiologists, conduct field research with soldiers, build visualization tools for intelligence analysts, and study the shopping habits of teenage girls. She joined MAYA after a three-year stint at The MITRE Corporation, a government research and development center in Boston. Katie holds a BFA in Design and a master’s in human-computer interaction, both from Carnegie Mellon.

Host
Jenna Date