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Mary M. Michaels,
MBA, CUA
Project Director |
 
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Job at HFI |
- Managing projects, organizing information, and paying attention to the small details to make things run smoothly
- Conducting remote and in-person usability tests
- Developing information architectures and interface designs
- Helping clients with branding and strategy issues
- Teaching the UCA training course
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Experience |
Over 5 years of experience in the usability field, but a true IT geek having worked with computers since the earliest days of the PC. Started off as a classroom art teacher and got interested in using computers in education. Provided end-user training to corporations, managed a retail computer store, and ran a corporate PC support department. Always interested in making it easier for people to use technology. Been using the Web since before ads were even allowed (remember those days?!)
Got involved with cognitive scientists at ETS regarding electronic publishing of assessments and new product development for the Web. Also worked in the interactive division of a marketing-communications agency. Along with being a Webmaster and privacy official, managed various Web projects related to publishing in the e-commerce group at McGraw-Hill Education. |
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Education |
M.B.A. in Business Administration
Philadelphia University, 1998
B.F.A. in Art Teacher Education
The Maryland Institute, College of Art, 1978
A.A. in Art
Keystone College, 1976 |
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Favorite Projects |
Anything involving interaction with end users and the opportunity to work with really sharp colleagues and clients |
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Areas of Interest and Design Orientation |
E-commerce, UI design, working with non-profits, doing research into aspects of how trust and emotion factor into online decision making. |
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Hobbies and Special Interests |
Creating small-scale landscape paintings in pastel. Singing, playing piano, doing comedy, co-hosting and directing video production at a local Princeton performing arts venue, Café Improv. Volunteering to record textbooks at Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic. Serving on the Advisory Board of the NYC chapter of the Usability Professionals' Association. Doing meditation. Promoting recycling, conservation, and open-space land preservation (Think globally, act locally!) |
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Favorite Food |
Sushi, Indian, Thai. |
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Character |
Warm, enthusiastic, creative, patient. A morning person who's naturally uncaffeinated. Was raised on a farm in northeastern PA, but very happy living in NJ at the crossroads of history near Princeton. Really enjoys the variety of work at HFI, and loves the opportunity to constantly learn new things. |
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Publications and Presentations |
Michaels, M.M., and Straub, K. (2007) The Art of Icons – Where more realism is better, and why that's helpful. HFI's UI Design Newsletter, August, 2007.
Michaels, M.M., and Straub, K. (2007) Understanding the persuasive flow – or How we can learn to love online advertising HFI's UI Design Newsletter, June, 2007.
Michaels, M.M., and McGee, A. (2007) What's Your Unconscious Got to Do with It? HFI's UI Design Newsletter, January, 2007.
McGee, A., and Michaels, M. M. (2006) What Did We Learn This Year? 2006 Annual Research Review. HFI's UI Design Newsletter, December, 2006.
Michaels, M.M., and Morante, M. (2005) Why Aren't You in Charge? User Experience, 4(2).
Michaels, M.M., and Safire, M., NYC Chapter of UPA "Best Of" 2006 Presentations, (November, 2006) World Usability Day NYC.
Michaels, M.M., Developing a Grass Roots User Experience Initiative. (April, 2005) Usability Professionals' Association, New York City Chapter.
CUA of the Month (July, 2005) Human Factors International. |
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