Technical Team

Mona Patel,
MS, CUA
V.P. Eastern Region

Job at HFI

• Diagnosing client needs and fulfilling them using HFI's user-centered design methodology and global resources
• Course instructor of the Practical Usability Testing course

Experience

Mona has been in the usability field since 1998. She has specialized in health-care, informational, government, and insurance Web sites and applications. She is experienced in usability testing, navigation design, detailed design, expert reviews, contextual inquiry, and branding. Major clients have included Marriott, NINDS, and a multitude of other health-related Web sites.

Education

MS in mass communications with a focus in marketing (2002)
Boston University, Boston, MA

BS in human factors and ergonomics (1999)
Tufts University, Medford, MA

Favorite Projects

Science News Web site for kids because it made an educational site fun and interesting for a very tough audience – 4th to 6th graders.

Areas of Interest and Design Orientation

The psychology behind decision making. Mona loves any project that involves getting into the consumer's mindset and figuring out what motivates them, then transforming her findings into a strategy that involves the perfect design.

Hobbies and Special Interests

Yoga, dancing, cooking, skiing, and shopping (the kind that is a sport)

Favorite Food

Mexican, no question.

Character

Funny, intelligent, approachable, and always smiling. Mona has a lot of enthusiasm and many notice immediately that she really loves her job.

Awards, Honors
and Publications

• DeFlorez Prize in Human Engineering, 1999
• Golden Key National Honors Society Member
• Psi Chi Honors Society Member
• Patel, M. & Loring, B (2001) "Handling Awkward Usability Testing Situations." Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 45th Annual Meeting.
• Patel, M. & Paulsen, C (2002) "Strategies for Recruiting Children for Usability Tests." Usability Professionals Association, 11th Annual Conference.

Recent Presentations

Tips for Effective Usability Consulting
with April McGee, HFI
Usability Professionals Association – NJ Chapter
Feb 7, 2007

An Introduction to the Usability PETscan
HFI CUA Convention – Washington, DC
January 25, 2007

Trends in Usability: Eye Tracking, Persuasion Emotion & Trust, and Offshore Usability
World Usability Day – New York City
November 14, 2006

Selling the Unseen: How to Communicate the Value of Usability to Your Management and Peers
HFI Reception, Atlanta, GA – April 20, 2006
HFI Reception, Toronto Canada – May 9, 2006

Selling Usability
Usability Professionals Association—NJ Chapter
March 8, 2006

The Science and Art of Web Design
with Jim Angus, NINDS
California Association of Museums Conference
Eyes on the Horizon: Envisioning and Realizing Our Future
February 21-24, 2006

Usability Mistakes and Their Consequences
World Usability Day – New York City
November 3, 2005

Selling Usability to Management
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Webmasters Meeting
October 25, 2005

Navigating Past "No" – Negotiating Usability Results
Philadelphia Association, CHI – June 13, 2005
New York Chapter, UPA – March 22, 2005

Usability Metrics for the Accidental Web Managers
with Kath Straub, HFI
FedWeb – May 25, 2005

Technical Team