I am an interaction designer with 10+ year mixed history as interaction designer/ leader/ pedagogue/ journalist. On one hand I graduate in June 2018. On the other hand, I have several years’ experience of the interaction designer’s work methods, like ethnographical studies. My background as a journalist and pedagogue is a strength and a part of my unique profile, with solid experience in interview and observation technique, being a workshop facilitator, meet people at the right level and under their conditions, and then finding patterns and clarifying and describing important aspects in complex systems. I am used to listen to both what is said and what is not said, and I am good at presenting a vast material in a simple and clear manner. For instance, at Tunstall when I explored a possible future use of smartwatches within elderly care. My experiences as a leader also makes me good at engaging others. The fact that I have freelanced has given me a strength to drive and work independently.

When I work I am results-oriented, work rapidly, and think fast. But most importantly I get an overview of complex systems by talking to people from different professions and finding the connections. I am driven, independent with leadership skills, and enjoy being a contributing part of a team.

To understand implementation is important to do good UX/UI, and that is why I have taken courses in development (Java and JavaScript/HTML/CSS). Another niche during my education is different sketching techniques. Sketching is useful to communicate to different target groups, by for example illustrating user scenarios. My thesis project for the interaction design program at Malmö University, is about smartwatches within elderly care. It is a topic I suggested to Tunstall where they get to try out the concept and technology of smartwatches. I have produced everything from idea and concept sketches in iterations, to Wear OS by Google prototypes, made in Java/Android Studio. The smartwatch features are based on the functionalities in an existing mobile phone app intended for caregivers. The design process was user-centered and consisted of a series of visits and workshops with both the elderly home care and a care center for people suffering from dementia. I involved several different stakeholders, including Tunstall developers. These studies led to crucial design decisions, where an example is that caregivers within the home care are not allowed to wear anything beneath the elbows, including jewelry, a fact I realized at my first visit. That affects a watch to a very high degree, so I conducted a props-workshop with bodystorming to ideate on possible placements. During the process I also observed and pointed out other aspects of the company’s design process which are interesting from a business point of view.

Sincerely,

Marianne Bansell