About hci Researcher & Laura Beckwith

hci Researcher - What does it stand for?
HCI is human-computer interaction (which the research community uses for studying how users interact with various technologies). Research both fits well in what I do and what I love doing and reading about.

 

My background

I hold a PhD in computer science from Oregon State University (USA, 2007), where I was part of a team researching how to bring software engineering practices to end-user programmers. I specifically focused on how gender differences impact problem solving effectiveness using software engineering tools integrated into spreadsheets.

After finishing my PhD I worked at Microsoft with the Visual Studio User Experience Team, studying small business developers and helping the product team best meet those users’ needs. At Microsoft I saw the impact my user research had on product managers and developers, as their knowledge of our customers evolved into product features.

Experience

Although I have experience and training in many various areas of human computer interaction, my greatest strengths are in the design and implementation of usability studies. During my PhD work most of these studies were quantitative, but since then I have conducted mostly qualitative studies. I enjoy working with nearly any kind of target audience. I especially enjoy the challenge of understanding how people use computers to solve complex problems. Finally, I am always curious how gender differences impact how people use software.

I started up independent consulting after I moved to Copenhagen, Denmark a few years ago.  I enjoy the oppurtunity to work with various types of software and companies. I am very open to working with companies all over the world, and hope to hear from you if you believe my skills will be of use to your project.  beckwith@hciResearcher.com 

Specialties: Usability Studies, Persona Development, Contextual Inquiry, Cognitive Walkthrough, Interaction Design

Contact

The easiest way to reach me is via e-mail:  beckwith@hciResearcher.com
Via phone: (+45) 5047 1117

Laura Beckwith
c/o hci Researcher
Sønder Boulevard 63, 4.th
DK-1720 Copenhagen V
DENMARK