I am a

Looking to enter the world of design.

Experience

I conduct audience research and evaluation on issues of inclusion for new/underserved audiences for educational institutions. I apply a mixed-method, culturally responsive approach to data collection, analysis, and reporting.

Background

I use qualitative research to improve the visitor experience. I collect data about guests with interviews, surveys, and observations. I was lead author on two studies and supervise weekend volunteers to ensure department goals are met.

Garibay Group / researcher / auGust 2011 to present

shedd aquarium / Field evaluator / april 2013 to present

EDUCATIONnorthwestern university / evanston, il / 2007-2011B.A. in Cultural Anthropology, Concentration in Music

Thesis: “Medical Choice and Decision Making in San Ignacio, Belize”

desiGn For america / summer studio / summer 2011

Skills

interviewing

ethnography

ethograms

participatory methods

survey design

IRB/research ethics

qualitative coding

data visualization

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe InDesign

Adobe Photoshop

cake design

drafting

sewing

woodworking

I worked with a team of students to apply a human-centered design approach developing an exhibit on “tinkering” for the Chicago Children’s Museum. We created working prototypes of exhibit elements and a scale model of our design.

quantitative analysis

tracking/timing

research

makinG

My approach

Empathy

Identify

a Need

Prototype

Test Gather

Insights

Ideate

Frame the Problem

Plan

CollectData

Analyze

ReportWorks-like

Model

Identify Problems

Iterative TestingHow?

Meaningful solutions are only possible through empathetic concern for users’ perspectives.

Why? A world designed for all people promotes equity and empowerment.

Values

What?

I want to create designs that inspire curiosity about the world.

curiosity

empathy

equity

Featured examples of my Work

Problem Solving

Cake DeSign

auDienCe reSearCh

Making

Research

exhibit evaluation & DeSign

Shirin Neshat RetrospectiveCALTA 21

Aquarium Experience Study

Play & Grow GardenMobile Learning StationsTinkering Lab

Kathryn’s Blackberry Tea CakeGaribay Group Cake

iResearcherRenter’s Planter

Window Bird FeederFood Minder

D.i.Y.

Audience Research

Zoo/Aquarium

Science Museum

Children’s Museum

University

Art Museum

Nature Center

Natural History Museum

Research Foundation

Public Library

History Museum

# OF PROJECTS BY CLIENT

For the past three years, I’ve helped educational institutions answer questions about audience engagement and learning.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Experience

My Methods

I use qualitative research methods to understand what people are doing and why.

what’s happeninG? why?

interviews

focus groups

card sorting

open-ended surveys

ethnography

ethograms

surveys

timing and tracking

behavioral checklists

collection

analysis

quantitative analysis

data visualization

transcript analysis

emergent coding

experience models

methodology Influences METHODS MATRIX

anthropoloGy

human-centered desiGn

Identify

a Need

Gather

Insights

Ideate

Plan

CollectData

Analyze

Report

My Research Process

Will this produce actionable insights?

What methods will best answer the

questions?

How will participants be

affected?

How can analysis support the client and

users’ needs?What story does the

data tell?

What can be communicated

visually?

Who will be reading this report?

Will it enable stakeholders to affect change?

Who else could benefit?

Will this serve

the needs of the

target audience?

Why is this study necessary?

What key questions need to be answered?

Are those questions answerable?

Shirin Neshat Retrospective

Challenge Develop interpretive strategies to achieve intended outcomes and minimize possible negative reactions to an exhibition of contemporary Iranian artist, Shirin Neshat.

Collect

I am Its Secret, Shirin Neshat 1993

Observations and interviews of participants in a mock-gallery

Focus groups with general audience and Muslim community members

Research QuestionsHow will this exhibition be perceived by visitors who do and do not identify with cultures represented?

What information do visitors need to make connections with the conceptual art?

What are visitors’ preconceptions of the art and themes?

Do visitors see the exhibition themes as global or relevant only in Middle Eastern or Islamic cultures?

Project Overview

Client

Company Role Interviewed participants after observing them in a mock gallery. Analyzed transcripts.

There was a range of understanding of Iranian politics and history. Some people were very

knowledgeable, while others held more stereotypical views.

All visitors could benefit from interpretation that grounds them in the political and historical

context of Iran.

FindinG recommendation

Respondents had difficulty interpreting the work because of its highly conceptual and

symbolic nature.

Visitors will require significant hand-holding and scaffolding in order for them to make

meaning of the art.

Since Neshat uses photography, many respondents interpreted her work as photojournalism.

Emphasize that the work is one artist’s perspective, not documentation of

contemporary life in Iran.

A vocal minority interpreted the work as a negative portrayal of Iranian, Middle Eastern, and

Muslim culture. They worried the exhibit would reinforce negative stereotypes.

Communities represented in the exhibit must feel included in the process. The exhibit needs to

provide context to help visitors move beyond stereotypes.

The strongest overarching theme respondents saw in Neshat’s work was gender, specifically the

oppression of women by men.

Be aware that visitors’ recognition of gender as a theme may significantly color their

interpretation of the work.Gender

portrayal oF middle

east

symbolism

historical & political

context

artist’s intentions

Outcomes

CALTA 21

Project Overview

Client

Company

Role Interviewed students, conducted analysis and reporting.

Challenge Communicate how CALTA 21 transformed student, teacher, and museum educators’ perception of the possibilities for adult English language learning in museums.

CollectPlan Data were collected from three different audiences, but many of the research questions concerned partnership or relationships between groups. This model shows how data collection was coordinated to measure all questions.

Student interviews and surveys

Teacher interviews and surveys

Museum focus groups and surveys

Videos of students facilitating art discussions

student

teacher museum educatorinstitutional

partnership

immiGrant empowerment

museum visit

classroomexperience

Research QuestionsAre collaborations between art museums and community colleges helping to empower adult immigrant English language learners?

Are art museums becoming learning spaces for adult immigrants?

Are immigrant voices strengthened by the development of social, cultural, and civic capital?

Transformation of museum Perception

Student Empowerment Modelle

ss e

xpe

rien

ced

w

ith m

use

um

s

mo

re experien

ced

with m

useu

ms

art museums are valuable to me

art museums are not valuable to me

Museums are not just buildings with art; they are places of learning and self-expression.

I belong at art museums.Before this class, I never

would have gone to a museum to share my

opinions.

I’m intimidated by art museums.

I love art, but didn’t see museums as a

place to improve my English.

I never thought of smaller museums

as valuable.

I’ve never been to a museum before.

Museums are boring.

Analysis Survey data was used to determine if program goals were being met. Transcripts of student and educator interviews were analyzed to develop deeper insights about how those outcomes were experienced.

Analyzing transcripts and developing models.

Outcomes

Aquarium Exhibit Types

Project Overview

Organization

Role One of two lead researchers. Primary author of final report.

Challenge Investigate the holistic visitor experience at representative exhibits across the aquarium to identify pertinent questions and methods for a large-scale study.

Formative Aquarium Experience Study

Research Questions

How do guests seek out and share information?

How do group dynamics affect the exhibit experience?

How do visitors answer questions or find information?

How does engagement differ across exhibits?

How do guests respond emotionally to exhibits?

Collect Recorded visitor conversations in five representative exhibits. Took ethnographic notes of all activity and behaviors in exhibits.

A series of habitats united by an environment or geographic region, but are separate and contain

a small variety of species.

description

Habitats that use some immersive elements, such as sound or lights, but do not emphasize time and place

enough to be truly immersive.

Galleries that “effectively absorb, engross or create for visitors the experience of a particular time and place.”

Habitats with one species. All design and interpretation supports visitors’ experience with a single species.

Experiences built around a physical interactionwith an animal. Exhibit design and species are

selected to support touch experiences. touch

encounter

solo animal habitat

semi-immersive

immersive

traditional Gallery

exhibit

Rivers

Amazon

Caribbean Reef

Otters

Stingray Touch

Analysis Conversation transcripts and notes were reviewed for patterns in group dynamics, topics of interest, information seeking and sharing, evidence of empathy towards animals and the aspects of the exhibits that afforded those interactions.

Areas to Explore

What role do Shedd’s animal rescue stories play in a visit? What interpretation makes

them more effective?

How can we support meaningful interactions in

short stay times?

How can we support connections with animals that

do not exhibit these characteristics?

Are tablets more effective tohelp identify species?

Does identification support connections with the animals?

technoloGy & interpretation

transitional spaces

rescue stories

connections with animals

immersive elements Immersion plays an important role in visitor experiences, so it is important to understand the design elements that afford it.

varietY oF SPeCieS

lighting SounD

ConSiStent geograPhY or environment

human Context

realiStiC habitatS

Rescue animals stories are a great opportunity to build connections with animals, but some are overlooked.

Habitats in transitional areas of the aquarium compete for visitors attention with

logistics.

Animal characteristics that afforded connections: large size, physical responses to visitors, highly active, and

human-like behavior.

Visitors asked more questions and identified

more species in exhibits with tablets panels.

observation questions

Outcomes

Exhibit Design + Evaluation

My Approach

How are visitors engaging? In exhibit evaluation and design, I examine visitor experiences by investigating opportunities for engagement across these areas:

A note On “engagement”

This term is the “innovation” of the museum world. It’s used so broadly and without definition that it can be jargon. This model offers one possible definition based on my professional experience.

Emotionally

Socially

PhySically intEllEctually

Research QuestionsHow do children utilize living, green environments for physical and imaginative nature experiences?

How do children socialize and interact with peers?

Do parents understand the importance of nature experiences and outdoor play to their children’s development?

Evaluation / play & Grow Garden

Collect I conducted 20 observations and interviews with families in the garden.

Challenge Measure exhibit goals and understand the factors that affect families’ experiences to identify assets and opportunities for improvement.

A young visitor intellectually engaging through fort-building.

Project Overview

Client

Company

Role Data collection, analysis, and reporting.

Pine Tree-o

Chalkboard 1

Chalkboard 2

Chalkboard 3

Welcome Gate

Gravity Run Log Runnel

Pebble Pool

Tree Hut Hangout

Willow Fort

Tinker Tree

Soil Kitchen

Chalkboard 4

Chalkboard 5

Chalkboard 6

GPC Play and Grow Garden Areas

Stumptown

Billy Goat’s Bluff and Bridge

Tree Trunk Obstacle Path

Train TreesWater Spigot

Tree Trunk Obstacle

Spiral

A rough sketch of the garden with labeled areas, drawn to acquaint new data collectors with the site.

Engagement by Area This graphic illustrates relative levels of engagement by activity areas. The larger the circle, the deeper the level of engagement.

Play & GrowGarden

Experience

Caregiver

Child

Staff

Design Features

PhysicalEngagement

Building Materials

Containersand Utensils

Natural Materials

Structures

Fine Motor

Water

SocialEngagement

IntellectualEngagement

ProblemSolving

Imaginative Play

ProgrammingEmotionalEngagement

Gross Motor

Activity

Materials

Factors of the visitor experince

Outcomes

Evaluation / Mobile Learning Stations

Interaction Models After 15 observations and interviews, I drew aerial sketches to show how facilitators and visitors interacted with the prototypes.

Challenge Help create and assess the overall impact the mobile learning stations have engaging visitors in inquiry-based learning.

Phase 1 Observe how visitors use two prototypes to inform the design of five new mobile stations.

How are visitors interacting with the stations?

To what extent does the design of the stations affect interactions?

Do the stations meet the needs of the target audience?

What messages do visitors take away?

Phase 1 Questions

Project Overview

Client

Company

Role Data collection, analysis, and reporting.

Phase 2 Assess overall impact the learning stations have engaging visitors in inquiry-based learning.

Did the learning stations... How are visitors engaging?

Increase appreciation of the zoo’s commitment to animal care and/or conservation science?

Inspire visitors to share something that they learned with a family member or friend?

PhysicallySocially EmotionallyIntellectually

Animal Investigations

Habitat Inhabitants

How Feces Save Species

Nature Stinks

Nature’s Neighborhoods

Animals Like Us

Secrets of the Zoo

Key:

High Med Low

Outcomes

Project Overview

Partner

Sponsor Design for America is an award-winning nationwide network of interdisciplinary student teams and community members using design to create local and social impact.

Design / Tinkering Lab

Challenge How can we create an exhibit that empowers children to explore and create with real tools?

Tinkering vs. Scientific process

About Our student team applied a human-centered design approach to develop an exhibit on “tinkering” for children ages three-eight.

Several of our exhibit ideas were incorporated into the final space, which has been open to the public since early 2013.

tinker [v.]: to explore materials without a fixed goal

start with materials

ask a question

Form a hypothesis

experiment analyze conclude

tinkering: conclusions are the result

of random discovery

SCientiFiC ProCeSS: conclusions are drawn

by testing premeditated questions

Familiar items inspire kids to role-play and build on

prior knowledge.

Real objects are more inspiring than fantasy.

Use real objects and common tools.

Observation Insight Design Outcome

There is a disconnect between what kids imagine

and what they make.

Imagining is valuable, but ability to make is limited by familiarity with tools.

Provide the tools and support to bring kids’

ideas to life.

Kids enjoy solving problems, but get

frustrated when goals are too complicated.

Flexible outcomes let kids explore solutions

more freely.

Create open-ended prompts that let kids define and solve their

own problems.

Kids respond to small and large-scale experiences

with excitement.

Scale can be used to generate excitement.

Integrate a mix of small and large-scale

experiences.

Flexible

authentic

wow!

Outcomes

Pegboard Pinball Road Squares

These fabric squares feature textured material on one side and a road shape on the other. These flexible, tactile pieces help younger children explore textiles.

This simple pinball machine lets kids create their own obstacles with common materials such as bottle caps, pipe cleaners, and found objects.

ModeL + Prototypes Our team created two working prototypes of exhibit elements and produced a scale model to show how our ideas might be used in the future space.

Tinkering Lab Model

Designed to fit in the proposed exhibit space, this model incorporates our prototypes and other large scale opportunities for tinkering and play.

Deliverables

Problem Solving

Window Bird Feeder

Challenge How can I attract birds to a high-rise window for cat entertainment?

Prototype in UseI have a chubby cat named Elmer.

Laid-back to a fault, it’s difficult to get him active. The only thing that stimulates him is watching birds out the window. However, I live on the 4th floor of a high-rise building and need a product that can:

SpecificationsHang outside a window with absolutely no risk of falling on the busy street below

Attract birds without risking their safety

Allow me to open and close my window

prototype testing While using the window feeder, I noted several positive features and issues to resolve in the next iteration:

What WorkedElmer would stay glued to the window for hours

It successfully attracted birds, who were unruffled by my cat on the other side of the window

Issues to resolve Not adaptable to different window styles and sizes

Not weather proof. Cold air flowed into apartment

Not made from rot-resistant materials

Didn’t drain during rain

Product Illustration This drawing shows how the feeder attaches. Installing to the interior window ledge removes risk of falling on the street below.

iResearcher

Challenge How can I integrate smart phone usage into traditional handwritten data collection techniques?

The problem As a qualitative researcher, I need to take thorough, detailed notes on participant behavior while taking photos and recording time. It is most natural to use a smart phone, but it was difficult to capture all details while switching between my phone and clipboard.

Ideating I built several prototypes with cardboard and tape, then tested them in the field.

Specifications From testing, I learned that next iteration should:

Attach and detach from standard clipboards without adhesive

Withstand pressure applied while using buttons

Allow for the use of all smart-phone features

Not interfere with ability to flip pages on clipboard or minimize available writing surface

Testing Works-Like Prototype+ =?

3D Modeling After testing cardboard prototypes, I modeled a 3D printable version. This initial design was functional, but the size made printing impracticle.

Benefits Allows for new data collection tools without impeding traditional methods.

Adapts to a product that already exists, reducing cost and waste.

Solution is publicly available for print/download at TinkerCAD.

Model of Final PrototypeThis final model securely fits on a clipboard while using far less material and can be printed using a 3D printer with a standard surface area.

Renter’s Planter

Challenge How can I introduce green space on a small porch without occupying floor space or using permanent hardware?

Sketch of PrototypeThe problem As an urban renter and a DIY “nester” I am frequently at odds with the terms of my lease, namely the provision that I not hang anything using permanent hardware on our small back porch.

Ideating After exploring several no hardware options, I decided to prototype a self-supporting pressure planter. I created two window boxes, to be hung on either side of a porch rail, tightened together until they supported the weight of removable planter liners.

Specifications In addition to the original design challenges, this prototype needed to:

Support 90 lbs. minimum

Give the appearance of floating on the porch rail

Have removable flower planters

Be easily moved by one person

Be made from rot-resistant materials and allow drainage

High-Fidelity Prototype. I built this using cedar, steel rods, and removable planter boxes. I look forward to making it easier to install and adaptable to different porches.

Building at my woodshop

Food Minder

Challenge How can I design a product that helps college students reduce food waste?

DeSign ChallengeS

uSer inSightS

Users inventory fridge contents

visually, so clutter leads to waste.

How can I make it easier to inventory

food?

How can I accommodate a

variety of organizing styles?

Shared fridges are used as message

boards.

How can I make it easier to track

expiration dates?

Users do not know average shelf life of

most foods.

Insights + CHallenges from ResearchThe Problem

470The average pounds of food wasted per person annually.

Food waste at home is a problem for everyone, but college students are particularly susceptible because they are:

New to grocery shopping for themselves

Busy and can’t prioritize healthy eating

“ “I don’t usually buy a lot of produce because I worry about it going bad.

Solution A system of magnets with food items colored with a gradient indicating approximate shelf-life. Word magnets can be adapted for different organization and communication strategies.

Early Prototype A series of square magnets with food items color coded by shelf-life with magnetic strip that can be placed in or outside the fridge.

Issues to resolve

Next Steps This system solves the problems of visibility, shelf-life knowledge, and flexible organization, but it requires a significant time investment. In the next iteration, I would like to do long-term user testing for new insights.

No one used the magnetic strip inside the fridge. All users preferred external freezer door placement.

Colors did not intuitively communicate shelf-life without key.

Combining images with words made them too different from word magnets, therefore less intuitive.

Cake Design

Birthday Cake Philosophy

Sugar is my medium of choice to celebrate the special people in my life.

A cake should always be personal

Something tart

Something Sweet

Something Cute

Something boozY

Cake Study/ Kathryn’s Blackberry Tea Cake

Kathryn is a PhD student in English literature. A lover of tea and thoughtful conversations, she’s most at home cuddled with a warm mug, good book, and the company of friends.She’s an avid runner and farmer’s market attendee,

appreciating food that is local, seasonal, and healthy. When asked to describe her, most people will use words such as “lovely” and “thoughtful.”

The Birthday Girl The Cake

Inspiration

Black-tea cake covered in blackberry-lime curd and frosted with blueberry-blossom honey-stabilized whipped cream

Cake Study/ Garibay Group Cake

Jane is a co-worker at Garibay Group. With an MDes in Communication Design, she is responsible for the presentation style of our final reports and is a stickler for making sure all reports use our official company color palette.

The Birthday Girl The Cake

Inspiration

Orange cake, brushed with orange-rum syrup, covered with dark chocolate rum ganache and topped with pistachios

As a fan of natural snacks, especially fruits and nuts, she enjoys specialty trail mixes comprised of fruits, nuts, and chocolate.

Garibay Group Color Palette

D.i.y.

DIY Philosophy

Makers are better

consumersEngaging with how objects are

made, equips you to better question and seek alternatives to standard means of production.

men can sew, Women can

use powertools.DIY techniques should be

accessible to all. No one should be hesistant to learn a skill

because of gender associations.

Sources of inspirationDIY is an attitude,

not a skill setIt’s about recognizing your ability

to alter your environment and define your own way of living.

@KatieSmiley

614.582.8199

CONTACT INFO

Thank you

smileykr13@gmail.com

katie-smiley.squarespace.com