As an Industrial Design Engineer I tend to focus on design and problem solving, however it is not always the case that I get the chance to work with computation (to be honest this is the first time that even use this term to define what i used to call technology). Trying to explain what “Computation” adds to my professional goals is something that I have been trying to do since I applied to ITP, therefore this post could (or not) give me more clarity about the social and health approaches that I would tike to give to my carear.
I have the clear objective of designing products that seek to improve the living conditions of people. And thus, I established my goal as a professional: stop trying to solve “first world problems” and instead, focus on deciphering "modern problems". It goes beyond working on superfluous projects that are not relevant (as is the case with some startups in the world) and instead be able to contribute to solving problems such as climate change, food security and access to education and health.
During the past few years I have worked on projects that use computation for the approaches that I want to take and I tend to research about ways to mix design and technology. As part of my professional development I took an IDEO certification in Human-Centered Design in order to find alternatives to focus my knowledge as an Engineer in problem solving, which lead me to work as a HCD consultant on a project that aimed to improve the alimentary safety in rural areas of Guatemala. The use of computation to collect and visualize data improved the current digital tools that were being used leading to a most usable experience and therefore aimed to reduce the alert caused by malnutrition in the population.
Food Safety Tool prototype before development.
Read more about HCD “Food Safety Tool” here
Also as part of the projects that have used computation, I developed my bachelor’s degree graduation project called Vizport (“VizGVar”), a visualization tool for genomic data and proteins that are related to the onset of diseases such as breast cancer, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. This is a great example about how computation and the use of technology helped researchers to understand and visualize the data in a more comprehensive way, leading them to extract knowledge from the graphics.
VizGvar tool, data visualization of proteins data.
Read more about Vizport “VizGvar” here
After working as a UX/UI designer for some years I have developed an even stronger interest for working in multidisciplinary teams, in the search of solutions to relevant problems by combining principles of Design, Engineering and Technology. The course “Intro to Computational Media” and it’s content will allow me to focus on three areas that I am deeply interested in: 1. Analysis and design of data visualization in order to transform them into knowledge. 2. Usability Research focused on investigating the behavior of end users. 3. Human-Technology interaction, aiming at the design of innovative solutions that ensure that technological advances are sustainable and do not hinder human coexistence.
Clearly, human beings have the ability to achieve unimaginable goals, both physically and intellectually; therefore, my passion is to design technological solutions to improve people's lives in a more inclusive and innovative way.