Abstract

Our speaker for March will be Chris Atherton (@finiteattention), a usability specialist, expert in psychology. Chris will join us fresh from speaking at Confab 2013.

Talk description

Science — and neuroscience — is increasingly part of the UX landscape. But is it all relevant? Does it mean what we think it means? And how are we supposed to interpret it without a PhD in cognitive neuroscience? Chris, who actually has a PhD in cognitive neuroscience, will try to demonstrate that you don’t need a higher degree to understand the bits that matter, and illustrate some of the common pitfalls in interpreting neuroscience. She hopes you won’t mind if she works through some practical examples on the night.

About Chris Atherton

Chris is a usability specialist, and director of Finite Attention Ltd. Her favourite projects tend to be the kind that require hours spent lovingly hand-stitching digital learning experiences—especially ones that rhyme. While at Numiko, Chris worked on the Time To Change project featured in her Confab presentation, and she also developed user experiences for clients like the BBC , Channel 4, EDF Energy, and the British Thyroid Foundation.

Chris believes in user-centred design, and in tailoring online experiences to what we know about how the mind works. Her previous paying gigs have included experience research at Skype, a surprisingly long tenure as a psychology lecturer, and impersonating a Star Wars character. Chris basically gets paid to read, think, write, and draw pictures. She worries that sooner or later, a client or employer will blow the whistle on this ridiculous arrangement.