Welcome

What a month it has been. Between graduation, my job search and working on my capstone presentation I haven't had much time to blog.

I presented my capstone on Friday and it was very well received by faculty and the international students. It looks like someone might be carrying on my research after I leave. I hope to post a video of the presentation before the week is over. I'll have more about that in my capstone blog. http://www.jamiemcatee.com/blog/index.php/capstone

I have updated the design of my portfolio and posted a few new pieces. I now have a final version of the Design Research Society paper that I worked on with Prof. Erik Stolterman, David Royer and Selvan Thandapani. http://www.jamiemcatee.com/port.php?ID=19

I have also added two short papers the first is a design critique of vacuum cleaners and a user evaluation of two potential article designs for a newspaper website.

It was really interesting to find out that one of the possible job titles I could have is one Fast Company considers to be a job that people don't realize they want.

I especially liked this part of the article. "Although many interaction designers have advanced degrees in design, such a background isn't a prerequisite, says David Fore, head of consulting services at Cooper, a pioneering interaction design firm. Fore previously worked as a reporter for industry publications -- valuable experience, given that interaction designers' research requires "the skills of a reporter and an anthropologist," according to him."

I have the skills of a reporter because of my background in the field and I have learned a number of things about studying people in my two years as a master's student.

Here is a link to the page with the interaction designer description, http://www.fastcompany.com/articles/2008/01/ten-jobs.html?page=0%2C2.

The full article
http://www.fastcompany.com/articles/2008/01/ten-jobs.html?page=0%2C0

Many of you have probably noticed a slight site revision. For blog readers it is a pretty major change for those of you looking at my portfolio site it is a header change and some content tweaks.

I decided to put my blog as my homepage since it was easier to post updates about my current research and other topics I find important.

I believe I have all of the bugs worked out but if you spot anything please send me a note.

This week has gone by so fast. I leave very early tomorrow morning for San Jose for three months.

It is sort of a strange feeling since I haven't even been in Bloomington a year and now I am taking off again.

I shipped 3 boxes of clothes and kitchen/misc stuff to San Jose this morning and I have two full suitcases and a backpack of my tech gear that I am taking with me on the plane tomorrow. I don't know what I will need for three months since the weather varies. Since I don't know where I am staying I don't know if they will have the knives, pans, measuring cups etc that I need to cook.

Today I was thinking how strange it is going to be adjusting to another new place. Two completely new places in less than one year.

I am also car less from now until I get back. I stored my car at a friends house for the summer. It is going to be strange not to just get in the car and go to the grocery store or Target etc.

I don't have a more permanent place to live yet but I am going into corporate housing tomorrow for two weeks.

I start Monday morning at 9 am and I have to make sure I leave in plenty of time to get on the bus/light rail to get to work.

It is exciting and scary all at the same time. This feels a lot like when I was getting ready to come to Bloomington but there are a few more uncertain factors. The housing thing is a big thing to me since I am not sure where I will be living in two weeks. It has made forwarding mail a huge mess.

I am going to miss my friends but luckily I do have a few friends who are going to be in the San Francisco Bay area this summer. I am sure I will make a bunch of new friends at eBay/PayPal.