Nick Rosencrans
Usability Consultant
I began working at the Digital Media Center for the Office of Information Technology in 2007 as a communications research assistant. Two years later I joined the Usability Services team to help designers build products, software and web sites that are as intuitive and easy to use as possible.
Usability consultants conduct task-based usability tests, eye-tracking analysis, terminology reviews, focus groups, card-sort sessions, heuristic-based software reviews, field studies, and user interviews. Through these methods, I try to identify issues that affect end-users and their experiences with the product.
Background
As a Michigan native, I attended Michigan Technological University to study communication, computer science, and music. In 2008, I earned a master's degree from the University of Minnesota focusing on scientific and technical communication, and human factors. I am interested in product development (extensible design and functional specification), user-centered design (error identification and persona development), and experience analysis (contextual inquiry and scenario composition).
Outside of work, I read a number of blogs like 43 Folders, Boxes and Arrows, Copyblogger, Lifehacker, Six Revisions, Smashing Magazine, and Unclutterer. I also occasionally leave my laptop behind for outdoor activities like bicycling—over 1,000 miles last year—and hiking. Some of my favorite places in the Twin Cities are the Brave New Workshop and the Science Museum of Minnesota, but I also enjoy spots like Minnehaha Park and the new Midtown Greenway when the weather is nice.
Contact Information
| E-Mail: | rosen584@umn·edu |
| Telephone: | (612) 626-4550 |
| Office: | West Bank Office Building 549C |
| Personal Web Site: | http://web.mac.com/nickrosencrans/ |
