Nevermind is a video game targeted towards youth, that aims to entertain and introduce the very serious topic of mental health in an immersive, authentic, and meaningful way. Mental health refers to one’s psychological, emotional, and social well-being, all of which can influence one’s mood, behavior, and decision making. We found that there is a still lack of resources for youth to feel comfortable talking about mental health and getting help. By experiencing Nevermind, youth will be introduced to the topic of mental health in a way that will spark more thoughtful conversation within their age group.

One in five adults in the United States (46.6 million) experience mental illness in a given year, but 60% of them never receive the treatment they need due to challenges related to access, insurance, and patient-provider compatibility. PearCare is a two-sided web application that makes it easy to find a suitable provider by simplifying the process of matching those looking for treatment with those who provide it. By pairing patients to providers who fit their needs and are actively searching for new clients, our patients find the support they need and our providers gain engaged prospective clients.

In the age of ubiquitous information, museums are challenged with providing a unique and dynamic visitor experience. The Pacific Science Center, one of world’s leading science museums, is faced with a similar dilemma for its “Dinosaurs: Journey Through Time” exhibit. Project Alive employs Magic Leap One's spatial computing to simulate a mixed reality experience of the Mesozoic Era (252-66 million years ago) that is both immersive, and informative. Based on extensive user interviews and surveys, Project Alive incorporates elements of surprise and visual ecstasy within an interactive storyline that would truly bring the dinosaurs back to life.

The City of Seattle provides effective information to Seattleites through their website – www.seattle.gov. Seattle IT struggles to understand user behavior and effectiveness of their website. They spend a lot of time creating content. However, they are unclear if this content is surfaced in ways that are comprehensible for users. Our project is an effort to develop a KPI-based framework that content creators can use to understand users and enhance the discoverability of content. Through our holistic and comprehensive framework, Seattle IT can regularly track performance and drive continuous improvement of the online experience that users and potential users have.

HEALWA is an online medical library that provides resources at no additional cost to eligible healthcare professionals in Washington State, in partnership with the WA Department of Health. HEALWA sponsored us to redesign their medical toolkits as part of their outreach and expansion project to increase utilization among potential users. We evaluated HEALWA’s toolkits for accessibility and functionality using their eJournals, eBooks, Databases, and Continuing Education materials, and we created new interdisciplinary toolkits for specific health topics. Our toolkit recommendations have the potential to improve health outcomes for Washington state residents by promoting healthcare provider access to clinical research information.

Commonly used classification systems often leave librarians and users in want of better way to organize their collections. Outdated language and irrelevant hierarchical structures privilege the access and dissemination of certain knowledges - a known problem in the world of Knowledge Organization. This research explores why classification systems should be considered an extension of an institution’s voice, and how these systems impact user experience in such spaces. Understanding classification systems as rhetorical devices can help librarians and users fully understand and intentionally use these tools to cultivate truly inclusive and equitable environments.

Sleep deficiency affects over 20% of the estimated 300,000 children with arthritis nationwide. The Sleep Self-Management Intervention for Children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis study at the UW School of Nursing is developing a web-based learning application that will help children be better equipped to improve their sleep quality. The SleepWell skill for Alexa was researched and designed in tandem with this study, for use as a potential tool to provide additional ad-hoc support with sleep. The voice user interface design of SleepWell includes guidance for relaxation techniques, a soothing sound and music library, and tools for developing healthy sleep habits.

How to teach data science effectively is still largely unknown, as is the experience of educators in this field. Many data science instructors transition from practitioner roles, and understanding their experience during this transition may inform us of ways to support these individuals. To study this, I transitioned from data science practitioner to educator and tracked the experience with journal entries. The study found that I encountered many challenges, mainly surrounding issues of teaching in a higher education context, caring about others opinions, and difficulty distinguishing identity between peer, TA, or instructor.

This project is meant to determine the feasibility and willingness for libraries to use virtual, augmented, and mixed reality technologies (digital realities) in order to solve modern information problems. As a whole, library employees were generally enthusiastic about the technology. Unfortunately, research on AR/VR software and a survey of library professionals revealed a lack of training, budget concerns, uncertainty of its usefulness, and a lack of meaningful software. However, the secondary aspect of this project would help alleviate some of these concerns with the creation of freely available software that are meaningful and relevant toward libraries and makerspaces.

Meaningful understanding of diverse user groups can help maintain top-of-the-line experiences in software and beyond. Epic Games asked the Data Divas to design a study that could be applied across multiple user types for Unreal Engine 4 and its documentation. Phase One involved creating user personas and stories. In Phase Two, we developed a flexible methodology using customizable task sets and user-centric evaluation through journey maps and open-ended questions. In Phase Three, we tested the methodology with beginning-level users and gained additional insight. Applying this methodology will help quickly assess user needs across an increasingly diversifying user group.