I develop interactive web applications focusing on data visualization, geospatial analysis and mapping. I use Python, Django and PostgreSQL/PostGIS for the web application, Tailwind CSS for styling and Hotwire for interactivity. I use Leaflet for mapping geospatial data, Chart.js for simple data visualizations and D3 for something more elaborate.
I have a masters degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), which motivated me to work with people to make everything I develop easy to use and understand with human-centered design. My doctorate combined HCI with data visualization and information retrieval.
Three books influenced my development as an interactive system developer:
- The Psychology of Everything Things by Donald Norman
- The Humane Interface by Jef Raskin
- About Face by Alan Cooper
Donald Norman's The Psychology of Everyday Things (now titled The Design of Everyday Things), was the first book I'd read that promoted the idea that if a product was difficult to use it was the fault of its designers and not its users. This is a key idea that drives my work. For a fun introduction to human-centered design, take a look at this YouTube video about Norman Doors.
The second book that gave me the desire to search for better ways to design was Jef Raskin's The Humane Interface. Jef's key idea was that one cannot design something better without designing something different.
The third book that influenced my approach to design was the first edition of Alan Cooper's About Face. The thinking in About Face was so different to the few contemporary books on user interface design at the time.