Francesca Hagethorn

Current position: Interaction Designer at Be Informed

'After graduating in Information Studies with a Master's in Human Centred Multimedia (HCM), now known as the Information Systems track, I went to work for the University of Amsterdam as a researcher. I spent two years doing research on guidelines for an auditory walking navigation system for people in the early stages of dementia commissioned by Project Audiogids. I especially enjoyed doing the field research, and interacting with patients. Our research was centred around the user, a method known as User Centred Design (UCD).'

'After two years of research, I moved on to work for the corporate world. My training and experience in User Centred Design eventually led me to a position as Interaction Designer at Be Informed. Be Informed is a software company specialising in solutions for knowledge-intensive processes. The solutions are built using the Be Informed Suite. The knowledge featured in the resulting applications is visually represented and modelled, making it extremely easy to manage.'

'As an Interaction Designer, I specialise in application interfaces, especially their interaction patterns. An example of interaction patterns would be the way in which users navigate an application (website). It's extremely important to ensure that this navigation process is an enjoyable experience, as this affects the user's overall perception of working with the programme. A good user experience will encourage more frequent use, and make the user's work lighter. In other words, we strive to create a positive user experience.'

'If I look at all the aspects I deal with on a daily basis now - User Centred Design, User Experience, Interaction Design and the method for managing knowledge-intensive processes (Knowledge Engineering) - I have to say I'm very glad I did this broadly-oriented Master's. The HCM Master's programme prepares you for both the research sector and the corporate world.'