Design Student of the Month - Hannah Johnston

There are a lot of creative students in Canada who are doing innovative work to improve people's life through interactive, visual, informational, and other aspects of User Experience Design. I invited them to introduce who they are and share their work with you. To nominate a Design Student of the Month, email us. The Design Student of the Month for July 2008 is Hannah Johnston! Congratulations!! Let's hear from Hannah.

hannahj

Who’s Hannah?

I recently completed my Bachelor's degree in Information Technology - Interactive Multimedia and Design at Carleton University in Ottawa. I think it’s a great time to be designing technology as ubiquitous computing is taking off and technological interfaces are going far beyond the limitations of standard computer inputs. I'm primarily interested in using technology to design interactive media and games that are both entertaining and practical.

What cool stuff is Hannah doing?

I’m currently researching the use of inertial sensors for video game input in order to change the way people play. With accelerometers strapped to the body, we’re able to detect different body poses as well as some basic gestures, such as running and jumping. The system, Sensor Network for Active Play (SNAP ), aims to enforce more rigorous movement on the part of the player and encourages active involvement in the games.

One of the games we’ve developed is called Posemania. It is essentially a full-body version of Dance Dance Revolution, where players replicate full-body poses instead of pushing buttons with their feet. Track Heroes is a track and field based game where players can compete in the 100m dash and hurdles events, while running and jumping on the spot.

What are Hannah’s plans after graduation?

In September, I’ll be starting a Master’s in Information Systems Science at Carleton University. After that, I might continue with Doctoral studies towards becoming a Professor. Alternatively, I’d like to find employment designing and creating interactive experiences that engage users and have a positive impact on society.

Want to learn more about Hannah?

Please visit hannahj.ca to contact me or to find out more about me and my projects.

Technorati Tags: Carleton University,Design Student of the Month,Canadian