User Designer

User Designer is a blog broadly covering topics in Human Computer Interaction and Interaction Design. With a specific focus on research, methods, tools and techniques that enable users to take control and shape their own user experiences.

I’m (Mike Bennett) interested in exploring the futuristic implications of an individual centered adaptable and adaptive world.

In particular I look for examples of malleable objects and spaces. Where everyone is able to pull, twist, and reshape objects to their individual needs and wishes. Ideally without requiring expert knowledge or skills.

Objects can be as simple as bean bags that remember your shape, or kitchen forks whose length and weight distribution can be easily altered by pulling on each end of the fork. Objects can be manifest as thought experiments, physical objects, virtual objects or any mixture of bits and atoms with a dose of digital smarts.

This blog is written for fun and to help clarify my thoughts. Feel free to contact me - I’d love to hear from you if you’ve got suggestions or feedback? Enjoy.

About Mike

User Designer is written by Mike Bennett - who really dislikes writing about himself in the third person. When I’m not tinkering or reading I’m pursuing a PhD in Interaction Design / HCI in University College Dublin, Ireland.

Previous to that I spent a few years as a researcher in MIT’s Media Lab Europe where I was a Research Associate focused on haptics, information visualisation and a bunch of other novel interaction concepts, communities and technologies. Over the years various bits and pieces of my (and collaborators) work have gotten international mentions and recognition, e.g. New York Times, Slashdot, Honorary Mention @ Ars Electronica, etc. If you’re interested my resume, papers and research aims are online.