Profile

Experienced analyst and designer with initiative and leadership skills. Effective team player and communicator with a strong background in usability evaluation, web and print design, and experience in user interface design, information and data visualization, and business design.

Education

University of Michigan, School of Information, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Master of Science in Information, specializing in Human-Computer Interaction, May 2009. Cumulative GPA 7.79/9.0 (3.88/4.0).

Boise State University, Boise, Idaho
Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Cum Laude, 2007. Cumulative GPA- 3.68, Major GPA- 3.87.

Projects

GroupLoops

The GroupLoops team developed a proposal that was submitted to a grant competition for student initiated research, which was subsequently chosen for funding. The GroupLoops team built a prototype iPhone application that uses gestures for creating music and requires other to play a song. The team utilized user centered design methods to research how users learn to play music and how collaboration affects learning.

Methods used: Contextual inquiry, interviews and interpretation sessions, individual and consolidated modeling, affinity diagram, personas and scenarios, lo- and hi-fi prototyping, and usability testing.

Gallery Open Source Project

Gallery is an open source web based photo album organizer used by hundreds of thousands of people around the world. Led team through research, design, and testing process. Project deliverables will be used by the Gallery team and elements of our prototype will be incorporated into a future release.

Methods used: Contextual inquiry, interviews and interpretation sessions, individual and consolidated modeling, affinity diagram, personas and scenarios, lo- and hi-fi prototyping, and usability testing.

Syntax2D Spatial Analysis Software

Our team conducted a usability analysis of Syntax2D and created documentation that will guide the user interface redesign. Syntax2D is an open source software application for urban and architectural spatial analysis developed at the Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning at the University of Michigan. Syntax2D features isovist, grid, and axial analysis as well as path analysis and counting features intended to assist with field research.

Methods used: Interviews, generalized transition network, personas and scenarios, competitive / comparative analysis, surveys, heuristic evaluations, usability testing, vocabulary analysis, and visual analysis.

Assistive Media

Assistive Media is a small, nonprofit organization in Ann Arbor that makes high-quality audio recordings of articles and essays for anyone with a reading access barrier. Assistive Media faces challenges of keeping the site accessible to blind and visually impaired users, who employ a host of techniques to access web content. Over the years the site has outgrown the capacity of the original site architecture making this an opportune time to consider a redesign. Our team developed a web strategy report focusing on improving data structure and content accessibility.



Methods used: Interviews, credibility analysis, literature review, needs analysis, and personas.

Michigan Administrative Information Services (MAIS)

MAIS is a service organization that supports all academic and administrative units and helps University staff utilize the systems to improve the operating efficiency. Our contextual inquiry project analyzed the time and labor and payroll modules, specifically the timekeeping process. MAIS’ goal was to eliminate hard-copy time sheets and our research goal was to analyze all timekeeping methods and generate recommendation that could enable MAIS to achieve their goal.

Methods used: Interviews and interpretation sessions, individual and consolidated modeling (sequence, communication flow, artifact, and physical), root cause analysis, and affinity diagram.

Ruby Toozday Skin

Ruby Toozday is a collaborative Ruby on Rails project part of the Design of Complex Web Sites course at the University of Michigan School of Information. Students in the course developed skins for Ruby Toozday that would be used as the default skin. Mine was chosen as the default skin.

Research experience

Publications

• Torres, A., Zenner, C., Benson, D., Harris, S., & Koberlein, T. (2008, January). Relationships between self-esteem and factors known to affect college attendance. Psi Chi Journal of Undergraduate Research.
• Torres, A., & Pritchard, M. E. (2006). Personality characteristics as predictors of health risk behavior. Boise State University McNair Scholars Research Journal, 2, 53-60.

Papers

• Research assistant on a study of motivation and challenges in a local exercise group and other factors that affect participation (e.g., gender, age, motivation for joining, frequency and intensity of exercise, optimism, mood). Supervisor: Dr. Mary Pritchard. Study conducted during summer and fall of 2006.
• Study examined the influence of personality characteristics as predictors of risky health behavior. Supervisor: Dr. Mary Pritchard. Summer and Fall 2005, and Spring 2006.
• Study investigated perceived control over stressors and their affect on our health. Supervisor: Dr. Mary Pritchard. Summer and Fall 2005, and Spring 2006.
• Study investigated differences between students that go on to pursue higher education and those that do not. Students are part of TRiO’s pre-college program and research was done through service-learning component of a course.
• Participated in a Research Methods course where we investigated the effects of presentation modality and participant characteristics on the level of false recall. We found a positive relationship between age and level of false recall. Supervisor: Dr. Christopher Duva.

Presentations

• Torres, A., Svenkerud, N., & Pritchard, M. E. (2007, May). Motivations and challenges in the Boise Run/Walk group. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Western Psychological Association, Vancouver, BC.
• Torres, A., Zenner, C., Benson, D., Harris, S., & Koberlein, T. (2007, May). Relationships between self-esteem, perceived academic abilities, and intended college attendance. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Western Psychological Association, Vancouver, BC.
• Torres, A. A, Svenkerud, N., Pritchard, M. E., & Book, P. (2007, April). Motivations and challenges in Boise Run/Walk group. Paper presented at The Annual Boise State University Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Conference, Boise, ID.
• Torres, A. A, Zenner, C., Benson, D., Harris, S., & Koberlein, T. (2007, April). Relationships between self-esteem and factors known to affect college attendance. Paper presented at The Annual Boise State University Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Conference, Boise, ID.
• Torres, A. A, & Pritchard, M. E. (2006, April). Personality characteristics as predictors of risky health behavior. Paper presented at The Annual meeting of the Rocky Mountain Psychological Association, Park City, UT.
• Torres, A. A, & Pritchard, M. E. (2006, April). Personality characteristics as predictors of health risk behaviors. Paper presented at The Annual Boise State University Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Conference, Boise, ID.
• Torres, A. A., & Pritchard, M. E. (2006, April). The effects of perceived control over distress on health. Paper presented at The Annual meeting of the Rocky Mountain Psychological Association, Park City, UT.
• Torres, A. A, & Pritchard, M. E. (2006, March). Personality characteristics as predictors of risky health behavior. Paper presented at The Annual Mexican American Studies Conference, Boise, ID.
• Torres, A. A, & Pritchard, M. E. (2005, November). Personality characteristics as predictors of risky health behavior. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National McNair Conference, Lake Delevan, WI.

Teaching experience

• Teaching Assistant. Dr. Mary Pritchard, Psychology of Health (Psychology 331). This course contained a service-learning component in which, I was responsible for six groups. Fall 2005, Fall 2006, Spring 2007.
• Teaching Assistant. David Hall, McNair Scholars Junior Seminar. Assisted in the preparation of the course, which prepares students for their summer research. Prepared research proposals and submitted them to the Institutional Review Board for approval. Spring semester of 2006 and 2007.
• Teaching Assistant. David Hall, Introduction to Multi-Ethnic Studies. This course examines the social construct of race and how it shapes our current society and institutions within our society. This course aims at clarifying what race is, but most importantly, what it is not. Fall semester of 2006.

Coursework

Undergraduate Coursework

Graduate Coursework

Honors & Awards

• Awarded scholarship for full time study from the University of Michigan School of Information and Rackham School of Graduate Studies. Scholarship includes $7,800 stipend and students fees per term for 2 terms. March 2007.
• Awarded Merit scholarship from the University of Michigan School of Information. Full tuition scholarship for 4 terms. March 2007.
• Awarded membership to Phi Kappa Phi honor society, Boise State University, 2007.
• Accepted to McNair Scholars Program, Boise State University, 2003
• Social Sciences and Public Affairs Dean’s List, Boise State University

Skills

Affiliations

• Phi Kappa Phi, Honor Society, Boise State University Chapter
• Psi Chi, Psychology Honor Society, Boise State University Chapter
• American Psychological Association, Student Affiliate
• Western Psychological Association, Student Affiliate.
• Association for Computing Machinery, Student Affiliate

Work Experience

User Experience Designer, Citrix Online, Santa Barbara, California
February 2010 — Present
Collaborate with developers and Product Managers to maintain and expand the user experience of products, while utilizing user-centered design methods to elicit user’s needs and goals. Develop interaction design, visual design, and prototypes for products across the web, mobile, and desktop.

User Experience Analyst, SUPERVALU, Boise, Idaho
June 2009 — February 2010
Collaborate with tech and business stakeholders to better understand their needs and goals for applications being developed. Plan and conduct usability testing sessions with end users, including recruiting users from the target audience. Conduct data analysis and generate findings, recommendations, and presentations for stakeholders to improve applications. Assist in developing the vision for user experience within SUPERVALU.

User Experience Researcher and Designer and Software Developer, GroupLoops, LLC, Ann Arbor, Michigan
May 2009 — May 2010
Co-founded GroupLoops, LLC, along with three colleagues. GroupLoops was the product of a Grant Opportunities Collaborative Spaces research grant. The GroupLoops team aims to build iPhone applications that lessens the barriers to music creation. GroupLoops utilizes user centered design methods to research how users learn to play music and how collaboration affects learning. Currently conduct and analyze research on future application concepts and users needs, design lo-fi and hi-fi prototypes, conduct usability tests, and develop software.

User Experience Researcher and Designer, Troubadour Mobile Inc, Ann Arbor, Michigan
May 2008 — October 2009

Co-founded Troubadour Mobile, along with two colleagues, as part of an entrepreneurial incubator program backed by a local venture capital firm. Troubadour Mobile aims to create location-based mobile phone applications for iPhone and Android. Currently conduct and analyze research on future application concepts and users needs, design lo-fi and hi-fi prototypes, and conduct usability tests. Also conduct other aspects of business such as marketing and financial budgeting.

Freelance/Contracted Graphic and Web Designer, Sports Fan Corp Boise, Idaho
August 2007 — Present

Provide support for The Blue & Orange Store website, prepare and edit images for web publication, design HTML newsletters sent to over 5000 customers. Design paper and web advertisements, including photography and content.

Web Designer, University of Michigan, School of Social Work, Ann Arbor, Michigan
September 2007 — April 2009

Perform content updates and design adjustments using CSS and HTML, improve site accessibility, and develop applications in ColdFusion and SQL.

Operations & Website Manager, The Blue & Orange Store & Sports Fan Corp Boise, Idaho
January 2006 — August 2007

Maintained The Blue & Orange Store website. Photographed products and special events, prepared and edited images for web publication, designed HTML newsletters sent to over 5000 customers, order fulfillment and shipping. Designed paper and web advertisements, including photography and content. Also, provided technical support to five stores.

Residential Mentor, TRiO Upward Bound, Boise State University Boise, Idaho
June 2007 — July 2007

Residential mentor to 43 high school students participating in Upward Bound Summer School program. Planned events, assisted with homework, and other logistical needs. The goal of Upward Bound is to assist students in their pursuit of higher education by over coming barriers of race, class, and economics.

Manger, Pro Image, Capz, & Sports Fan Corp Boise, Idaho
July 2003 — January 2006

Initiated orders, kept inventory, displayed merchandise and set up the store for corporate visits, made deposits, maintained computer network, edited images for website, and managed 3-8 employees at a given time.

Sales Associate, Pro Image & Sports Fan Corp Boise, Idaho
January 2001 — July 2003

Helped customers with product, restocked store, cleaned store, and other general sales associate duties.

Interests

Computer technology, specifically those surrounding ubiquitous computing, mobile devices, and the web.

References Upon Request