about

Originally from Colorado, I moved to the Boston metropolitan area after completing a degree in Anthropology, not only to get my Masters in Human Factors in Information Design from Bentley University, but to be a part of the strong user experience community established out here.

My interest in working in Human Factors began with a video I watched in an elective art class while studying Anthropology.  The video showed a team of user research practitioners participating in a lively brainstorming session and playful prototyping process to create an innovative final result (a redesigned shopping cart).  I was intrigued by the unbolted working environment and was inspired to see an anthropologist (one of the practitioners) working in an applied field.  I realized that my interest in Anthropology could be applied not only to academia, but more directly to influence user-centered design.

From that point forward, my interest in user-centered design helped guide my academic, professional, and personal endeavors.  My fieldwork experience while studying Anthropology equipped me with the patience and insight to understand why North African teenagers in France struggle with their identity.  My college jobs, such as an expediter at a restaurant, taught me to work in teams to ensure an efficient flow between the kitchen and dining room.  My interest in osteology equipped me with the skills to deduce use patterns from small details, including habitual subsistence activities from bone fragments.

zarlashtah.ludin@gmail.com