1. What inspired you to work in a technology?
I was inspired to work in technology, to use my creative skills to have an impact and design a better future. Growing up I was good at art and computers, but I never thought of myself as a technical person so I studied art. My original career path consisted of a day job at a hedge fund while painting in my free time. I spent my days frustrated with complex software applications, and when I began working in the venture capital arm of the fund, I noticed similar usability problems even in slick new mobile apps. That’s when I discovered the field of human-computer interaction and began working as a user experience (UX) designer, leveraging my artistic and technical capacities to design user interfaces. I now work as a UX researcher, which allows me to use my left brain to analyze how users interact with technology and my right brain to guide the design process. 2. What exactly is Mixed Reality, and what drove you to explore it? Mixed Reality (MR) is a continuum of environments between the real world and the virtual world. There are various enabling technologies that can create an MR environment such as mobile devices, wearables, and displays embedded in the physical space. Many people are now familiar with the term augmented reality (AR) thanks to popular games such as Pokemon Go. AR fits within the broader range of MR environments, but the terms are often used interchangeably. 3. What are some benefits MR can bring to our society? Rather than splitting our attention between digital devices and the physical world around us, MR enables a user to interact with both digital and physical objects together in context. This can make digital information readily available while continuing to operate in the real world. MR opens up opportunities for more natural and collaborative ways of interacting with computers. 4. Could exposure to MR have negative effects on the human biome (motion sickness, neurological footprints, dependence, agoraphobia or attention deficit)? MR has been known to cause symptoms such as motion sickness, eye strain, and fatigue, but further research on long-term effects is needed. Some of the issues we have with digital experiences today could be heightened with MR, such as distracted attention and information overload. Agoraphobia is a possibility, imagine the equivalent of spammy banner ads or push notifications completely surrounding you. 5. How could MR change how humans interact and function as a society? Could MR completely replace real world interactions and experiences? Just as mobile devices transformed our everyday lives by making computing power available anytime and anywhere, MR presents the next paradigm shift in how we interact. We will be able to navigate with directions overlaid on our field of view, meet someone and have facial recognition to search and display their information, and create and share 3D holograms. Instead of tapping a screen, we will interact using voice, gesture, gaze, and locomotion detected by cameras and sensors on our devices, bodies, and in our environment. This will prompt many changes in social norms, particularly around privacy. The advantage of MR is that it allows humans to continue to interact in the real world while aided by digital tools. However, I do believe that the more immersive end of the MR continuum, such as virtual reality (VR), has the potential to replace real world experiences. 6. One of my favorite series, Black Mirror, talks about how advertisers can use AR and VR to collect volumes more personal information, interrupt experiences and pay-to-win syndromes. What are your thoughts on this? Black Mirror is great at keeping a finger on the pulse of how technology and society might change in the near future. Advertisers will definitely be able to collect more personal information and interrupt experiences based on your location, direction of your gaze, etc. It’s hard to understand the value of something like privacy until it’s gone, and then people will be willing to pay for it. 7. There just aren’t enough women of color in science and technology. Why is this and what can we do to remedy it? Unfortunately there are so many contributing factors to the lack of women of color in STEM fields. It starts early, with different societal expectations making girls internalize the message that they aren’t good at science and technology and not pursue this. But even if she pursues her studies in STEM, she then enters the field facing racist and sexist power structures that can stunt her career growth, to the extent that some women switch careers. One way we can help remedy this is by changing who we picture when we think of an engineer, doctor, or innovator. By celebrating the achievements of women of color in these roles and having them represented in the media, we can inspire others and shift cultural attitudes. 8. When will Mixed Reality become reality? And where can one go to learn more and keep up on its progress? A number of mobile apps, wearables, and digital displays in the built environment are making MR a reality today. But the technology is still evolving, and usability is a key factor in consumer adoption. 9. What’s next for Shannon Holloway? I’m excited to continue to research, write, and speak about making technology user-friendly! |
THOUGHTWARDS
Thoughtwards is a blog celebrating forward thought and the diverse thinkers who think them.
M. Lachi is an award winning recording/performing artist and composer, a published author, and a proponent of forward thinking. Having studied Management at UNC and Music at NYU, M. Lachi employs both savvies in her creative endeavors. For more on M. Lachi's music click here. 
|
RSS Feed