I'm passionate about a balanced life where technology seamlessly integrates into daily routines. With so much technology in our homes, I believe it's crucial to find harmony between it and our connection to the physical world. This inspired me to explore products that merge the two, creating a system that blends nature with technology.
That's where SproutsIO comes in—a smart microgarden, developed by an MIT Media Lab spinoff, that allows you to grow indoors year-round without soil. The system combines a physical growing device with the SproutsIOGrow app, making gardening easy and engaging.
With the app, you can monitor your garden remotely, receive real-time sensor updates, and enjoy tailored content like recipes. You can even adjust the flavor of what you’re growing, making it a personalized experience.
To learn more about SproutsIO click here
To learn about biomimicry and adopting features from nature into design check out my page on Biomimicry
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We spend a significant portion of our lives in our homes and workplaces. This got me to thinking about space and environment as a canvas for merging the concepts of creativity, community, efficiency, and the opportunity to embedded truly “Smart ” features.
When we hear the term “Smart Home” we tend to imagine a living space which is filled with devices to control the lights, music, temperate, and so on. However, when I consider a smart ‘space’, I picture a scene in which the core design is more humanistic, complimenting aspects of our daily lives. There is great impact in the smallest things, like a bag hook near the front door for groceries or a purse to hang momentarily as you reach for keys or a phone. On a larger more connected level; Consider a space that incorporate real-time data to understand how often a room or area is being used. Imagine using such data to throttle/redistribute heat or A/C to a space that sees more traffic than another. While these solutions can be as simple as the installation of a hook from your local hardware store, to a complex arrangement of computer systems, this technology comes at a very small cost in comparison to wasted energy.
When we discuss the topic of ‘smart living’ and merging concepts of a well-functioning community space, I am reminded of The River Building, a community space designed by the world famous SANAA. Together, the creative talents of Pritzker Prize winning architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa and their staff of 25 out of Tokyo, Japan have created some of the most stunning architectural marvels incorporating this philosophy. In the words of the Pritzker jury, “The buildings by Sejima and Nishizawa seem deceptively simple. The architects hold a vision of a building as a seamless whole, where the physical presence retreats and forms a sensuous background for people, objects, activities, and landscapes.”
Their fluid integration of both internal and external space produces environments which are rich in social and spiritual potential. The River building was constructed on a sliver of the 80-acre Grace Farms property in New Canaan, CT.
Smart, responsive and elegant, the Copenhagen Wheel is a new emblem for urban mobility. It transforms ordinary bicycles quickly into hybrid e-bikes that also function as mobile sensing units. The Copenhagen Wheel allows you to capture the energy dissipated while cycling and braking and save it for when you need a bit of a boost. Additionally, the mobile application allows one to map pollution levels, traffic congestion, and road conditions in real-time.
Controlled through your smart phone, the Copenhagen Wheel becomes a natural extension of your everyday life. You can use your phone to unlock and lock your bike, change gears and select how much the motor assists you. As you cycle, the wheel’s sensing unit is also capturing your effort level and information about your surroundings, including road conditions, carbon monoxide, NOx, noise, ambient temperature and relative humidity. Access this data through your phone or the web and use it to plan healthier bike routes, to achieve your exercise goals or to meet up with friends on the go. You can also share your data with friends, or with your city - anonymously if you wish – thereby contributing to a fine-grained database of environmental information from which we can all benefit.
Want to learn more? Check out Superpedestrian.com
In 2021, I joined Best Buy to help lead its expansion beyond retail and e-commerce technology into the health tech space, transforming how people manage their health at home. Leveraging the trust customers have in Best Buy, we set out to create an innovative, human-centered approach to healthcare that empowers individuals to get well and stay well, either independently or with the support of healthcare providers. As the first designer to lead this project, I played a key role in launching our initial offerings, including a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) and an online hearing test paired with hearing aids. This marked a pivotal shift in user engagement with health devices, delivering a seamless, user-friendly experience through cutting-edge technology.
As part of our offering, we developed a free online hearing assessment to help users make informed decisions and explore the best options available through Best Buy. Give it a try now!
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As a Senior Design Lead at CVS Health, I was fortunate to act as the first member and lead of a new initiative, referred to as Omnichannel Pharmacy.
Our goal: To create a more seamless platform for CVS customers to receive necessary prescription items through multiple avenues of the business. In doing so, we aimed to bridge the gaps between the in-store experience, Health Hub, and Pharmacy.
Collaborating across all aspects of the business, and working to merge many company initiatives into one platform, my team and I launched a refreshed application focused around user needs, as well as the CVS Health Hub, an in-store space dedicated to medical analysis, treatment, and space for wellness programs like yoga and meditation.
Whether in pharmacies or through health services and plans, CVS continues to pioneer a bold new approach to total health. Making quality care more affordable, accessible, simple and seamless. Creating innovations that not only help people get well, but help them stay well in body, mind and spirit.
As a Principal Product Designer at CNN, I played a pivotal role in enhancing user engagement and personalization across CNN's digital ecosystem. I led the launch of 3rd Party login, which significantly increased user registration and engagement. Additionally, I spearheaded the development and growth of YourCNN, a personalized dashboard that tailors user experiences based on both implicit and explicit user data. This effort included the launch and continuous iteration of the CNN Follow feature, a key aspect of CNN’s personalization strategy, designed to deepen user engagement and drive growth by allowing users to follow stories and topics of interest.
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While working for The City of Boston at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, it became clear that public health information alongside frequent access to community resources, closures, and updates were in high demand. The Boston Public Health Commission has for many years been a hub for such information, however; BPHC was deeply entrenched in antiquated technology and not built around a user-centric platform.
The BPHC site had outgrown its existing structure and needed an overhaul. The user experience was mired by the fact that it held nearly 50 different departments, each with its own microsite, navigation, and content.
Just months prior, The City of Boston had developed a new brand with a more welcoming tone and commitment to robust user experience strategies. With more than 7 million people each year visiting the Boston.gov site to tap into all sorts of city services, our research affirmed the clear benefit of merge the two platforms. At that time we launched our project to migrate the existing BPHC site and its assets to the new and refreshed Boston.gov.
As the co-leading designer for this initiative, our objective was to design something that would simplify how people navigate the site, to make it easier for residents to find answers to common questions, and, in the process, serve as a community facilitator—an up-to-date, reliable resource that enhanced the life of its users during the pandemic.
Sometimes drinking more water is all we need to feel energized and brighten our mood. HidrateSpark smart water bottle will keep track of how much you drink and help you meet your daily hydration goal by indicating subtle reminders through an internal glowing light. The bottle works via an Internal sensor which monitors how much water (ml or oz.) you drink throughout the day. The glowing light reminds you when to drink more water and signals that you've met your customizable daily intake goal. The bottle syncs to the app in your IOS or Android Bluetooth device, and integrates with fitness trackers including Fitbit, Apple Watch, Apple Health Kit, Google Fit, Under Armour Record and Nokia/Withings.
The Narrative Clip is a non-invasive, lightweight, and almost unnoticeable automatic life-blogging camera.
By taking a photo every 30 seconds, the small wearable camera creates the true photographic memory. After a long day of wearing Narrative, one can reflect on the simple moments, the nostalgic ones, and even remember some details you may have missed during conversations that took place while your mind was elsewhere.
The narrative clip is an easy to use object, and it isn't chock full of overwhelming features or interfaces. Instead, Narrative can seamlessly become a part of our daily routine. Like the clothing we put on each morning, Narrative is just another article.
Want to learn more? Check out Narrative
I’m often asked how I keep track of the ideas that flow through my mind each day or how I know where to begin. The answer is simple—I put them on paper.
I like to ask people: When was the last time you sent a handwritten letter to a friend or loved one? Or the last time you sat down to journal, sketch, or jot down ideas for later? For many of us, these once-tactile experiences have become digital, streamlined by computers, tablets, and smartphones.
But what if there were a notebook that retained the feel and function of traditional paper, enhanced with technology to make organizing and digitizing your notes effortless? That’s exactly what SCRIBZEE® offers—a bridge between the analog and digital worlds. Developed by Hamelin, this innovation is designed to empower note-takers, making handwritten notes more organized, accessible, and collaborative.
Research consistently shows that handwriting enhances memory retention and boosts overall brain function. Studies using MRI scans have even demonstrated that writing by hand activates neural activity in ways similar to meditation. In short, handwriting sharpens the mind and deepens learning.
Hamelin notebooks, paired with SCRIBZEE® technology, embody this philosophy, combining the cognitive benefits of handwriting with the convenience of digital organization.
With SCRIBZEE® and Hamelin Notebooks, you can:
Securely store handwritten notes in the cloud.
Sort and organize them alongside presentations, images, and other digital content.
Share notes with workgroups and classmates via social networks.
Email notes directly to colleagues or friends.
To explore SCRIBZEE® and Hamelin Brands, click here.
How do we know when students and children are truly engaged during their work and daily tasks? Is there a way to learn about engaging factors, repetition in learning patterns, or complete loss of interest? Can we gauge what they’re learning without an invasive form of observation and interrogation?
These are just a couple of questions I often ask myself when considering the way in which interaction and attention plays a role within our educational atmosphere, and everyday lives.
When it comes to developmental studies of children K-12 or even students in college, it’s no easy task to understand what each individual is absorbing from their studies or interactive work. There have been many clinical trials which require wiring up individuals and watching for changes in brain EEG signals. Similarly, while this may be a great way to test for current engagement and pinpoint moments when interest or new discoveries take place; It is not the best testing grounds due to the increased anxiety or nerves brought on by foreign objects on your person. In this industry, this is currently referred to as “white coat syndrome”.
What if we took a new approach and used the age old human giveaway of facial expression and gesture-based movement. We reveal more than we may think by simply changing our expressions, twiddling our thumbs, or moving our bodies. By taking the time to observe and record data on varying gestures, reactions, and subtle cues, one can get a better understanding of the internal learning processes of those involved.
By using non-invasive tracking device, we map varying gestures to gather insight and learn more about what features, objects, and concepts keep us engaged. Not only will such data help us develop better products, but teach us how to properly engage and teach with greater efficiency and success.
MIT Design Challenge
Unity is an all-in-one communication and productivity platform designed for educational institutions. With Unity, students, professors, and administrators can effortlessly manage notifications, messaging, assignments, and real-time progress tracking. Whether you need to send a message to your professor, receive updates on your coursework, or monitor your academic performance, Unity streamlines it all into one seamless experience. By centralizing communication and academic management, Unity enhances collaboration, keeps students organized, and simplifies the educational journey.
As a cyclist, I’m always considering new ways to improve the safety and awareness of cyclists and pedestrians. While I’ve had many bike related projects, most began around the idea of bridging a gap of communication between driver and cyclist.
The idea for the open door awareness system came after hearing about the numerous accounts of cyclists being severely injured after car doors were opened on them as they passed by parked cars. I sought to find a way in which the issue could be almost completely eradicated by warning both cyclist / Oncoming traffic and the person inside the vehicle.
By utilizing the existing sensors and lights in many modern cars, or with simple modifications, the open door awareness system works by alerting the driver or passengers inside the vehicle of oncoming traffic in their blindspots or out of view. It does so by vibrating the inner handle as you reach to open the door. In addition, to alert others of your soon to open door, the system flashes the vehicles lights in an effort to bring attention to the cyclist or other oncoming vehicles.
(Independent project, Miles Chilson 2016)
Canon Medical - Provider Scanning Access streamlines the process of accessing client scans and reduces the risk of user error when navigating multiple hospital devices. As the Lead UX Designer for this project, I focused on creating a secure, intuitive, and efficient user experience. With bio and passcode authentication, healthcare providers are prompted to verify their identity through the host security profile, ensuring a seamless and secure workflow. Providers receive real-time notifications, can quickly access patient scans, and view associated timelines along with available user data for easy reference. This platform enhances efficiency and accuracy, delivering a smoother, error-free experience when managing medical imaging and patient information.
