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| Aileen Worden |
Adding the Human Touch
Aileen Worden
November 2004
Do you know how to ensure that your customers have the most advanced
and usable computer interfaces, tools, and products? Aileen Worden
does. She is part of a team that provides human-system interaction
support to many projects and customers throughout MITRE.
Worden, a human factors engineer, first discovered the challenges
of engineering psychology as a student at the University of Buffalo
and later at Georgia Tech. Add to that her interest in user interfaces
and a little luck in being at the right place at the right time
and Worden found her "dream job" here at MITRE.
As a human factors engineer, Worden's job is to develop an understanding
of the user's needs and to translate them into the functional interface
for the capability being developed. For example, her current project
for MITRE's Center for Advanced Aviation System Development focuses
on developing a capability for air traffic control supervisors.
She explains, "First we develop a concept based on operator needs
and create the initial design. Once that is done, we conduct laboratory
user studies—in this case we used retired air traffic control
personnel—and make modifications based on their feedback.
Then we take it into the field where the actual users look at it
and tell us what they like and what they don't like. We make further
enhancements and field test it again, this time allowing users to
test the system while conducting their jobs. Then we ask them to
fill out surveys and questionnaires. Another round of enhancements
will be done, and eventually we will assist in the technology transfer
to the contractor."
But her work extends beyond user testing. Her previous projects
include Web tool development and Web site mock-ups for a variety
of customers across the corporation. In addition, Worden spends
a fair amount of time writing technical requirements documents,
computer human-interface requirements, and style guides. "I like
the fact that I typically work independently about 50 percent of
the time and then work with people about 50 percent of the time,"
she says. "I enjoy being able to go off on my own, whether it's
to write a document or to design an interface, then come back and
bring it to the users and get their feedback."
Due to the variety of tasks involved in human-systems interaction
support, human factors engineers rely on a number of different types
of skills. "You need a strong background in statistics and experimental
design so that the testing gives you valid results," says Worden.
"A certain amount of domain knowledge is key as well. You also need
skills in the theory and practice of human factors engineering-usability
testing, interface design, and technical writing skills. People
skills are important, too. Being able to listen to the users' input—compliments
and criticisms—and translate them into system enhancements
is a major part of the job."
Worden's enthusiasm for both her work and MITRE is clearly evident.
"I love MITRE," she says. "I like the job I am doing and find it
very rewarding. The capability I am working on now will someday
go out in the field and be used by air traffic control supervisors
all across the country. That's a great feeling. But I also like
the people, the flexibility, and the opportunities here—it
is what makes MITRE such a great place to work."
—by Kay M. Upham
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