About Me

An Introduction

Lia Rios, MS candidate in Aeronautical Science
Specialized in Human Factors 

I first discovered human factors, user experience, and
usability a few years ago and fell in love with
it, only to be honest I had absolutely no idea at that time. What I mean to say is that the terms 'human factors' and 'user experience' were completely foreign to me up until when I began my graduate studies. This didn't stop me from loving it though! Sounds a bit confusing right? Well, I was a neuroscience minor during my undergraduate studies when I stumbled across a book in Borders titled "Neuro Web Design: What makes them click?" by Dr. Susan M. Weinschenk. After flipping through a few pages, I knew I had to buy it. What I found myself most fascinated with was how much consideration goes into a web design to create a positive user experience.

It's not just about the coding or the graphic design, but also about the psychology behind those designs. When creating a website, the designers must ask themselves: will this website allow the user to have an enjoyable experience? how easy is it to navigate and use? is it clear, concise, stress-free to use? There are so many questions that human factors/user experience designers must explore to make technology as user-friendly and efficient as possible. That book drove my interest in pursuing human factors graduate studies and I am currently in my last year of studies.