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The Importance Of Type I Diabetes

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Syringes, blood testers, clinking of glass vials, the rare but still terrifying seizure from low blood sugar — these are some of the memories I have as a child. My mother disappearing after meals and carrying around bottles of juice would always arouse my curiosity. I was too young at the time to understand the seriousness of Type I Diabetes and the constant vigilance required to manage it. Having been diagnosed at an early age, it was a controlling force of her everyday life. That changed in 1997 when my mother was selected to receive an electronic insulin pump. I was fascinated by this device. A few simple presses of a button and the proper dosage of insulin would be administered almost instantly from a preloaded vial. Four buttons and a …show more content…

From that standpoint, I actively participate in surveys, user-research groups, and alpha/beta testing of products I use, taking the time to answer questions, discover shortcomings, and provide constructive criticism. I hope to see these contributions result in design and engineering decisions being made from feedback rather than instinct. These participations serve as insight and allow me to recognize opportunities and challenges as I work towards my goal of being on the other side of the table in the role of User Experience Designer.
In preparation for that role, the opportunities offered by the HCDE program will be invaluable. Taking advantage of access to research opportunities, collaborations, and hands-on experience, I will have everything I need to achieve my professional goal. Directed research groups will expose me to a variety of issues where I can explore and further my interests. In these groups, I will collaborate with others in an atmosphere of ideation, iteration, and prototyping to look for problems and develop solutions. This experience will benefit me as I encounter a similar atmosphere when entering the professional field. Supplemental learning from Coursera on human-centered design will pair well with the Introduction to User-Centered Design course, granting me an in-depth understanding of user-centered perspective and design strategy. I will carry that understanding into Interactive Systems Design and

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