Joshua Kirby

    My name is Joshua Kirby and I'm a senior computer science major. I'm taking HCI because I think it's both a very interesting subject, and it's important for our future. Much of our technology is becoming more and more interactive and it's important to learn the dos and don'ts. I've also taken Computers and New Media, which pointed out many important notes on interacting with computational media. 

    I've interned at a company called KPEvolutions for the past 3 years. This company combines automation with lighting and AV aspects of a home or business. To put simply, I've been helping program smart homes. When programming smart homes, it is important to take into account how a user will interact with each piece of equipment. It's easy to program a system that allows user plenty of options and ways to control their home or business, but it can be extremely difficult to make the system easy to use and understand. 

    I believe this class will help me learn new ways to create a system like this, as well as prepare me for any other jobs that involve humans interacting with computers. After working for this company, I've realized that I really enjoy the idea of making complicated and complex systems that give users a large amount of control in an easy to use setting. Additionally, I think with the direction that technology is moving today, it is important for any programmer to know how to create an easy to use program for any user.