Cynthia Putnam is an associate professor at the College of Computing and
Digital Media at DePaul University. She is interested in human-centered
approaches to design. Her framework for this field is informed by over ten
years of working in industry as a visual and interaction designer,
illustrator and animator prior to earning her PhD. Cynthia received her
PhD in Human Centered Design & Engineering from the University of
Washington.
Research Area
Human Computer Interaction
Specific Research Area
Current research:
Child-Computer Interaction
- Interactive technologies/toys designed for children/students who have autism
- Mobile-based interaction design and user testing
User Experience (UX) Professionals and Pedagogy
- Bridging the design/research dialogue gap by exploring methods UX professionals use to (a) investigate and (b) communicate about end-users.
- How accessibility is taught, practiced and considered.
Professional Associations
Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), Interaction Design Association, The Usability Professionals Association