Michael J. Muller works in the area of human-computer interaction (HCI).
His research focuses on participatory practices in analysis, design, and
evaluation of computer systems and, potentially, other artifacts of
individual or social design. In this context, "participatory" refers to
full, effective involvement of end-users and other interested parties (or
"stakeholders") in the analysis of work, the design of work and the systems
that support work, and evaluation of systems that will affect their work.
An internationally recognized expert in the field of participatory design,
Michael has developed or co-developed practices -- PICTIVE, CARD, and
Participatory Heuristic Evaluation -- that are in use on four continents.
With Sarah Kuhn, Michael co-chaired the 1992 Participatory Design
Conference, and will co-chair the technical program of the 1998
Participatory Design Conference.
Michael's current research focuses on the conceptual tools that are used by
relatively privileged persons when they perform analysis, design, or
evaluation related to the work of organizationally less-privileged persons
-- e.g., an analyst in a manager job title who is assigned to work on
systems to be used by non-managerial staff. Michael published a set of
"ethnocritical heuristics," which can be used for self-critique in this
domain, at the 1995 Computers in Context conference at Aarhus. Based on the
broad theoretical and practical outline in that paper, he is focusing on
theories from literary translation and rhetoric to inform theory and
practice in HCI, using a theoretical perspective based in part in standpoint
epistemologies, feminism, Bakhtinian dialogue, and Arnold Krupat's
ethnocriticism.
Michael's "day job" is to manage a usability group at Microsoft corporation,
specializing in computing away from conventional desktop applications and
office settings. Michael's web page may be found at
http://www.research.microsoft.com/ui/mjmuller/index.htm .
-- Michael Muller Usability Manager Microsoft Corporation One Microsoft Way, Room 9N/2276 Redmond WA 98052 USA +1 425 703 1961 (voice and voicemail) +1 425 936 7329 (fax) mullerm who-is-at acm.org mjmuller who-is-at microsoft.com http://www.research.microsoft.com/ui/mjmuller/index.htm