JANA THOMPSON
projects
As an experienced technologist and designer, I work in the crossroads of critical theory, linguistics, AI, and emerging technology.
I don't believe in the simplicity of a problem statement. Most challenges in design have to be met with more than design thinking. They must be met with critical thought, cultural understanding, and systemic approaches, as well as a willingness to learn. While empathy is the ultimate goal with users, respect must be the foundational principle for a design practice that creates impactful and lasting solutions.
I am currently based in Seattle and work as a research scientist for the Machine Learning for Language group at the Center for Data Science at New York University. If you'd like to talk about research collaborations, potential freelance work, or just a conversation, reach out on my contact page.
Get to Know Me
Inclusion and trust in smart home assistants
Virtual Engineer
AI at work
Meaningless gods and post human companions
Talk given at Colloque IA Fiction (Paris, June 2021)
BBQ Lite
One of many collaborators on a best of class bias-detection dataset for QA models
Gear Swap
An app for all gear heads
Maestra
Centering the "at-risk" student in design
Rich Context
Building interfaces for understanding data
LearnDesk
IxDA 2022 Student Charette entry to design equitable outcomes for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing students
RunwayML
Heuristic evaluation and cognitive walkthrough on RunwayML
(re)imagine
IBM Data Science Community
Creating relevant and engaging content for a 20,000+ global community
Sunlink
Virtual reality exploration into climate futures - AWE XR Climate Challenge Finalist
Siento
Strengthening community-based mental well-being for firefighters and paramedics
Saving the Salish Sea
Game for 6-12 graders to learn about mitigating climate change in the Salish Sea bioregion
Anthropocene Spectres of the Salish Sea
Texas German Dialect Project
Language documentation project for heritage speakers of German in the Texas Hill Country (2002)