Design, develop, experience

Originally from Nepal, human-computer interaction graduate student Pranay Chapagain used his studies to build platforms aimed at improving user experience in a variety of capacities.

Upon completing his undergraduate degree in electronics and communications engineering, Chapagain gained experience in a series of developer roles, including one at his own company. Designing websites and mobile apps allowed Chapagain to build his skills in design and communications, and expand on the programming knowledge he acquired during his undergraduate studies.

"HCI is a unique program because right from the beginning it changes your perspective. It's not just one thing you are studying. Intro to HCI, Human Factors, and Methods are all different courses, but in the end they come together to complement each other."

SUNY Oswego's HCI program offered Chapagain the opportunity to fuse his interests and work experience while performing research in the field. 

"HCI is a unique program because right from the beginning it changes your perspective," said Chapagain. "It's not just one thing you are studying. Intro to HCI, Human Factors, and Methods are all different courses but in the end they come together to complement each other."

Valuing simplicity

Chapagain's work at SUNY Oswego has been focused around improving user experience across various platforms. "The goal is to create something simple for users," Chapagain said.

One of Chapagain's first projects in Oswego was in a software design class. The class developed an application designed to track the Centro bus in Oswego using sensor data on the buses to provide students with accurate bus arrival and departure times. 

Chapagain subsequently worked with Fort Ontario to improve the visitor experience at the historic site with augmented reality. Using an app, visitors would be able to point their smartphone at an object or building at the site to access additional content. This experience would take the visitor from past to present through video, images and text.

As SUNY Oswego focused on the process of building an improved web presence for the school, Chapagain aided in the design and development through usability testing by working in the Office of Communication and Marketing. His research efforts expanded into the complex issue of user flow, including analyzing user engagement and behavior to optimize the experience -- bringing value to his education and those using the college's online properties.