Creating a personal understanding of the user through storytelling:
A day in the life of Katelyn Kimber
A day in the life of Katelyn Kimber
"Be someone else. To create relevant experiences, you have to forget
everything you know and design for others."
– Niko Nyman, The Value of User Experience
everything you know and design for others."
– Niko Nyman, The Value of User Experience
“I kick ass,” I repeat to myself while running. "You are a goddess, and you can do this. You’ve done it before. No fear… just breathe." I mentally send breath and love
to my hip flexors, to my quads.
to my hip flexors, to my quads.
"Focus on my form, and breathe. Just 20 more miles to go."
I woke up before the alarm today, nervous excitement having brewed in my stomach all night. Today is my own personal race day, a 50 miler, I’ve set my old time of 7 and a half hours as my goal, but will be happy to just finish it. I’ve been working towards today for months by running a long run of 25 miles once week. I want to feel like my body is a dangerous machine again, I need to know that I’ve healed.
About 6 months ago my right knee hyper-extended and I ended up breaking my fibula. I was descending, tripped and broke my fall by taking an extra wide step in front of me. Stupid. The loud unnatural snap was the equivalent of a DJ scratching the disk. The party stopped- and oh did it. Icing, crutches, time-off from work,
and a perfect spring and summer went by.
and a perfect spring and summer went by.
After some muesli with fresh fruit and orange juice, locally-bought from the Saturday farmer’s market, I blast the Ramones at 6am. Partly to get a head start on my workweek and partly to ease my nerves, I begin to go through some video
footage- it’s the start of a huge project and if the final video rocks I’ll get my much needed raise- and an assistant- Oh yeah!
footage- it’s the start of a huge project and if the final video rocks I’ll get my much needed raise- and an assistant- Oh yeah!
Four perfectly timed hours later I’m drumming along on the steering wheel, playing backup for the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs. Power bar crumbs and spittle shoot out of my mouth as I sing along to my favorite part. "Definitely very sexy, nicely done."
Ten miles to go. I hear mother nature’s motivational whispers crawling through my flying, crazy hair and into my attentive ears.
Five hundred yards to go, "You are a goddess and your body is a
machine! "
machine! "
Moments later I collapse on my knees and mentally ramble, "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you," over and over again as I lift my eyes and see the car in the lot. Sweat hangs over my eyelashes, threatening to keep burning my eyes but I don’t care- 8 and a half hours and I’ve made it.
