Bryan Yurasits

I’m a UX interaction designer with experience in web development. I grew up in the world of magic (my parents are professional magicians) and have a passion for learning the science behind why people do what they do. I'm particularly interested in cognitive psychology and neuroscience. My interests and experiences provide me with a unique perspective on the world.

When designing interactions for applications or IoT devices, I look at the device as a participant in a conversation. I strive to design polite, thoughtful, and accommodating participants that anticipate their counterparts needs.

One of my favorite parts of designing interactions is prototyping. It can be fast and messy, but it can provide invaluable insight. I find that building a quick interactive prototype is my most effective way to discover and communicate a design's strengths and weaknesses.

While working with my dad to design and build magic props, I learned that if you understand the problem and audience deeply enough you can build things that others believe are impossible. This lesson was solidified while reading Don Norman’s “The Design of Everyday Things,” where I found my favorite set of quotes:

People don't want to buy a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole!

Theodore Levitt

Once you realize that they don't really want the drill, you realize that perhaps they don't really want the hole, either

Don Norman

This perspective comes in handy when coming up with solutions for new interactions and enhancing interactions to improve engagement.