About Me
How might we design technologies that promote equity in online freelancing and remote work?
I am a human-computer interaction (HCI) and design researcher in the Delta Lab at Northwestern University. I recently defended my dissertation under the mentorship of Dr. Elizabeth Gerber in the Technology and Social Behavior program, a joint program in computer science and communication. I will soon join the University of Tokyo as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Tokyo College, where I will be collaborating with Dr. Hideaki Kuzuoka in the Cyber Interface Lab.
The world is going through immense changes in how people find and do paid work that involves neither 1) working physically around other coworkers, nor 2) working long-term for the same employer. These rapid changes have the potential to reduce inequities in the workplace by providing flexible and remote work opportunities. For example, in many countries such as the US and Japan, women continue to earn less than men, in part due to norms that favor inflexible, face-to-face work.
I believe in a future of work where online freelancing and remote work can promote more equitable pay and participation. To drive this vision, I use mixed research methods, including design-based research, big data analyses, surveys, experiments, and interviews.
News
- I defended my dissertation (on Zoom!)
- Microsoft published a short paper about freelancing in the COVID-19 pandemic that Liz and I wrote!
- Attended the Doctoral Consortium at GROUP 2020 in Sanibel Island, FL
- Attended the Future of Work(places) workshop at CSCW 2019 in Austin, TX
Research
Gender and Equity in the Online Gig Economy
In many traditional labor markets, women earn less on average compared to men. However, it is unclear whether this discrepancy persists in the online gig economy, which bears important differences from the traditional labor market (e.g., more flexible work arrangements, shorter-term engagements, reputation systems). In a large-scale analysis of 48,019 workers' profiles on Upwork, a popular online labor marketplace, I found that the median woman on Upwork sets bill rates that are about 74% of the median man's rate, a discrepancy even bigger than the offline labor market. My upcoming survey research seeks to understand potential gender differences in pricing strategies that may help explain gender rate gaps online.
Work in progress with Northwestern University
Online Feedback Exchange and Career Development
Online feedback exchange (OFE) systems are an increasingly popular way to test concepts with millions of target users before going to market. Yet, we know little about how users make sense of this feedback and how this feedback could be used to support freelancers, who must constantly improve their online portfolios to develop successful careers. In my research, I developed a framework for thinking about the socio-psychological factors in OFE systems, highlighted novice-expert differences in making sense of online feedback, and designed a crowdsourced feedback tool, CrowdFolio, to help freelance designers' understand how others' view their work.
Work in progress with Adobe Research
Fun Fact
In high school, I trained in Chinese contemporary dance for 4 years, performing with the Eastern Dancer company in Penang, Malaysia. I also trained in contemporary jazz for 2 years with Van Collins in Chicago and performed in a tribute performance for choreographer Duwane Pendarvis. I'm currently improving my ballet technique and recently began training en pointe.
Contact Me
Segal Design Institute
Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center
2133 Sheridan Road
Evanston, IL 60208
eureka@u.northwestern.edu
eureka.foong@gmail.com