HP Labs intern Allison Moore
Allison Moore is a rising senior at Homestead High School in Cupertino, California. She’s a competitive fencer and member of her school’s robotics team. She’s been surprised at how seriously high school interns are taken at HP Labs. “I expected that I’d just be told what to do and not really be involved in developing a study,” Moore says. “But we’re all working together and I have a lot of flexibility to follow my interests in terms of the contribution I’m making.”
HP: So what are you working on this summer?
I’m helping with a user study on self-expression and clothing in HP’s Immersive Experiences Lab. Right now we’re working on developing what we want to ask people. We’re going to have people bring in pictures of different outfits that they wear for different kinds of activities and then talk about items that they use to customize and personalize their appearance in those situations.
HP: Can you explain the thinking behind the study?
People say a lot through what they wear. Sometimes it’s visual, where you are saying it to everybody. Sometimes it’s more private. It can also seem like you are making a trivial decision in deciding what to wear, but it has a big impact on how people look at you and how you feel about yourself. When you wear an item that doesn’t make you feel comfortable, you really notice it and it can change how you behave. We’re interested in that, and in how we can make people feel more comfortable with who they are.
HP: What’s your role in the study?
I’m making props that we’re using to get people thinking about possible applications of personalization and customization using 2D and 3D printing. For example, I just designed some buttons that we’re going to 3D print. I might also be going in the room and asking people questions when we do the study itself.
HP: What are you hoping you’ll find?
I hope we find ways in which people can use printing to express themselves in different situations, even ones where they feel vulnerable. So that even if you are in an environment where you have to wear clothing that you don’t like, you can still express yourself in that environment and feel comfortable in it.
HP: Is interning at HP Labs changing your thinking about what you’d like to major in at college?
It’s definitely helping me figure out the general area I want to go into. And I’m seeing that it’s okay to pursue multiple options, like science and the liberal arts, at the same time. It’s also got me thinking more about what I want out of a career – how do I follow my passions and also make a difference, and what kind of work will I want to come in and do every day?
