Paola Kathuria

paola@limov.com

1983 BSc (Hons) Psychology 1985 First programming job 1986 MSc Computing Science 1986 Started using the Internet 1989-1992 Wrote for a comms magazine 1989-1994 Worked as a software developer 1991- Director, ArcGlade 1995-1999 Co-founder, director, Limitless 2000- Director, Limitless Innovations

Paola's degrees in psychology and computing were followed by research into search strategies of an on-line library catalogue.

She was a co-founder of Limitless in 1995, where she worked for five years as web producer, architect and developer, working closely with design partners, Denison Design.

Her work at Limitless Innovations focuses on planning and design.

Prior to her Internet work, she worked as a software engineer and consultant, specialising in database and information systems, and has worked for companies such as JP Morgan and Seagram.

Added to this development experience is her continuing interest in user-interface design and graphic design, and her attention to detail.

She welcomes any opportunity to write and applies her knowledge of usable interfaces to documents such as specifications, manuals and guides.

Paola was an active member of the Internet community from 1987 and has several articles published about the net; she maintained the most popular online directory of UK and Irish Internet companies from 1993.

Education

Research, University of Kent, UK (1986-1988)

MSc Computing Science, North Staffordshire Polytechnic, UK (1984-1986)

BSc (Hons) Psychology, University of Leeds, UK (1980-1983)

Activities

April 2003: Paola was one of four professionals invited to present a case study at a workshop organised by Across Design, a group of researchers from engineering, architecture and product design based at Cambridge University and MIT. Paola talked about the OED Online Tour. Case studies were also presented by professionals from the pharmaceutical, engineering and motor industries.

In print

2002: Designed and produced the book RCL 20 with Frank Wales. It is a book celebrating 20 years of HPCC, the Handheld and Portable Computer Club in the UK.    RCL 20: People, Dreams & HP Calculators, W.A.C. Mier-Jedrzejowicz Ph.D. & Frank Wales (Eds), 2002, ISBN: 0-9510733-3-8

The back cover text, table of contents, introduction and a sample chapter are available.

1994: Paola performed the European research for Harley Hahn and Rick Stout's The Internet Yellow Pages, Osborne McGraw-Hill, 1994 (first edition), ISBN: 0-07-882023-5

1993: She assisted Harley Hahn on the IRC chapter for The Internet Complete Reference by Harley Hahn and Rick Stout, Osborne Mc-Graw Hill, 1994 (first edition), ISBN: 0-07-881980-6

1989-1992: Regular contributor to Comms Plus! and The Message, its successor. Both were magazines for the comms (BBS) community. Paola wrote about the Internet and online multi-user games. Some of these articles are on her web site.

Media

1996: Paola was interviewed on BBC World Service News in an item about the Computer Decency Act. There as a former contributor to the Usenet group rec.arts.erotica, she argued the case against strict regulation.

1995: She was interviewed on BBC Radio 4's The Lipman Test, Maureen Lipman's programme - the segment covered friends who had first met online. Paola organised monthly meets in London for regulars of a Usenet newsgroup during 1994 and 1995.

The interview took place during a picnic in Richmond Park attended by 100 people - newsgroup regulars and their families. The picnic was organised by Paola and another newsgroup regular.

1994: Filmed for Channel 4's First Sex, a programme for and about women. The segment was of Paola and two female friends who had first met in a Usenet newsgroup and who were regulars on the newsgroup's associated IRC channel.

Experience

Co-owner, Limitless Innovations, UK (2000-present)
Requirements workshops, web and consultancy work.

Paola's main projects:

• Harbury Media Ltd: the-racehorse.com web site (2006-2007)
• CRASH: Web site redesign (2005)
• Oxford University Press: OED Online web site redesign (2005)
• Cardata: Intranet (2001-2005)
• CRASH: Web site (2000-2004)
• Oxford University Press: Oxford English Dictionary web site redesign (2003)
• Berry Bros. & Rudd: Consultancy (2002-2003)
• Psychology of Programming Interest Group: Web site (1995-2002)
• CRASH: Project database (2000-2002)
• Windsor Half Marathon: Web site (phase 1 & 2) (1996-2001)
• Scott Morrison Photography: Web site (2000)
• Sysao: Web site design (2000)
• One World Telecom: Web site requirements definition (2000)
• Oxford University Press: Redesign of OED Online Help (2000)

Co-founder, Limitless Technical Dimensions Ltd, UK (1995-1999)
Involved in presentations, new business generation, client liaison. Main roles were design and implementation of web sites, often co-ordinating the activities of contract or third-party staff when specialist or mundane skills are required.

Main projects:

• Oxford University Press: General & technical consultancy (1997-2000)
• Oxford University Press: OED Online Tour (1999-2000)
• Limitless: Web site (1995-1999)
• Moorfields Eye Hospital: Web site (phase 1 & 2) (1996-1999)
• SilverPlatter: Health & Safety Publishing web site (1998-1999)
• Berry Bros. & Rudd: Web site requirements definition (phase 2) (1998)
• An international telecoms company: UK ISP telephone survey & business intelligence (1997-1998)
• Carsource: Web site (1996-1998)
• Oxford University Press: Oxford English Dictionary marketing web site (1997-1998)
• An international telecoms company: European ISP web-based survey (1997-1998)
• Sainsbury's: Wine Direct web site (1995-1997)
• Oxford University Press: OED Online publisher's dummy (1997)
• Embassy of Japan: Web site (1996-1997)
• Berry Bros. & Rudd: Cutty Sark Scots Whisky web site (1996-1997)
• Berry Bros. & Rudd: Cutty Sark Tall Ships' Races web site (1996-1997)
• Reuters: Reuters Insurance Information Services web site (1996)
• Barclays Bank: BarclayNet web site (1995-1996)
• Ace records: Web site requirements definition (1996)
• Berry Bros. & Rudd: Web site (1995)

Co-owner, ArcGlade Services Ltd, UK (1991-Present)
Developed company reporting and procedures, company documentation and internal computer systems.

Main contracts:

• Seagram: Graphical reporting system (1993-1994)
• Seagram: Ad-hoc reporting system (1994)
• JP Morgan: Client Information System (1992-1993)

Software engineer, South Bank University, London, UK (1991-1992)
Designed and developed contact and promotional information system for software metrics research group. Designed stationery for team, supported users and assisted in promotional activities.

Software consultant, Grep Ltd, Leeds, UK (1990-1991)
Database consultancy and development. Designed and implemented a contacts management application, including user and reference manuals; a Unix command-line querying tool for relational database system; a booking system and a multi-user diary and reminder system.

Software engineer, Zengrange Ltd, Leeds, UK (1989)
Developed user-interface construction toolkit, administrative database; Designed and implemented a container database for brewery, including writing the specification, technical manual and co-writing the user manual.

Software engineer, Wiggins Teape, Dover, UK (1985)
(Six-month industrial Masters placement.) Developed a management information reporting systems, and a cost-estimating system.

Resources

Paola has created and maintained a number of online resources in her spare time:

• The Colour Selector, a colour-exploration resource for web designers. (1996-)
• The web site for PPIG, the Psychology of Programming Interest Group (1995-2002)
  She administers the PPIG announcement and discussion mailing lists.
• InetUK, the UK & Irish Internet Company Directory. InetUK started off as a Usenet FAQ (for uk.net), was later made available by ftp and by mail and eventually was made into a popular web site. (1993-2002)

Digital art

Paola creates 2D abstract digital art. Some of the them have been submitted to competitions and a small selection will be made available as signed limited edition prints.

About 75 images (dating from 2000-2001) are available as desktop wallpapers.

A small collection of her images can be licensed from Alamy, a leading portal for both general and specialist images.

Interests

Member of the Psychology of Programming Interest Group since it started in 1987 and has attended most of the annual workshops.

Runs a small closed mailing list for posting weird or wonderful online articles or web sites. (1995-)

She has been interested in the decorative arts and has made jewellery since 1980. Buy her jewellery online.

Enjoys SF and fantasy, RPGs, lists and musicals.

Paola's web site: http://www.paolability.com/