Directing Focus: How a Basic UI Test Shaped an Attention Framework
I had just started working on an established freemium web game targeting children in the 6 - 10...
Welcome to my home on the web! Remember when personal websites used to have tacky animated gifs and 'Under Construction' banners everywhere? I do! And I'm bringing it back!
I'm a Senior Product Data Scientist who spent a decade in games and educational technology before that, and even longer studying stars, teaching physics, and figuring out how complex systems actually work.
I build experiments, measurement frameworks, and analytics infrastructure that help teams understand their users and make better product decisions. My work has informed launches delivering significant growth in subscription conversion, engagement, and revenue at companies like Prodigy Education and Ubisoft. I've also published research in computational astrophysics and medical machine learning, run a public planetarium, and taught undergraduate physics.
I believe data science should create knowledge, not automate thinking. If you're looking for rigorous experimentation, honest analysis, and someone who cares more about understanding than optimization, you're in the right place.
I was working on a freemium web and mobile video game targeting an audience of children and teens. Up to this point, the monetization model had been purely subscription-based, but the publisher wanted to boost revenue by introducing a premium currency and an in-game micro-transaction shop.
This involved massive structural changes to the game. Many features and items that were previously subscriber-only were unlocked to non-subscribers in exchange for premium currency. On top of that, basic progression loops were integrated directly into the premium currency spend cycle.
For over a decade now, I’ve had the pleasure – and the frustration – of being a data scientist in the video games industry. I’ve always loved problem-solving. I’ve always loved video games, computers, and digital products of all kinds (okay, most kinds). They entertained me, fascinated me, and gave me worlds to explore in ways that the people around me never really seemed to care about when I was growing up.
I’ve also always loved science – all science, though none more than astronomy. Getting to use the scientific method, my problem-solving instincts, my personal understanding of digital products, and my technical skills to help create better video games has been a huge privilege. One I never could have imagined when growing up in rural Atlantic Canada.
Recent Articles
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Educational Gaming and the Impact of Existing Knowledge
I was working on a large educational game targeted at young children. At the time, the developer had...
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Fun and Folly with Microtransactions
I was working on a freemium web and mobile video game targeting an audience of children and teens. Up to
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Modelling the NS COVID-19 Outbreak - 12 May, 2020
...This was something I put together for the interest of colleagues at work, and I got some good
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Who is Driving? Bear is Driving!
For over a decade now, I’ve had the pleasure – and the frustration – of being a data scientist in...