Kirk Bridger is a Functional Analyst in the Product Management department at McKesson’s Medical Imaging Group.  He is a strong proponent of developing systems that are intuitive, usable, and that enrich the user experience.  He believes in making systems that work for people, rather than asking people to work for their systems.

He is a key planner and implementer of process improvements within the Medical Imaging Group, working to bring the product development process to new levels of efficiency and effectiveness.

Kirk holds a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Immunology, and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Computing

Put another way:

Kirk Bridger’s life as a Usability Specialist began not so long ago. A mild mannered student interested in usability and HCI – he spent a great deal of time critically eyeing various software tools in a never-ending attempt to reduce user software gripes worldwide. Late in the night he came across an interface so poorly designed, so magnificently obtuse that he was struck dumb, laid out on the floor of his home. When he awoke he felt a renewed sense of purpose: he would track down and abolish less than usable interfaces everywhere. He would work towards better, friendlier, more usable software products for users across the world.

As he began tackling this monumental task he discovered he had somehow acquired super human abilities: he found that he had an uncanny ability to retrieve old and forgotten data and texts from long-neglected sources. His mind practically hummed with power when he went on information gathering missions. But perhaps most importantly he found a strengthened ability to “teach a person to fish” – and teach he does.

He has maintained a quiet life in Southern BC, living with his family near the US border. He typically wears a polar fleece of some kind, not so much for protection but more for the ability to dress in layers – he seems to like layers. While not independently wealthy like several of his peers in the superhero arena, he has managed to collect a variety of Open Source tools and attitudes that, while free (as in beer), serve him better than any commercial offering ever could in a time of need.

Like any other person in his position he has found that there are some forces in this world that challenge even his abilities. He finds it difficult to resist the siren’s call of what he terms “new-shiny” things, and is rendered utterly powerless when confronted with a well designed, well executed usability study.  Kirk continues to work tirelessly towards usable computers and attacks his arch-enemies at every opportunity, tackling design assumptions and misappropriated widgets wherever he finds them. He works feverishly so that one day, hopefully in the near future, users will never see another poorly designed software product in their lives.

Kirk has a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Immunology and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Computing.

View a recent copy of my resume.

Brief Emplyment History

McKesson Medical Imaging Group (MIG)

McKesson MIG produces software called a PACS. PACS is a Picture Archiving and Communication System. Essentially it allows for the storage and viewing of medical images. These medical images are captured and stored in a digital way, replacing the films previously used by hospitals. Since the images are digital we can transport them across digital networks, such as the Internet and the Hospital’s internal network. This means we can store and display X-Rays, MRI exams, nuclear medicine images, and CT scans for example. All sorts of images can be captured digitally today, and stored at a high enough resolution that the radiologists and doctors can use them in diagnosis. Naturally this all requires some serious computer hardware to pull off, but the systems should be seen as investments, gradually replacing the film-based workflow in the hospital.

Seymour Academy

Seymour Academy was a small private school in North Vancouver. They approached me when they had a little under 50 students, looking for someone who could help them inventory and setup their computer network. The initial task of letting them know what they had onsite eventually transformed into a weekly visit on my part to support them. Of course my natural inclination to push things around ended up leading to my helping them grow their network as the school grew. I have helped them make purchases of software and hardware, I’ve set up their software and internal systems. Basically I became their Network/Systems Administrator.

Co-op – Southridge School

My official title was Assistant Network Administrator and I was responsible for making sure their network was kept in working shape. I learned a lot about application support, networks, and the level of abuse a typical student can inflict on the a poor, innocent computer.

Co-op – TELUS

My team was tasked with figuring out how the new technologies that were coming down the pipe could be made into something Telus could offer to their customers.