About me

Hello! I’m Bernard Tyers.

I’m a user experience professional.

My work focuses on user research, interaction design, and open source software. I’m a technology professional with 18+ years experience.

I studied Human-Computer Interaction in City University, London. My dissertation was on user mental models of an instant messaging encryption protocol, called OTR (Off-The Record).

Where possible I work on projects where privacy, security, and identity are important aspects.

I’ve worked for UK government in the Home Office Digital (+4 years in as a contractor and civil servant), Passport Office, UK Border Force, Department for Education, Marine Management Organisation, OCCRP, Amnesty International, and in the pharmaceutical industry.

Design and Open Source software

I helped found the Open Source Design collective ((Open Source Design website https://www.opensourcedesign.net)), a growing group of designers advocating for more user-centred design involvement in the open source software community.

I try to contribute to open source projects where possible.

We organise user-centred design tracks at conferences – FOSDEM, and Apachecon being the most known.

Previous world

In a previous life I was an engineer in reverse order;

  • telecommunications networks engineer with Nokia/Nokia Siemens Networks building mobile phone networks
  • systems administrator with various Internet companies
  • a technician building electronics in academia
  • started doing Search Engine Optimisation with a small Internet company in the 90s

I’m a member of the ACM ((Association of Computing Machinery https://www.acm.org/)), UXPA ((User Experience Professionals Association https://www.uxpa.org/)), and ORG ((Open Rights Group https:/www.openrights.org.uk)), and I’m a big supporter privacy and digital rights organisations.

I provide pro-bono user-centred design advice to the Open Tech Fund as part of their advisory council reviewing funding proposals.

My most prestigious awards include honorary President of the Guinness Monday Club, and Boy Scout of the year, 1989. 🙂