Building web applications with no programming experience is difficult, and using Cascading Tree Sheets, developed by PhD student Ted Benson in Professor Karger’s group, in conjunction with Google spreadsheets provides an easy way for users to build web applications with no server code required. Some applications of CTS and spreadsheets include a new content management system to maintain a static blog or simple one-off apps like to-do lists or chat rooms. This project will focus on further exploring the complexity of designing these applications using just spreadsheets as the backend as well as researching how both end users and power users would apply this simple way of building web applications.

I love building interfaces and experiences that are smooth and easy to use, and this project explores designing mechanisms and workflows for both technical and nontechnical users. I have taken Professor Karger’s UI Design and Implementation class, as well as interned at Electronic Arts, working on a web application specifically for end users and Facebook, working on the Instagram iOS team.