Ada Lovelace Day 2012: Dr Kelly Page

Ada Lovelace Day is an international celebration of the achievements of women in technology. You can read more on the event’s website.

This year I would like to mention someone who is very dear to us at NativeHQ and is well known among web people in Cardiff, where we live and work.

To call Dr Kelly Page an ‘academic’ would be factually correct but wouldn’t give you a full picture of the real value she brings to the projects she works on. She has a keen understanding of technology adoption and the ‘human’ factors and in a field often given to over-exuberance she never gives a simplistic answer. It is always fascinating to discuss with her how technology is really used and how digital media are being changed and in turn changing us, in education, in organisations, in companies, in politics, the arts and so on.

She is a highly versatile thinker who has no problem recasting the original question, category or definition on the basis of what happens along the way. That is a rare attitude. She has been known to remark, in one of her favourite phrases, that there are ‘a lot of learnings’ – a reflection of her curiosity and openness to new insights, however they might be found. She is a great asset to organisations, at least those that are willing to be inspired and learn with her.

Tom and I have benefited hugely from our conversations with Kelly, many of which have fundamentally changed the way we do things. As well as her flawless professionalism as a person she is generous, good at meaningful encouragement and big on laughs.

Although she maintains links to Wales, Kelly and her gigantic brain departed for a life in the USA earlier this year. And although it is a great pity for us as we don’t see her as often anymore, we know she is thriving on the new challenges and we look forward to future discussions – on whichever shore they may be.