Kate Russell

Information Architect

Kate Russell

Who is Kate Russell?

I’m a woman of many faces, all of which are wrinkled and usually smiling (you just can’t see it behind my scowl). In any single day, I can be:

  • The Enforcer—Mother of two, grandmother of one. I’m the mean person who tells kids they can’t do what they have already done. And the one who tells clients they shouldn’t do what they think they want to do. (In both cases, to be fair, I try to explain my reasons for being mean, but that doesn’t always mean people like my suggestions.)
  • The Examiner—As the information architect, I get to test our websites to make sure they work well and provide what the users need/want. I test for usability, accessibility (for those with different capabilities), consistency, and accuracy (to a point).
  • The Teacher—Whether it’s teaching Conductor (our proprietary content management system) or Web practices, one of the joys of my life is when someone “gets it” because I’ve explained some concept to them in a way that makes sense. I don’t even pretend to be an expert at most things in life, but sometimes I have these insights that help others do their jobs better.

My past lives have included living in Hutchinson, Kans.; Boulder, Colo.; Portland, Ore.; and Seattle, Wash. I now share a log home with my husband, two cats, a dog, umpteen wild turkeys, an occasional deer, raccoons and rabbits too numerous to count, and a family of bats (ugh, when they’re in my house), having kicked the children out long ago.

What do you do at AgencyND?  What’s so cool about that?

As I mentioned above, I play the role of enforcer, examiner, and teacher. But mainly, if something needs to be done to help a client and I can do it or learn it, I’m there.

What do you do in your down time?

Down time? I just started a new career a few years ago! Who has down time?

What did you dream you would do when you were a kid?

Very few people know this, but I wanted to be:

  • a singer (Mom told me I’d never make it on stage)
  • a detective (I’m not very brave)
  • owner of a Presbyterian Playboy Club (this was before I was enlightened as to the social manifestations of women’s lib)
  • an English professor

How did it come about that you work at Notre Dame?

I hate to give my husband credit, but it was another of his great ideas. He works for AT&T and was headquartered here for years. He kept telling me how much I’d like it here; he was right.

Kolbe A Index Results (What is the Kolbe A Index?)

I will share any numbers you want:

  • age (if rounding up, I’d be 100)
  • weight (overweight)
  • IQ (I cheated)
  • cholesterol count (finally around 200)

7-5-6-2

How can you contact me?

Call me at 269.362.4098, or send me an email.