Bill Buxton, a highly respected computer scientist and designer specializing in the human aspects of technology, has joined Microsoft Research to work on a variety of projects in its labs around the world. Working as a senior researcher in Microsoft Research will allow Buxton to continue pursuing his strong interest in the use of technology to support creative activities such as design, filmmaking and music. ...

Buxton, who began his career in music, has spent more than 30 years observing how people use technology and applying those insights to the human-computer interaction field. His research specialties include technologies, techniques and theories of input to computers; technology-mediated collaboration between people; and ubiquitous computing. Buxton is widely revered for his creative and sensitive explorations of new user-interface techniques spanning audio, speech, two-handed input, keyboards, menus, lenses, pens, augmented reality, multimedia and more.

In 1995, Buxton received the Canadian Human-Computer Communications Society Achievement Award for his contributions to research in computer graphics and human-computer interaction. He also was selected as the New Media Visionary of the Year at the 2000 Canadian New Media Awards, and the Hollywood Reporter named him one of the 10 most influential innovators in the North American film industry in 2001.

Before joining Microsoft Research, Buxton was principal of his own Toronto-based design and consulting firm as well as chief scientist at Bruce Mau Design Inc. in Toronto. He also is an associate professor in the department of computer science at the University of Toronto. From 1994 through 2002, Buxton served as chief scientist of Alias|Wavefront (now Alias Systems Corp.) and, starting in 1995, of its parent company, SGI Inc.