inventor.thinker.designer.leader

I have over 11 years digital design experience. My experience includes: User Experience Design at Yahoo! and Lead Product Designer at Microsoft. Before turning my attention to interaction design, I was an Art Director and Graphic Designer. I am an advocate for contextual, collaborative design and employ user-centric process methodologies.

I have lead multi-disciplinary teams to deliver simple, elegant and innovative solutions for my clients. I have crafted breakthrough, award winning cross-platform experiences such as mobile sites and alternate reality games. I specialize in creating next-gen products that center around social interactions and mobility. I have designed interfaces for multi-touch screens, websites, mobile devices and software.

In addition to my fulltime work, I actively contribute to the user experience community through speaking engagements, panels and reviewing papers for conferences and am currently serving as Local Leader for the San Francisco Chapter of the Interaction Designers Association (IxDA).

I am a seasoned designer, strong communication and client skills with the ability to create compelling, appropriate design, and most importantly, the ability to think strategically and solve design problems.

SEEKING: I am seeking opportunities in an innovative and design-oriented enviornment. I am especially interested in non-screen based interaction design. The nebulous area between people interacting with space and computer-related devices and information. Mobile, experimental interface design, touch-screen, kiosk based design and designing for interactions that are not strictly web or software based.

SKILLS: Leadership/management in: user experience, product design, interaction design, prototypes, user interface design experience and strategy, information design, prototypes, user interface design

My experience includes designing for multi-touch screens, portable devices web-based applications, content web sites, and software applications. I work with project stakeholders to gain an understanding of project drivers to meet their expectations.

+ Leading User Experience for Products and Service
+ Defining requirements & features
+ Evangelizing and promoting design to team
+ Establishing work-flow diagrams and map tasks
+ Creating visual design comps
+ Designing wire frames
+ Consolidating these ideas into prototypes

+ I maintain awareness of team members’ work and provide constructive feedback to ensure quality of work
+ I lead conceptual development and brainstorms
+ I Inspire creativity, innovative thinking, strong marketing concepts and solutions through thoughtful management
+ I refine, implement and maintain work process
+ I ensure the project teams work is highly creative, innovative and effective work
+ I work to maintain strong, creative partnerships with clients and collaborate with them to understand their business, brand and marketing objectives, and contribute to its evolution and success
+ I manage, prepare and present creative for business and strategic development and project presentations
+ I work with Project Managers and other team members to ensure time-lines, resources, and budget allocations can meet project scope

09.2009 - Present
Product Design and Strategy Consultant

08.2007 - 09.2009
AKQA
Digital Product Design Director
Creation and design of behaviors across multiple platforms for clients such as Nike, McDonald's and Microsoft.
Mobile, web, Facebook applications, Alternate reality games, new product concepts

07.2006 – 08.2007
Independent User Experience Design Consultant
+ Interaction design on a web-based application for a well-known Japanese toy company
+ User Experience design for a personalization product for AOL (America Online Inc.)
+ Information and visual design for a information graphic project for eBay Inc.
+ Information and Interaction design for a community-based product for Bank of America

06.2005 –07.2006
Yahoo! Inc.
User Experience Design | Yahoo! Groups
User experience for Yahoo! Groups.

02.2005 – 05.2005
Microsoft
Product Designer | MSN Messenger
Worked with team to direct user experience features for most recent release.

10.2004 - 02.2005
Getty Images
Contract Designer  | Getty Images
Designed a search module for delivery to partner sites.

09.2003 – 10.2004
Microsoft
Contract Product Designer III | Microsoft New Consumer Products, Microsoft Hardware Team
Determining physical input and interaction models for the product now known as Surface.  Designed the shell design for the product demonstration and designed applications used for testing gesture input methods.  Participated in user research efforts.

Product Designer | Microsoft Hardware User Interface
Drove the interaction and visual design of new services/applications that will ship with a new wireless home networking product. Lead the project team to define the core set of possible features, services and prioritize their development. Worked with product planning to define and evaluate potential partners.

03.2001 - 09.2003
Microsoft
Designer, Microsoft | Microsoft Consulting Services, Application Development
Consultant and user experience design specialist for the Microsoft Consulting application development team. 

HIGHLIGHTS
+ Lead User Experience Designer
+Lead design research and design efforts for two large-scale desktop applications for customer support centers of Wachovia bank and Verizon.
+Lead User Experience Designer
Design exploration and research for clinical trials and clinical intake application using Tablet PC platform
Clients:

08.1999 - 03.2001
Luminant Worldwide formerly Interactive 8
Senior Designer / Art Director, Luminant Worldwide | Creative Department
Design for advertising, web sites, brand identity and CD-Rom presentations. Reported directly to the Creative Director and served as primary creative contact for clients. This included heavy interaction with designers, developers and project managers. Assisted in Creative pitches and worked extensively with creative strategy. Managed a small design team including project budgets and produced creative documentation.

HIGHLIGHTS:
+ Art Direction for several photo shoots, product and lifestyle
+ Visual design and information architecture for two financial websites and two Mattel products
+ Lead Visual design for Accenture’s  “Now it gets interesting” online marketing campaign

1997-1999
Charles Schwab and Co, Inc.
Web Developer | Electronic Brokerage Technology
A member of a small team that was responsible for production and design of the corporate extranet site. The position required working closely with change management, software development and QA departments as well as internal business clients for implementation and completion of web-related projects, under fast paced workload and tight deadlines. Developed /maintained in JavaScript and HTML and handled graphic production and information design.

HIGHLIGHTS:
+ Excellence in Service Award, 1997, 1998 Charles Schwab and Co., Inc
+ Award for Redesign Team | Project Barracuda 1998

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