Resumé

ABOUT ME
I subscribe to open source thinking and I enjoy working with others that do so as well. The ideal opportunity will embrace the creative process that grows out of a team working through the challenges involved in addressing and producing solutions that supports sales, marketing, company, and client goals.


WORK EXPERIENCE
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Web & User Experience Designer
1/2001 - Present (8+ years)
Ryan Smith Design, Sun Prairie, WI (Ratio Switch, LLC: Sole Proprietorship)
+ Implement open source CMS applications (Drupal, WordPress & Radiant)
+ Capture clients willing to explore and utilize new web technologies
+ Create visually appealing site designs coupled to user-friendly interfaces
+ Produce scalable, maintainable, and user-friendly web sites
+ Benchmark xHTML and CSS web standards for all site design solutions

Front-end Web Developer
6/2008 - 5/2009 (12 month contract)
Parts-Unlimited, Janesville, WI (via Ratio Switch, LLC. & Upp Technology, Inc.)
+ Convert Photoshop designs into slim, accurate, fast-loading web sites
+ Collaborate with dev team and clients to maintain high-profile brand web sites
+ Maintain brand integrity throughout site redesigns and major updates
+ Integrate new code within existing code bases without source control conflict

Interaction Designer
2/2008 - 6/2008 (6 month contract)
Metavante (via Odyssey I/S)
+ Develop new user interfaces that abide by pre-established standards
+ Analyze project docs (BRD, FDD, IA) & highlight conflicting requirements
+ Provide constructive criticism to improve company UI standards & practices
+ Build xHTML, CSS & JS prototypes for usability tests & client presentation meetings

Senior Visual Designer
6/2007 - 1/2008 (6 month contract)
Networked Insights, Madison, WI
+ Design, document, apply, and enhance visually appealing interface standards to RIA’s
+ Interact with developers to create efficient front-end UI systems
+ Work with very limited resources to keep projects under budget and clients happy
+ Utilize agile project management techniques via open source software and face-to-face interaction
+ Develop prototypes for usability tests & report on results
+ Conduct user acceptance tests to prove success of interface improvements

User Experience & Usability Consultant
7/2006 - 6/2007 (12 month contract)
+ American Family Insurance (via Exacta Corp. Consulting)
+ Develop new design interface patterns for use in AmFam’s web applications
+ Collaborate with UX team in developing enterprise style guides and standards
+ Design flexible user interfaces, scalable navigation models based on real user personas data
+ Partner with internal business professionals to implement user interface consistency


VALUE OFFERED
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Over 9 years of web technology experience
You will gain a passionate web designer, front-end developer, and user experience professional with a diverse portfolio, extensive software knowledge, excellent oral and written communication skills that thrives in a team environment.


EDUCATION
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University Of Wisconsin—Milwaukee
12/2001
Bachelor’s Degree of Fine Arts in Graphic Design with emphasis on multimedia communication. Minor studies included user interface design, digital print making, and business on the web.

2/2004
SCRUM Agile Project Management Certification.

11/2007
Featured presenter at Drupal Camp Wisconsin on incorporating Drupal CMS & Yahoo’s UI library as a bullet-proof front-end template framework.


PROFICIENCIES
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Software
+ Apple, Linux & Windows platforms
+ Adobe CS (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Flash, etc.)
+ IDE’s (TextMate, Eclipse, Aptana)
+ CMS’s (Drupal, WordPress, Radiant, Symphony)
+ Wiki’s (Confluence, PmWiki, MediaWiki, Instiki)
+ Open Office & Microsoft Office (incl. Visio Professional)
+ Command Line (Mac/Linux Terminal, Win C:/, PuTTY)
+ SSH, FTP/SFTP, Apple Remote Desktop, MSTSC, etc.

Code Languages
+ xHTML, CSS, DOCTYPES
+ XML, XSL, XSTL
+ DOM scripting, web standards, microformats
+ UI Frameworks (jQuery, Yahoo, Scriptaculous & Blueprint)

Development Environments & Languages
+ Firefox/Firebug/LiveHTTPHeaders (Mac, Linux, PC)
+ Safari/Web Inspector (Mac & PC)
+ JavaScript/AJAX API’s (jQuery, Prototype, YUI)
+ LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP)
+ Ruby, Rails, Gems, SQLite3, Mogrel/WebBrick/Lighttpd
+ Apache, Tomcat, JSP/JSTL, SQL
+ Subversion (Tortoise SVN)
+ GIT (GitHub)
+ Flash (ActionScript, SWFObject, XML)


SAMPLE WEB EXPERIENCE
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The following list of web sites detail my online experience and interaction (on a project basis) and outline my direct influence on their success. Whether I was designing the site from the ground-up, implementing a new theme or feature, the front-end development and maintenance of these sites.

www.z1rhelmets.com (2008 - 2009)
www.rideicon.com (2008 - 2009)
www.mooseracing.com (2008 - 2009)
www.mooseutilities.com (2008 - 2009)
www.thormx.com (2008 - 2009)
www.bombaybicycle.org (2009)
www.brazencareerist.com (2008)
www.networkedinsights.com (2007)
www.lemondbikes.com (2006)
www.radlund.com (2006)
www.trektravel.com (2003 and 2006)
www.bontrager.com (2004)
www.fitforwomentour.com (2004)
www.kleinbikes.com (2003)
www.trekbikes.com (2003-2006)


ONLINE PORTFOLIO
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http://coroflot.com/ratioswitch


REFERENCES
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Available upon request

Projects by Ryan Smith

Z1R Helmets
3 Files

NI
1 File

LeMond Bikes
6 Files

Trek Travel
3 Files

Radlund
4 Files

Bontrager
4 Files

Klein Bikes
3 Files