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Lead UX Designer
Boston, MA
Mar 2014 - Present (10 years 7 months)
As a full time contractor for this higher education company I lead UX design & research efforts of World Languages (iLrn) and Quantitative discipline (MTQ) learning platforms. Transforming student learning experience with social and game-like elements that deliver rewarding, delightful learning & teaching experiences. Instituting a user-centered design (UCD) approach. Ensuring that both audiences (instructors and students) have mobile access by advocating for responsive web platform. Leverage & facilitate user research through interviews, usability tests & proof of concept tests. Work closely with software development managers to understand technological platform limitations to design experiences that are possible yet delightful. Collaborate closely on product planning and execution with key stakeholders across Cengage organization.
Interaction Design: conduct competitive reviews, create wireframes, Axure clickable prototypes, user stories, and detailed specifications, design with an emphasis on user goals and experience, and evaluate designs in terms of usability and affective influence
User Research: practice iterative design cycles that are informed through quantitative/qualitative user research, identify the needs, motivations and behavior of end users, observe trends in behavior uncovered in research and implement findings in end-user mental models as well ad IA to make primary tasks completion intuitive
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Senior UI Designer
Helium Inc.
2009 - Mar 2014 (4 years 5 months)
Lead Helium.com and HeliumContentSource.com UI projects. Manage projects from high level content strategy, IA to page level wireframes and UI in a fast agile development environment. Optimize user tools and interaction design based on requirements and data derived from conducting user polls, usability tests and user data analysis to correct or promote patterns in user behaviors. Communicate with high-level stake holders during the business requirement process to implement immediate user needs and UI corrections. Oversee and supplement development requirements with flats to ensure proper definition of new UI. Communicate with engineers to uncover best solutions for project requirements. Follow projects through QA to ensure successful implementation. Advocate for responsive web design and anything mobile. Create, define and establish Helium brands, safeguard brand standards across web, social media, print and sales materials.
• Designed, prototyped and followed through QA the design and development of My Helium, Assignment system, Inbox, HowTo Guides, News,Topic pages and homepage re-design.
• Key player during Helium brand restructuring. Brainstormed, designed and developed Helium Content Source and Helium Media brands. Managed to secure intellectual properties and domain names.
• Established and lead Helium’s Crowd Pleaser Publishing - books written and edited by Helium.com’s user community. Managed the creative and editorial process. Published books on Amazon.com and Kindle.
• Key player in the design and development of HeliumContentSource.com e-commerce publisher platform for purchasing content. This release enabled publishers to self-serve, post assignments or directly purchase stock content.
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Creative Director
Geniosity Advertising + Design
2000 - Oct 2013 (13 years)
Led the day-to-day operations of an advertising studio. Created design concepts and sales pitches to supplement ideas and budgets for new business. Led sales initiations with proven closing track record. Provided design direction to a team of designers and developers. Managed creative & development teams and vendors to assure timely and quality outcomes of projects. Interfaced with clients on a daily basis to ensure open communication and outstanding customer service. Helped businesses to penetrate their markets by correctly positioning their brand identity and establishing a competitive edge.
• Established a professional brand identity for MSR Laboratories. Transformation included design & production of corporate ID, sales and marketing print collateral and a website & blog development.
• Launched BrownBetty® Brand; Brand ID, production of marketing and sales collateral and interactive Flash website
• Created a brand exploration concept for American Tourister. Designed print and sales collateral and multimedia for Samsonite and American Tourister Brands.
• Opened a new sales channel for Hitachi AIC. Website re-design resulted in improved organic search engine ranking and conversion rates.
• Brought Harvard University partnership proposal to a new presentation level and helped clinch an account for Siemens Building Technologies.
• Re-branded “Detachable pill boxes” to Detach N’ Go product brand which opened the door to product retail placement in Target and Walgreens. Executed all print and web collateral.
• Launched It’s Exciting Lighting brand. Designed & produced print collateral, website and e-mail blast promotions.
• Developed custom-tailored retail pet shop supplier e-commerce system for Gotorovers.com.
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Managing Designer
Jana White Design
1998 - 2002 (4 years)
Provided original and innovative graphic design services for a range of major clients, including Samsonite Corp., Pen Dynamics Inc., Natco Corp., Comtel Group, Inc., Total Learning Concepts, Nortel Networks, and Alexis Design. Produced effective marketing communications tools and materials encompassing Websites, Flash movies, logos, corporate branding, product consumer packaging, catalogs, magazines, brochures, audiovisual presentations and promotional inserts. Coordinated with clients to ascertain design requirements and prepare estimates/contracts for accepted projects. Presented design concepts to marketing managers and project teams, and negotiated with vendors, contractors and print-service providers regarding prices, design specifications, and project deliverables. Directed a diverse range of professionals in attainment of project goals.
Selected Achievements:
• Designed and developed a Flash-based intro movie, and design of an e-commerce proposal for the Samsonite Company Website.
• Designed and managed the production of a Solid pen catalog for Pen Dynamics Inc., encompassing design and production of marketing brochures, photo-shoot management, product development and presentation delivery.
• Created a successful Website and related GUI functions for Total Learning Concepts, Inc., in addition to designing a series of training print modules for Procter & Gamble.
• Directed all aspects of Website design for Quality Metric, Inc, including an e-commerce market place and design of online health surveys.
• Designed product packaging for Natco Corp. for retail store chains such as Home Depot, Bed Bath & Beyond and Target.
• Succeed in enhancing market visibility for clients, resulting in increased levels of revenue generation, new business and customer satisfaction.
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Graphic Designer
Litos Advertising & Design
1996 - 1998 (2 years)
Directed all aspects of design and preparation of digital pre-press for 4-color printing, including corporate ID, brochures, package design, slide presentations, custom illustrations, and Web design.
• Designed and placed advertising in trade magazines and other publications for Nye Lubricants.
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Graphic Designer
Panax Publishing House
1994 - 1996 (2 years)
Assisted in the layout and design of a bi-monthly pharmaceutical magazine including advertisements and illustrations, with the responsibility for pre-press and print management. Communicated with clients regarding project design requirements, oversaw all product and collateral photography needs, worked with external vendors on photo shoots and provided art direction.
• Designed marketing and promotion strategies, trade advertising, direct mail and sales collateral for major international pharmaceutical corporations, including SmithKline Beecham, Glaxo, Eli Lilly, and Roche.